It’s time for a recipe. This is a great, easy recipe for Apple Cake. Jon and the boys like it plain, but to make it special, you can drizzle it with caramel icing and top it with toasted chopped pecans. Mmmmm. Caramel-Apple Coffee Cake 2 C. sugar 1 C. vegetable oil 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 t. vanilla extract 3 C. all-purpose flour 2 t. ground cinnamon 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 3 C. finely chopped apples 2 handfuls chopped pecans, toasted Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Oil and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. (Or, it will make about 24 muffins or 2 loaf pans.) Peel and chop apples.Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended. The batter will be stiff. Fold in chopped apples. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. When the cakes are cool, drizzle them with caramel frosting and sprinkle a handful of chopped pecans on each cake. Caramel Frosting/Icing This is as easy, and as good, as caramel frosting gets. Use a little less confectioner’s sugar if you want to drizzle it, a little more if you want to use it as frosting for a spice cake or yellow cake. This is really versatile, yummy frosting! Makes 3 cups. 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/4 cup milk 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 t. vanilla extract Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in milk, and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Use immediately.

October 12, 2005 by | 5 Comments