Apple Cookbook (18 page)

Terri Booth, executive secretary for the U.S. Apple Association, calls this her “company’s coming” cake. It’s definitely a fast and winning recipe for a party or when you’re expecting weekend guests. Terri’s house is like an apple museum, featuring apple memorabilia in the thousands
.

1 package yellow cake mix

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 cups shredded coconut

1 tablespoon water

1 can (20 ounces) sliced apples

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sour cream

2 egg yolks

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 10- by 14-inch baking dish.

2
. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine cake mix, butter, coconut, and water.

3
. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and remove from the oven.

4
. Drain the apple slices and spread evenly over the cooked cake crust. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the topping. Sprinkle over the apple slices.

5
. In a small bowl, beat together the sour cream and egg yolks; drizzle evenly over the apple slices.

6
. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings

Busy with a farm and a young family, Kay also spends a lot of time in the kitchen. This apple nut cake is her favorite apple dessert because it’s rich, sweet, delicious, and loaded with fresh apples!

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

6 medium apples (Nittany or Golden Delicious), cored, peeled, and diced

1 cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

T
OPPING

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter

¼ cup milk

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

2
. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat well.

3
. Add flour, baking soda, salt, apples, nuts, and vanilla and beat just until combined thoroughly.

4
. Scrape batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

5
. T
O MAKE THE TOPPING
, boil together the brown sugar, butter, and milk for 2½ minutes. Remove from heat.

6
. Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately poke the tines of a fork down through the cake (about 15 jabs all around the cake), and pour the topping over the hot cake. Serve warm or let cool.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

This is a very moist, rich cake, and if the applesauce is too liquid, it will be puddinglike. So if you are using homemade applesauce make sure it’s more apple than liquid. Otherwise, reduce the applesauce by ½ cup
.

¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

4 eggs

1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ cups applesauce

1
. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust with the graham cracker crumbs.

2
. Place the chocolate in a small ovenproof bowl and place in the oven. Turn the oven thermostat to 350°F and remove the chocolate after 10 minutes to finish melting in the hot bowl.

3
. Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time; beat until combined. Beat in the chocolate.

4
. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

5
. Stir approximately ½ cup of the flour mixture and ½ cup of the applesauce into the butter mixture. Continue to combine the ingredients until all have been mixed into the batter.

6
. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

7
. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. The cake will shrink. Use a knife to loosen the cake before releasing the spring and lifting the sides from the bottom of the pan. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 20 servings

My Aunty Kath serves one of the best afternoon teas and always includes lemon cake. Because she lives in Wales, I don’t get to enjoy the one she makes very often. Luckily, she gave me the recipe
.

3 medium apples (Winesap, Braeburn, Macoun)

1 medium lemon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

½ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

G
LAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon honey

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

2
. Peel, core, and chop the apples. Place in a bowl.

3
. Grate the lemon zest. Set aside.

4
. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the chopped apple and toss to coat each piece.

5
. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the sugar and 3 teaspoons of the lemon zest.

6
. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir into the batter.

7
. Fold in the pecans and apples.

8
. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

9
. Remove from the oven; let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn onto a wire rack. Prick the top of the cake with the tines of a fork.

10
. F
OR THE GLAZE
, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl and beat in the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey. Spread over the warm cake.

Yield: 15–20 servings

This is one of my favorite cakes. Depending on the thickness of the applesauce, it is sometimes more puddinglike than it should be. If your applesauce is a little on the thin side, reduce the measurement to 2/3 cup to be sure of a firmer cake
.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

2
. Melt the butter over low heat. Pour into a medium-sized bowl.

3
. Beat in the sugar and molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat.

4
. Beat in the applesauce.

5
. Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon into the applesauce mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly.

6
. Spoon into the baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

7
. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack; cool completely.

8
. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 18 servings

If you’re pressed for time, substitute a cake mix for the flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter. Then add the liquids, apples, and topping
.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter

1 egg

¼ cup apple juice or cider

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large apples (Fuji, Ida Red, Cortland, Rome Beauty)

½ cup pecan halves

G
LAZE

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup honey

1
. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

2
. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs.

3
. Beat together the egg, apple juice, and vanilla. Stir into the crumb mixture.

4
. Spread the batter into the prepared dish.

5
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ½-inch slices. Arrange on top of the batter.

6
. Dot the apple slices with the pecan halves.

7
. F
OR THE GLAZE
, melt the butter and honey in a small saucepan. Pour over the apples and pecans.

8
. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 servings

As cupcakes go, these little morsels are pretty nutritious. So much so, that they can double as breakfast muffins
.

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

1 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup whole-wheat flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

A
PPLE
G
LAZE
(
OPTIONAL
)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ cup apple juice or cider

½ cup frozen apple juice concentrate

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (optional)

1
. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2
. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the honey, applesauce, and eggs.

3
. Mix together the flours, oats, baking powder, allspice, and baking soda. Stir into the applesauce mixture.

4
. Fill the paper cups half full with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the muffin pans and cool on wire racks. Frost with Apple Glaze, if desired.

5
. F
OR THE APPLE GLAZE
, mix the cornstarch with a drop of the apple juice to make a smooth paste. Gradually stir into the rest of the juice in a small saucepan.

6
. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Stir in the apple juice concentrate and cinnamon. Remove from the heat. For a sweeter glaze, beat in the confectioners’ sugar, if desired.