
As we roll into the season of colored leaves, wool mittens and warm lattes (although that particular season seems to be year round), apples are abundant at the farmers market.
We carried home a big box this weekend, as I had plans for them. Plans I tell you.
The original plan started like this...the big daddy and my little guy were arriving home from their adventures and we would surprise and delight them with a warm meal and an apple ginger cake for dessert.
The plan was set into motion with only a slight rumble about the "ginger" part of the apple cake.
Baking day came closer and my two older ones were "unsure" that ginger was necessary for the cake. Wouldn't they like it better without the ginger? Surely the cake would be easier to make without the ginger.
You can see where this is headed....


I, on the other hand, love ginger bread, cake, cookies you name it. As it turned out though the apple ginger cake became an apple cake.
It was still delicious. The only glitch happened as the cake was not "done", as in it was soup in the middle, when we needed to leave for the airport.
What was a mama to do?
Well, I had two options. One was to pull the whole soupy-center-mess out of the oven declare the outer edges cooked and wing it later. Or, as this is the one I chose, I could turn off the oven leave the cake in it and hope for the best.
It was a bit "too done" around the edges creating a hard sorta layer around the center. Though it did make the center seem much more moist.
What can I say it was edible, mostly.

Next time you can bet your pants I'm making the apple ginger cake.
Next time I'm hoping that my children will say, "Oh mommy this is delicious, I can't believe we doubted you, you are amazing and we think you should always bake just what you think every time."
Wishful thinking? of course.
I will try it anyway, just to see, because you never know...

Plus, I thought it would be lovely to start the week with a big hunk of cake to look at.
Am I right?
Happy Monday!
Apple Cake
Recipe from here.
2 cups of Sugar
1 cup of vegtable oil
3 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 medium apples, cored, peeled, and diced
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping::
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 x 13 baking dish.
Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. beat well.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, apples, nuts, and vanilla and beat until combined throughly.
Scrape batter into prepared dish. Bake for one hour.
For the topping boil together the brown sugar, butter, and milk for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove cake from oven, and immediately poke the tines of a fork down through the cake (about fifteen jabs all around the cake), and pour topping over the hot cake. Serve warm or let cool.
Yields 8 to 12 servings.
We used less sugar than was called for as I like the flavor of the apples instead. The oil can be replaced by applesauce which makes the cake a bit denser but we have grown used to that. For the flour we use all or half whole wheat when we make it. Extra vanilla because we love that and several dashes of cinnamon for well, Fall.
Plus, the topping is optional and quite delicious without it. Next time I may make these into muffins as they are almost breakfast worthy.
Enjoy!