Watershed’s Fresh Apple Cake With Caramel Glaze Recipe

Serves: 16

Hands On Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (Winesap or Granny Smith recommended)

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Glaze 

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

To make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat both sugars and oil until very well-blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and gradually add to the sugar and eggs, mixing just until well-blended. Stir in the apples, pecans and vanilla, and pour into pan.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours (begin to check after 50 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan while preparing the glaze.

To make the glaze: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add both sugars and salt. Stir until blended and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

With a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the glaze over the surface. Serve immediately. 

About the recipe

Moist and succulent, this addictive apple cake, equally good warm or at room temperature, was shared by Chef Scott Peacock.

We used Ceylon brand cinnamon in this recipe.