Fresh Apple Cake from Connecticut

| fresh apple cake from connecticut |

I think that it is important to eat seasonally and take advantage of the foods that are naturally available during certain parts of the year. We’re fortunate to have a lot of farms in Connecticut that grow a wide variety of produce and I try to visit them as much as possible. I take the kiddos with me because I want them to appreciate all the work that goes into farming and for them to see freshly picked produce in its organic state.

We went apple picking a few weeks back and I stored the apples in the refrigerator to make fresh apple cake. Baking this cake is one of the things on my annual fall “to do” list because it is so easy to make. I can’t even tell you how much I look forward to having a slice of this cake with a cup of tea, especially once it starts getting colder.

This year, I’m sharing the love and bringing this cake with me to contribute towards Thanksgiving Dinner that my friend is hosting. This fresh apple cake is delicious plain, but I kicked it up a bit with a frosting made from goat cheese, cream cheese, butter, sweetened condense milk and confectioner’s sugar. The cake is sweet and the zing from the goat cheese brings out the flavor even more. I doubled the recipe to make a tall cake and there was enough left over for me to make a small cake to keep.

I thought I’d share the recipe with you. I’ve adapted it from the Bakery Lane Soup Bowl cookbook. Enjoy and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients:

3 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 stick of soft salted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (freshly ground preferably)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (I used 4 Granny Smith apples)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 8-9″ round cake pans. Peel, core and finely chop the apples (you will need about 4 apples to yield 3 cups). In a Kitchen Aid mixer or a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, butter, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Using a spatula, fold the apples and walnuts into the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake until the cakes are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.