Fresh Apple Cake

Serves: 12

Hands On Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup peeled and chopped apples

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 large eggs

1 cup sweetened coconut

Icing

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

To make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan or tube pan with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the apples and pecans. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixed dry ingredients to the apple mixture and toss to coat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice and eggs. Beat until well combined. Add the reserved dry ingredients, apple-pecan mixture and coconut. Mix on low speed until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the sides start to pull away from the pan, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting the cake directly onto a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack and cake in a rimmed baking sheet.

When the cake is cool, make the icing: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, buttermilk and baking soda. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns pale golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drizzle the warm icing over the cake on the rack, letting the excess drip to the baking sheet below. Let the icing set for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 665 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 5 grams protein, 73 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 41 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 74 milligrams cholesterol, 195 milligrams sodium.

About the recipe

This cake is moist, rich and perfect for fall. Virginia Willis made a few small adjustments; she suggests coating the pecans and apples in flour to allow them to disperse evenly throughout the batter, not sink to the bottom.

Recipe courtesy of Cathy Davis.