APPLE SNACK CAKE

Many years ago, "snack cakes" were all the rage. They were quick to fix, usually rich flavored, moist and dense little cakes and they were almost always baked in an 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan. They were perfect for... "snacking!!"

This snack cake is over the top delicious. Three whole apples are packed into this cake, so you can imagine how moist it is.  On day two (if there is any left) it is twice as moist!!

½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 medium apples, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan and preheat your oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugar, then add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat until smooth. Fold in apples and walnuts.

Mix (by hand) just until everything is well combined. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick tests clean (my oven took 43 minutes).  Frost with simple vanilla glaze if you like (but it isn't necessary).

NOTE: Use any good baking apple, I like to use Granny Smiths.

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APPLE CRISP FOR TWO

Click on photo

I call this apple crisp for two, although I guess that is a bit of a misnomer. It actually makes 3 large desserts (like the above photo), so in my warped sense of proportions, it is apple crisp for two (and a little more for later) haha.  This can easily be doubled (just bake it a little longer).

I love a good fruit crisp. I like the topping slightly crunchy (but not HARD crunchy) and I like it to have lots of gooey filling. This is one of the best crisps we've tried in years.

2 large Granny Smith apples (see note)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the above ingredients and place in a greased baking dish (I use a 9" x 5" loaf pan). Sprinkle two tablespoons of water over the filling. NOTE: Don't mix the water into the above mixture, just sprinkle it evenly OVER the filling; trust me it works perfectly and makes the BEST sauce.

For the topping, mix
¼ cup quick oats
¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons melted butter

Use a spoon and mix the topping ingredients until everything seems coated with butter. Evenly sprinkle it over the fruit filling. Bake in pre-heated 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).

NOTE: Make sure you use a good baking apple like Granny Smith. Regular eating apples don't work well in this kind of recipe (they get mushy).

NOTE: If you want to make dessert for 6, just double the recipe and cook for 45 minutes in an 8" x 8" pan.

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APPLE CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE

My Facebook friends are "torturing" me with tales of inexpensive produce this time of year...bushels of tomatoes equalling 14 quarts of fresh salsa...bushels of apples and peaches (I am so envious). The other day (here in Alaska) I paid $2.29 a pound for apples!! Whew!!!

I found this recipe for apple cake on Recipe Shoebox, it is the ultimate as far as flavor and moistness. It is one of those gem-recipes that is even more moist on the second day. Served alone it is sensational, but served slightly warm with ice cream, it is ridiculously delicious.

5 large Granny Smith apples
½ cup butter (room temperature)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Peel, core and dice the apples (about pea size...I use the food processor), set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg; beat in vanilla.

Add flour, spices, salt and baking soda to the butter mixture. The batter will be very thick (almost like a cookie batter). Stir in the apples (the moisture from the apples will loosen up the batter).

Spread the batter into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish (I like to use glass) and bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched (my electric oven takes 45 minutes).

Lara's original recipe just said to serve the sauce (recipe below) with the cake, however, I decided to do it a little differently: I removed the cake from oven and let it cool for 15 minutes, then I poked small holes, about every 2", over the entire cake  (make sure the holes go deep enough to touch the bottom of the cake pan). NOTE: I used my skinniest meat thermometer to make the small holes.  Pour the hot caramel topping over the surface of the cake (it will disappear down into the holes).

EASY CARAMEL TOPPING (Lara called it butterscotch, but it is more of a caramel taste).
In a sauce pan with a heavy bottom, mix ¼ cup butter and ½ cup brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted completely. Slowly add ½ cup heavy cream (careful it will splatter at first) whisking while you add it.  Bring this mixture to a LOW boil.  Boil and stir for 3 minutes. Pour hot topping over warm cake. Let cake cool before serving.

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CLASSIC APPLE CAKE

I have been making this apple cake for 25 years. I love how simple it is to make (it just takes a bowl & a wooden spoon) not to mention how delicious it is. It is one of those super moist cakes that gets even better on day two and is off the charts on day three!!!
4 cups peeled & diced Rome apples (dice = size of a shelled almond)
1½ cups of sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
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Mix the above ingredients, in a large mixing bowl and let them stand at room temperature for one hour (it will make extra juice which you will use in the batter).
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3 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
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Mix the wet ingredients together and gently stir the mixture into the apples with juice, add the dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon just until everything is incorporated.
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Pour the batter into a greased and floured angel food pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes, remove from pan immediately.

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OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRISP

I've been tweaking this apple crisp recipe for most of my married life. I've tried a variety of spices, crusts, topping ingredients, apple types, nuts/no nuts, oats/no oats, baking times, etc. After many years of trial and error, we are happy with this final version. The apples are cut smaller than for a pie (see note) and the topping bakes into a sweet, crispy, nutty perfection.

I like to make this in a 2 piece 10" tart pan because it is very easy to serve and makes a pretty presentation, but any 9" or 10" pie plate would work well also.

(1) 9" or 10" single pie crust, placed into a tart pan (or pie plate) and chilled until the apples are ready.

6 Granny Smith apples (see note)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar packed
¼ cup all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

TOPPING
2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
2/3 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped walnuts

Peel and core the apples and slice them very thinly. Blanche the apples in boiling water for one to two minutes (depending on how thin you cut them). Don't cook the apples all the way through, they should still be slightly crunchy.

Drain very well and add the sugars, flour and spices (stir to coat evenly).

Make the topping: mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and cut in the cold butter until it is crumbly, stir in nuts. Place apple mixture into chilled crust and spread with topping mixture.

Bake in preheated 375 oven for 40-45 minutes or until the filling looks bubbly. Cool before serving (see note).

NOTE: I like to serve this before it has completely cooled. When it has cooled down enough so that I can hold my hand (without burning it) on the bottom of the pie pan, it is time to eat it. I serve it with vanilla ice cream.

NOTE: I cut the peeled and cored apples into quarters and then cut the quarters in half before I start slicing them. This gives me smaller slices that work well with this crisp recipe.

NOTE: I encourage you to use freshly grated nutmeg if possible, it makes a WORLD of difference (so mellow compared to pre-ground nutmeg).

NOTE: Place your unbaked apple crisp on a cookie sheet before putting it into the oven. The heat from the cookie sheet will help brown the bottom of the pie crust. It will also help with any potential spill-overs.

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THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP

Sweet, spiced, apples are tucked between two layers of oats, nuts and brown sugar. This is a classic apple crisp with a twist.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter
4 cups sliced and peeled apples
1 cup pecans chopped
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In a large bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon,nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until mixture looks crumbly. Stir in chopped nuts.
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Spread half of this mixture into the bottom of a 10" pie plate and pack it down.
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In a heavy pan, saute the apple slices in a tablespoon of butter, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, JUST UNTIL THE APPLES BEGIN TO SOFTEN. Place this layer on top of the crumb crust.

Top the apples with the rest of the reserved oat mixture and gently pat down. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

NOTE: I have never been a big fan of nutmeg until I recently started using freshly grated nutmeg seed. It is an entirely different taste than you get in the pre-ground nutmeg. A jar of seeds has a LONG shelf life and they really make a huge difference in baked goods.

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