I'm back to foraging again. Now, it's my neighbor's Granny Smith apples hanging over the fence (and I'll be delivering a treat next door later). This morning, I'm in the middle of baking another apple cake. The first one was devoured by roving teenage boys late last night. I was so looking forward to a slice with my latte this morning that I had to make another cake.
When I need to peel apples, I rely on a handy kitchen gadget called the Apple Machine by Fox Run. (No, I'm not being paid to post this - I really think the device is clever enough to write about.) We purchased ours up at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder, Colo., but the item is readily available online. Skewer an apple, turn the crank handle and your fruit is peeled, cored and sliced. You can remove the corer and slicer for peeling only, for example, if you want to peel potatoes (shown here). OK, enough of my infomercial...Billy Mays, rest in peace.
Here, then, is Easy Apple Cake. Note that I bake at high altitude (about 5,500 ft above sea level), so if you are at a lower altitude, increase the baking soda by 1/4 teaspoon and reduce flour by 1/4 cup.
Serves: 20 (unless teenage boys are in the house)
Preparation Time: 1 hour including bake time
6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into bite-size pieces
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1 t vanilla
1 c milk or cream (increase oil by 2 T if you use skim milk)
2 eggs
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
2 1/4 c flourPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom (not sides) of 9x13 pan. Using electric mixer, beat oil and sugar. Add vanilla, milk or cream and eggs. Beat until smooth. Add in all dry ingredients, mix briefly on low just until flour is mixed in. Fold in apples by hand. Pour batter into pan and bake on middle rack for 30-35 minutes.
Per-serving Nutritional Profile:
Calories, 170
Fat, 7 g
Saturated Fat, 1 g
Cholesterol, 25 mg
Carbs, 27 g
Dietary Fiber, 3 g
Protein, 1 g
Sodium, 190 mg
Vitamin A, 2% Daily Value
Vitamin C, 4% Daily Value
Calcium, 2% Daily Value
Iron, 4% Daily Value
