So, while everyone else is holding strong to their health goals for the New Year, here I am baking cakes.  Just five more days until baby numero six joins the family, and I go back and forth between the ‘I deserve this’ and ‘I’ve got to diet soon anyway’ excuse.  Both of which seem to convince me.  But, then my guilt sets in and I think…maybe I should put a deliciously healthy fruit in my cake.  As if that makes things better, but it’s all about mind games right now.  So, I was feeling the love for apples and turned to my trust America’s Test Kitchen cookbook.  Sure enough, they had a scrumptious recipe just for apple cake.  Caramel Apple Dapple Cake, to be exact.


Here’s what you’ll need: 

3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temp.
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped in small pieces
1 cup walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
4 TBS. milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a tube or bundt pan.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, while mixing.

Stir in the apples and nuts into the batter.  Scrape the batter into the pan.  Tap the pan to settle the batter and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (or with just moist crumbs attached.)  Remove cake from oven.  After about 10 minutes, flip over and let cool completely.

To make the glaze, bring the brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil for a couple minutes.  Drizzle over the top and sides of cake.  I like to save some extra to drizzle over my sliced pieces, as well.  Sprinkle a few walnuts on top and you’re done!

I must say, when I first pulled this out of the oven, I thought it was a bust.  The cake had collapsed a little.  But, once I flipped it over, everything was fine…and delicious. 🙂

 

Caramel Apple Dapple Cake

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Caramel Apple Dapple Cake

Ingredients

  • Cake:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs room temp.
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and chopped in small pieces
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • Brown Sugar Glaze:
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
  • 4 TBS. milk

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a tube or bundt pan.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes.
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, while mixing. Mix well.
  6. Stir in the apples and nuts into the batter. Scrape the batter into the pan.
  7. Tap the pan to settle the batter and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (or with just moist crumbs attached.)
  8. Remove cake from oven. After about 10 minutes, flip over and let cool completely.
  9. To make the glaze, bring the brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil for a couple minutes.
  10. Drizzle over the top and sides of cake. I like to save some extra to drizzle over my sliced pieces, as well.
  11. Sprinkle a few walnuts on top and you're done!

Mariel ~ Signature photo Mariel-Final_zpsc502b988.gif