Building The Love Shack

Everyone has a favorite season, mine happens to be Fall.

When I think of what cottage country is to me, it’s a fire going, Fall colors, jeans and sweater and dinner in the crockpot. And let’s not forget the best part, something sweet baking in the oven.

Many people go Pumpkin Crazy in the Fall and I like them too, but, Fall is Apple Picking Time, which we did this past weekend, which makes it time to bake.

When I was a young girl,  my grandmother and I had a favorite cake. It was a Spice Cake.  We would buy it and go home and have it with a cup of tea.  As an adult, I use to purchase it too. It reminded me of Grama’s House.

But for the many years now I couldn’t find it in the stores, so I set out to make my own.

This recipe is a combination of many recipes until I felt I got it right. Husband says it’s the best coffee cake he has had. His words are: it has the perfect amount of moistness, but when it’s a couple of days old ( not that much of it makes it that long) it’s perfect for dunking in coffee. I hope you enjoy it.

This recipe along with many other Fall recipes can be found in my soon to be released cookbook, The Cottage Cook Book.

 

 

Apple Spice Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated apple

1 cup of raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 Can of Cooking Spray

For Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease your Bundt Pan using the cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the grated apple, raisins, and walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Start checking your cake at 35 minutes. Mine cooks in 38 minutes. Each baking times vary depending on your oven. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, shake the pan to ensure the cake is not stuck to the pan. Allow to sit 5 minutes in the pan before placing on a wire rack to cool. Once the cake is completely cooled it is ready to be glazed.

Chefs tip: Check the cake at 30 minutes. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Don’t fasten the foil to the pan.

Directions for Glaze.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over the cake starting at top of the cake allowing to run down sides.