Fresh Apple Cake

By Kathy Johnson

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups peeled and chopped apples
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Caramel Glaze
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tsp milk

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup fluted pan.
In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; sift. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until combined. Sir in apples and pecans.
Pour into prepared pan; bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Spoon warm Caramel Glaze over cake.

Caramel Glaze

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, pecans, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium high heat; cook until temperature reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring occassionally.