Little Green Apples in My Cake - Apple Cake with Bourbon Sauce

This delicious apple cake is courtesy of Linda Monforte, one of the ladies from the church we attended when I was a child.  It is my favorite apple cake.  Granted, she did not pour bourbon sauce over it when bringing it to church potlucks, but I think it is a welcome addition to this delectable apple cake.

I find my favorite apples for this cake, even though they are not necessarily green, are Braeburns or Winesaps, as they seem to hold their shape a little better when cooking in the batter.  This is one of my strange quirks.  I like my Pie apples tart and cooked completely and my Cake apples a little sweeter and to have some tooth to them, so I know they are there.  I think it has to do with the nature of the two desserts.

With Cake, the cake itself is soft and spongy, so the apples cannot be cooked to mush or the whole thing would just be a soggy mess.  A little tooth to the apples lends interesting texture that helps to bridge from the spongy cake to the crunchy nuts. 

In Pie, the flaky pastry crust lends the contrast to the softer, completely cooked apple filling.  If the apples are toothy, or worse, still crunchy, then you end up with a big slice of "ewww!" on your plate that NO amount of cheddar cheese, caramel sauce or ice cream can fix.

Not that I am opinionated or anything.  ;-)

Linda Monforte's Apple Cake

2 large Eggs
1/2 cup (118ml) Light Oil (such as Safflower)
2 cups (400g) granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups (250g) AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 cup (110g) Pecans, chopped
4 cups (500g) Braeburn Apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 4 apples)
Bourbon Sauce (see below)
Whipped Cream

Butter and Flour a 13x9 inch baking dish. (it's vintage Corningware P-21 for me, but a Pyrex dish will work too)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees
In a small bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon and Salt; whisking to combine.

In a medium bowl, combing Eggs, Oil, Sugar and Vanilla, whisking well until homogeneous.

Toast the Pecans for 8 minutes in the oven, then give them a nice rough chop.

Peel, core and chop the apples, then place them in a large bowl.

Pour both the Flour mixture and the Egg/Oil mixture over the Apples.

Fold them all together until there are no dry spots, then add Pecans and fold until well dispersed.

Pour the batter into your prepared Baking Dish.

Smooth the batter out a little, so it's level.

Bake for 45 minutes to 55 minutes.

Until all nicely browned and delicious looking, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

Place on a rack and allow it  cool while you make Bourbon sauce.....  OK, it's really more of a Bourbon Caramel Sauce, but, well...  It's a saucy caramel. (in more ways than one)

Bourbon Sauce

1 cup (200g) Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup (100g) Brown Sugar
2/3 cup (156ml) Water
4 oz (113g) Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup (59ml) Bourbon (I like Maker's Mark)
1/3 cup (78ml) Heavy Cream

Combine both Sugars and Water in a medium saucepan set over medium flame.

Stir until the Sugars dissolve and the syrup comes to a boil.

Place a thermometer in the syrup and bring to 300 F Degrees.

When the caramel hits 300, remove from the heat and stir in the butter with a whisk (

Once the butter has melted into the caramel and there is no further risk of crystallization,

remove the sauce from the heat and add the Bourbon and Heavy Cream. (careful, it will bubble and steam again

Pour into a heat proof pitcher and allow the caramel to cool.

Serving.....

Once the Apple Cake has finished baking, and has cooled to room temperature, cut 3-inch square pieces and place on a plate,

drizzling liberally with warm Bourbon Sauce...

and top with whipped cream... Oh yeah, baby!
 

Mangia!!
~~

Off My Rocker for Betty Crocker - Bonnie Butter Cake

Even though I am not really a "cake person", every once in awhile, I get the hankerin' for a piece.   Now this is not without an ulterior motive...  Because my cake craving is not so much the actual "cake" itself, but rather the topping that accompanies said cake.

Whether it's an Italian or Swiss Buttercream, Ermine (boiled milk) frosting, Cream Cheese frosting, 7 minute fluff, or adecadent Chocolate Ganache...   This is the real reason for the cake craving.  For cake is simply a vehicle for getting the good stuff into your mouth.  I'm just sayin' 

That being said, I have some Rhubarb sauce that I made with the last of my rhubarb.  True, you can buy "hot house" rhubarb throughout the year in most places, but hot house rhubarb never has the punchy tartness that it does when it is harvested in it's natural Spring season.  It's always kind of dull and flat...  Blah tasting, if you will. SO, after several rhubarb pies this year, I decided to make the rest into a sauce, to be stored in the freezer until such time as it was necessary to apply it heavily to my waffles and pancakes; or, in this case...  Cake.

Yes, I think Rhubarb sauce is delicious on cake, but I couldn't decide what kind of cake to make.  Pound cake is nice as is Angel Food, but both are fairly involved with the separating of eggs and beating things, then folding thing and yadda yadda yadda.  Angel Food, in particular, leaves me with a lot of yolks to have to make something with after the fact, and I am not in the mood for Creme Brulee since I just made Baked Custard less than a week ago.  I wanted something quick and simple, yet delicious.

The answer came from a source that I don't consult very often...  Betty Crocker.

No, I did not use a cake mix.  I used the Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Yep, I got one, though it always seems to sit forgotten on the shelf while I consult every other cookbook I own.   In fact, it was my brother that reminded me I had one when he made his infamous Gingerbread waffles.  When I asked him where he got the recipe, he told me it was in the Betty Crocker Cookbook.  I was dumbfounded, to say the least, yet ecstatic because I knew I had one.  Thus, it now has a sticky not sticking out of the top so I can find the recipe quickly.

The cake I chose was one that was fairly quick to make and simple in preparation, yet OH SO delicious that you would think it was a much more complex preparation.

Bonnie Butter Cake.

The only warning I can give you on this one, is that you need to follow the times for beating.  Whether hand mixer or stand mixer... The times are extremely important for a fine texture and maximum height.

Originally, this cake is written for 2 9-inch or 3 8-inch layers and then slathered in Fudge Frosting.  Honestly, I like it as a sheet cake or a loaf.  It makes it easier to serve with things like fruit sauces and reduces the amount of dirty dishes.  Like I said, I was going for simple.

Bonnie Butter Cake

2/3 cup (150g) unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup (350g) Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs (That's 100g of Egg)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 3/4 cups (345g) AP Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 1/4 cups (296ml) Whole Milk

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, then Butter and Flour a 13x9 inch baking dish. (I used my Vintage Corningware French White lasagna pan - which is pyroceram, not stoneware)

In a small bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder and Salt; whisking to aerate and combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine room temperature Butter and Sugar, beat on medium speed until fluffy - 3 minutes.

Add Eggs and Vanilla and beat on high speed for 5 minutes.

Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the Flour mixture and Milk, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the Milk.

Continue beating on medium speed for 1 minute longer.

Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Supposedly it should bake for 45-50 minutes in a 13x9 inch pan, but mine was done in 38 minutes (I checked with a toothpick) which may have to do with the pyroceram dish, as it conducts heat better than Pyrex glass would.

Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, before turning out onto a rack.

Me?  I just leave it in the pan and cut big hunks out to be slathered with Rhubarb Sauce and Clove Whip Cream.

This is an extremely buttery and moist cake with a fine crumb.  The perfect vehicle for any topping you wish to consume.

Mangia!!
~~

Rooting Through Recipes - Root Beer Cake

My nephew has 2 great loves in his life. OK, 3 if you count his girlfriend, but we are talking about food right now.  Chocolate covered Cherries and Root Beer.  I am fairly sure that he does not consume them both at the same time, then again, he IS 19, so it's quite possible that he does. Because of his love for chocolate covered cherries, it has become a tradition for me to make him a Black Forest Cake for his birthday.   But this last October was a little bit different.

With the loss of my Grandmother, his Great-Grandmother, in October things just went all kinds of crazy 'round here and in with all the hubbub going on around his birthday... Well, his cake was sort of forgotten this last year.  Poor kid. :(

Since that time, I have been attempting to compile all of Grandma's recipes (lord have mercy, but there are tons) into some semblance of a cook book.  While going to the box of cake recipes (Yes, it was a box. A BIG box) I came across an interesting one for a Root Beer cake.  I am familiar with Coca-Cola cake, but I had never heard of Root Beer cake. I don't think it was one of Grandma's regular offerings.  Then again, she did A LOT of baking for A LOT of people.

I asked my nephew if he thought it sounded interesting, since he is such a root beer nut.  He was ALL over the idea.  That is, with the proviso that I use A&W Root Beer.  LOL

So, even though it's 4 months late....  Happy Birthday Blaine!

Root Beer Cake

with Root Beer Ermine Frosting

 
1 cup (8 oz)(226g) Unsalted Butter (plus more for the pans)
2 1/2 cups (10 oz)(283g) Cake Flour (plus more for the pans)
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 cup A&W Root Beer
3 tsp Root Beer Extract
1 1/2 cups (10.5 oz)(300g) Granulated Sugar
4 large Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Butter and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.

Place Flour, Baking Powder and Salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

In a small pitcher, combine Root Beer and Root Beer extract.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add Eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition before adding the next.

Flour and Root Beer mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with the Flour.

Beat 1 minute longer to ensure everything is homogeneous.

Divide batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Move to a cooling rack and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Turn the cakes out and allow to cool completely.

While you are waiting for the cake to cool, go ahead and make.............

Root Beer Ermine Frosting:
3/4 cup Whole Milk
1/3 cup Root Beer
3 1/2 TB AP Flour
healthy pinch of Salt
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Root Beer Extract

Combine Milk, Root Beer and Flour in a saucepan, whisking until the flour "dissolves".

Place over medium flame and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens enough for a line to show on the surface for 10 seconds before sinking into the mixture (I use a soap making term for this, called "Trace")

Remove from the flame and pour into a bowl to stop the cooking.

Cover on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent crusting.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat Butter and Sugar until fluffy.

Add Root Beer extract and beat until combined.

Once the Flour/Milk mixture is still warm, but not hot (a little warmer than "lukewarm"), set the mixer on medium speed and begin adding the flour mixture to the Butter mixture, 1 TB at a time, beating well after each addition.

Once you have added all of the Flour mixture to the Butter, beat for an additional 3-5 minutes.

You should hear the tell tale "slapping" sound that Butter Creme frosting makes.

Frost the cake, reserving about 1/2 cup for piping purposes and top with "Root Beer Barrel" Candy.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. (Ermine frosting needs to stay refrigerated cause it begins to melt above 70 degrees)

It's REALLY not as sweet as you would think.  Which surprised me, but so moist and dense, yet tender that it would not have mattered HOW sweet it was.  It's just delicious.

Mangia!!