by Francesca Patterson
I hope that everyone had a happy and safe Halloween on Thursday, even though we had some tricky weather. On the bright side, it was conveniently warm and clear right at peak trick-or-treating time. The costume parade in my neighborhood was out and about with all its colorful glamour. The Halloween fun hasn’t ended just yet, it has been lingering through the weekend along with the joy of our baseball team, The Nationals, triumphantly winning the world series. This weekend gifted us some of the most beautiful fall days we’ve seen this season. This was all we could have wished for at the end-of-year get together that the Normans held at their farm in Woodbine on Saturday. Everyone who was able to make it enjoyed a tractor ride around the final stages of the farm to see the place of origin for many of their favorite fruits and vegetables this past summer.
To warm up this seasonably crisp day at the farm, I made two of these bundt cakes and brought the warm caramel on the side so that people could add their own. It turned out to be a hit amongst adults and little children alike because personally, I think it’s really difficult to walk away from anything warm with cinnamon and caramel in it.
My favorite apples to use in this are a combination of Granny Smith and Stayman apples because they are an excellent, tart canvas for the added sugar and spices when baking. If caramel is not quite your thing, this bundt cake would pair well with frosting or even just some vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups of apples, around 1 lb, or 3-4 apples (peeled, core removed, chopped into medium-sized chunks)
- 1.5 cups of extra virgin olive oil (use light and fruity kind if possible)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
Caramel Glaze:
- 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
- 2 tsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
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Preheat oven 325 degrees and prepare a bundt mold or baking pan with a light layer of grease. ‘
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With an electric mixer, combine the sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed and it is a light and whipped consistency.
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In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Pour this into your sugar and egg mix and knead together until the combination is just blended, careful not to over mix.
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Add in the apples by folding them in with a spatula until thoroughly integrated throughout the cake. Pour this into your baking pan.
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Bake for an hour, or until a tester fork comes out clean when pierced in the cake.
Caramel Glaze Directions:
- In a small saucepan and over medium heat, melt together the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar.
- Watching carefully, bring this to a boil and stir together until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
- Add your vanilla and stir. Allow the caramel to cool for about 5-10 minutes, in this time the sauce will thicken. If it is not desired consistency, repeat step two once more.
This cake makes about 8-10 slices and will last in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
