Apple Cake

I know that the picture of the Apple Cake isn't very appetizing, and it's probably not really selling itself, right now!  If you could only smell the delightful cinnamon, apple aroma as it's baking, and taste the gooey, warm yumminess.........you'd be HOOKED! I had a bowl of soft semi wrinkly apples that I didn't want to toss in the garbage. What better way to get your family to eat potential trash than turn it into, DESSERT! Of course, I found the recipe in my new favorite cookbook, "The Taste Of Home Baking Book". I did tweak it a little, I added brown sugar in place of white sugar in the recipe,which is why the top of the cake looks like it is burned. It's totally worth it, the cake is very moist, and dense. I served it warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert, but I have to confess I ate some warmed up the next morning with half and half poured over it,and it was HEAVENLY! You could also add raisin or dried cranberries into the batter, but my family considers that highly offensive (the big Babies).

Apple Cake

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour (this would be a good recipe to use half whole wheat half white flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups diced apples (chopped mine up in the food processor)

1/4 cup nuts ( I used sliced almonds leftover from Christmas); optional

1. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, until light and fluffy. 
2. Beat in egg and vanilla. 
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Add to creamed mixture. The batter will be thick.
5. Stir in apples and nuts.
6. Spread into a greased 8 in  square baking dish
7. Bake at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I 1 and a 1/2 timed the recipe and that filled a 13x9 inch cake pan.