Holiday Treat
This is what I'm going to make for Thanksgiving dinner dessert since someone else made the pumpkin pie this year. I'm sort of relieved... I don't feel like making pie crust right now.
Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Sauce
Cake
1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks of butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup lt brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse salt
5 crisp/tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lt brown sugar
1/8 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x13 pan.
To make the Cake:
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes on med high.
3. Add one egg, and beat into mixture. Repeat for all eggs.
4. In a second bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
5. Gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. The resulting batter will be very thick.
6. Stir in apples, walnuts and vanilla.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Jiggle pan to distribute evenly.
8. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 min until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for at least 10 min.
To make the Caramel Sauce:
10. In a med saucepan over med-high heat, melt the butter.
11. Add sugars and salt. Cook for 2 min, stirring frequently.
12. Stir in cream slowly and then bring to a boil.
13. Cook for 2 min, stirring constantly.
14. Remove from heat.
To Assemble and Serve:
15. With a 2-pronged fork, pierce the cake over the entire surface.
16. Pour on the warm caramel sauce.
17. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I hope it turns out tasty... its a little "scary" to make something for the first time and then serve it to a whole group of people. ;)
But, I did get some extra-special apples for it. Every Thursday at work there is a little farmer's stand and since they had 7+ varieties of apples, I asked the folks for a recommendation. I explained what the recipe called for (Granny Smith) but, said that I was looking for something better. He suggested some pretty yellow-blushing-pinkyred apples that he said are still firm and tart but with a more complex and better flavour than Granny Smiths. I'm vaguely considering leaving the skins on a few pieces since they are rather pretty.
Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Sauce
Cake
1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks of butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup lt brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse salt
5 crisp/tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lt brown sugar
1/8 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x13 pan.
To make the Cake:
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes on med high.
3. Add one egg, and beat into mixture. Repeat for all eggs.
4. In a second bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
5. Gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. The resulting batter will be very thick.
6. Stir in apples, walnuts and vanilla.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Jiggle pan to distribute evenly.
8. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 min until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for at least 10 min.
To make the Caramel Sauce:
10. In a med saucepan over med-high heat, melt the butter.
11. Add sugars and salt. Cook for 2 min, stirring frequently.
12. Stir in cream slowly and then bring to a boil.
13. Cook for 2 min, stirring constantly.
14. Remove from heat.
To Assemble and Serve:
15. With a 2-pronged fork, pierce the cake over the entire surface.
16. Pour on the warm caramel sauce.
17. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I hope it turns out tasty... its a little "scary" to make something for the first time and then serve it to a whole group of people. ;)
But, I did get some extra-special apples for it. Every Thursday at work there is a little farmer's stand and since they had 7+ varieties of apples, I asked the folks for a recommendation. I explained what the recipe called for (Granny Smith) but, said that I was looking for something better. He suggested some pretty yellow-blushing-pinkyred apples that he said are still firm and tart but with a more complex and better flavour than Granny Smiths. I'm vaguely considering leaving the skins on a few pieces since they are rather pretty.