Sunday, November 9, 2008

Growing Apples . . . Piece of Cake!


When we moved into our house in 1977, my mom and dad gave us two 'Red Delicious' apple trees - the most commonly grown apple in Ohio - and they have produced fruit every year since we planted them. They're somewhat like the oak trees with their acorns, in that some years they produce more apples than they do others.


We had an abundance of apples this year, but they were small, as they usually are. Our neighbor Tom has a couple of 'Red Delicious' apple trees, too, but for some reason his produced larger apples. He extended an invitation to us to pick as many of his as we wanted, so we took him up on his offer.


Large or small, the apples are very good and we use them in a variety of ways - apple pie, apple crisp, apple salad, and eating them fresh off the tree.

This year, I tried a new way - apple cake.
When I spoke to the Master Gardeners of Defiance County a couple of weeks ago, the host for the meeting, Nancy DeTray, had made an apple cake that was just about the best stuff I'd ever eaten in quite some time. She graciously shared the recipe with me and gave me permission to publish it here. I bet you'll think it's pretty good, too.


Apple Cake

Beat until frothy:
1 cup oil

3 eggs


Add the following and blend well:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt (optional)


Add:

4 cups diced apples (Braeburn, Fuji, or Honeycrisp are recommended)

1 cup nuts (I used pecans, but you can use walnuts)


Pour cake batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan and bake for 45-55 minutes at 325°F.



Icing


6 ounces cream cheese
2 Tablespoons vanilla

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1½ cups powdered sugar


Blend and pour on hot cake.



Though 'Red Delicious' is not usually recommended for baking, they worked well for this cake.


11 comments:

Ewa said...

Dear Kylee,
Maybe yours are good for baking, because home grown apples are much more valuable and taste is more rich. Same bought in the shop are kind of dilluted - this is what I experience with my apples as well.
Greetings,
Ewa

garden girl said...

Well how do ya like them apples! They are beautiful. I'm with Ewa - homegrown delicious apples are much more 'delicious' than the ones available in supermarkets, and much more versatile for cooking with. That cake looks yummy!

Meems said...

Hi Kylee,
How nice to have apples growing right in your backyard. They look so red and so delicious. :-) I will definitely try this recipe. Actually I just bought some fuji and some braeburn (my faves) at the grocery store yesterday and I'm having company over after church for dinner. hmmmm... I better go get busy.

F Cameron said...

I love apples, but haven't planted any trees yet (only been here 3 years). I go back and forth between trying to grow them because of my "deer friends." There was an 8 point buck and another buck outside this morning. They are hiding out on our property!

Lythrum said...

That cake looks absolutely delicious, no pun intended. ;) I would love to have some apple trees, you're very lucky.

Anonymous said...

I use to have a couple of apple trees in my yard when I purchased this house, but don't know what the variety was. They were quite small & the squirrels made a mess of our yard with them. That sounds like a yummy recipe, thanks for sharing.

Meems said...

Hey Kylee, I made this recipe this morning and it was a big hit with my family and guests. It is very yummy and quite easy to put together. I did add a shot of lemon to the icing (like on a carrot cake). Thank YOU so much for the new idea... it hit the spot.
Meems

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Kylee, YUM. Your recipe looks great. I've enjoyed trying several new recipes this Fall! I'll be trying yours.

Now... what would you suggest doing with a five gallon pail of pears? ;-)

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Hi Kylee, great post and how wonderful it is to grow apples and then enjoy them in pies etc. Yummie!

Anonymous said...

Apple cake recipe look delish.
Donna

Kylee Baumle said...

Ewa ~ You could be right!

gardengirl ~ I know the flavor is so much better than store bought, which are bland.

Meems~ Oh good! I'm so glad you and your guests liked it! Ours is gone already. Hmmm...wonder what I should make next? Apple crisp sounds good!

Cameron ~ We have deer here, but so far, they have not been a problem in our gardens. They tend to stay under cover in the small woods dotted here and there among the farm fields.

shady gardener ~ I'll bet this recipe would taste just as good made with pears! Why don't you try it and report back? :-)

Lythrum ~ I do love having the apple trees so conveniently located!

perennialgardener ~ The squirrels don't seem to bother the apples. I think they can't see past the acorns! LOL!

Tyra ~ Yes, there are so many yummy ways to enjoy our apples!

mother nature's garden ~ Try it! You'll like it! ;-)

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