Apple Cake Perfection

Apple Cake Perfection

I made this cake for our ECFE group this past week and now I am making it again for a neighborhood party. It is full of apples and yummy spices that just melt in your mouth!

Apple Cake
Serves: 16
Prep Time: 20 min.
Total Time: 1 hour

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 by 13 in pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the apples, walnuts, butter and eggs; stir just until combined.

2. Spoon into pan; smooth with a spatula. Bake 40 to 45 min or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

Notes:
Best apples for baking are hard and crisp so they retain their shape when baked. Gala and Golden Delicious are good choices however I have used Honey Gold both times myself.

Thanks to this handy Food Conversion chart I learned that 1 1/2 lbs of apples is equal to about 6 cups chunked.