Thursday 8 November 2012

Apple Bundt Cake

Hi, I am sorry I haven't been here in a long while.  I have been busy and the last time I tried to post, I lost everything and I was too upset to start again. 

I have been baking but even that is not working out well. 
I baked Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies and forgot to take pictures and plus the filling didn't work out.
I am in a funk and I can't seem to get away from it.

I know my blog needs help and I am not tech savy to figure this out. AHHHHhhhh!!!!

So, when I am down and feeling blah, or yucky, I usually pick up some of my cookbooks/magazines or blog favourites or foodgawker and try to see if I can be cheered up.  It is cheaper than going shopping.  But then again, baking is pretty expensive habit/hobby/interest too.

It is now November, fall is here and winter is right-around-the-corner.  YUK! (I dislike snow).
And when it is fall I usually bake my well-liked Apple Crumble.  I usually bake a huge batch and invite my friends.  I had purchased a lot of Gala Apples and my family was very excited because that meant Apple Crumble. 
I had other ideas.  I wanted to bake an Apple Cake. 
They wanted the Apple Crumble and then IF we had any apples let over...they wanted more Apple Crumble, not cake.

Too bad, I made the Apple Cake anyway. (By the way, no Apple Crumble this time around).

This cake is from the book, "Cake Simple".
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Cake-Simple-Recipes-Bundt-Style-Christie-Matheson-Alex-Farnum/9780811879361-item.html?ikwid=cake+simple&ikwsec=Home

A cake book all about Bundt cakes.  Pretty simple.

The cake is light, easy to make, ingredients are on-hand (with the exception of the apples).
My family did like it.  They would have preferred the Apple Crumble.
However, I did not make the Butterscotch Icing and I should have.  I think that would have made the cake.
I also did not add the nuts because I wanted the cake to be brought to school for a snack.
As you know, our schools are Nut-Free (or it is for the Province of Ontario) and my girls have braces.
As per the Orthodontist, no nuts are allowed.  I don't want to take any chances of a bracket coming off.




Apple Bundt Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting the pan
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1  1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs (large)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups (500g) diced apples (I used Gala Apples.  I used 6 medium apples)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

*Preheat oven to 325F.
*Brush the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with melted butter and then dust it lightly with flour.
Tap out any leftover flour.
Please don't skp this step, this makes a big difference.  The cake will slide right out.  Trust me, I have learned the hard way.
*Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
*In a bowl of a stand-mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk the canola oil and BOTH sugars on medium-low speed until throughly combined.
*Add the eggs, one-at-a-time, mixing throughly after each egg. 
*Whisk in the vanilla.
*With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and remember to scrape down the bowl.
Whisk until blended.
*Add the apples, and walnuts by stirring by hand.
*Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for approx. 1-hour and 15-minutes OR until the cake tester (I use a wooden sewer or sometimes a butter knife) inserted comes out clean.
*Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire-rack for approx. 15-minutes.
*Then invert the cake onto the wire-rack and let it cool completely.

Butterscotch Icing

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar

*In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the brown sugar, cream, butter and salt together.
Heat gently, stirring until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
*Transfer the butterscotch mixture to a small bowl and let it cool  to room-temperature.
*Whisk in the confectioners' sugar until the icing is smooth.
*Drizzle the cooled cake with the icing and serve.

***The cake will keep in an air-tight container at room-temperature for up to 2-days.
(Mine was gone the same day).

Enjoy!
:)

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