Heirloom Recipe for Apple Cake
My maternal grandmother, Opal Akers Hicks, preferred plain and simple cakes. I always loved what she called her "applesauce" cake best, for its subtle spices, dense moistness, and rich apple flavor. My mother loaned me Opal’s recipe when I was writing The Cake Club: Desserts and Stories from a Southern Childhood (St. Martin’s Press). But when I made the cake it seemed overly sweet and it left an oil slick in my palm.
Since Opal’s heyday, we’ve learned to appreciate how less sugar and less fat in desserts can actually be more delicious — heightening the flavors of the many ingredients in a spice cake such as this.
I revamped Opal’s recipe, reducing the oil and upping the apples. I think she would be pleased. Dusting the raisins and dates with flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom of your cake pan, by the way. Also, making your own applesauce from fresh local, fall apples takes the cake to another level. — Susie Quick
Apple Cake
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups applesauce (preferably freshly made)
3/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped, dredged in flour
3/4 cup chopped dates, dredged in flour
1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, stir together the flour, salt, vaking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir into the cream mixture along with the applesauce. Fold in the raisins, dates, and nuts until just blended.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a rack (flipping so it is right side up) and let it cool completely. Before serving, transfer to a plate and lightly dust with confectioner’s sugar. If desired, you can serve the cake with a small drizzle of caramel sauce.
