Apple Pie Cake

By Hklbrries

It’s our favorite fruit and American as, well, its most popular baked good.

A new apple season is here, offering a crisp, sweet edge to fall meals plus the promise of lots of pie – and pie-inspired dishes.

What makes apples and apple pie so all-American?

“It brings people together,” said Ken Haedrich, author of “Apple Pie: 100 Delicious and Decidedly Different Recipes for America’s Favorite Pie.” “It’s the closest thing we have, food-wise, to a universal symbol of goodness and contentment.

“It manages to do this with unabashed honesty and not an ounce of pretense. It’s an edible reflection of America’s best character traits.”

In honor of 2011 as the “Year of the Pie,” Haedrich’s “Apple Pie” was re-released this month – just in time for the new apple crop.

Haedrich loves all sorts of apple pies, particularly those with a brown sugar crumb topping.

For pies, he prefers Winesap apples.

“It’s hard to find but worth looking for in an area where they’re grown. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, tart and juicy, with wonderfully complex flavor. Among the more common varieties, I like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji and Jonathan.”

“My best advice: If you find an apple that makes a great pie, stick with it,” he said, “but don’t be afraid to experiment.”

The flavor of apple pie inspires variations such as apple-pie cookies, apple-pie salad and apple-pie soup.

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups finely chopped apples, cored but unpeeled
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• Whipped cream or Rum Sauce
• Rum Sauce:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup rum

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to batter.
Add apples and nuts, then stir in hot water.

Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Pour batter into prepared pie plate. Bake in center of oven for 45 minutes at 325 F or until a toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.

Serve warm with whipped cream or Rum Sauce.

Rum Sauce:

In saucepan, combine brown sugar and whipping cream. Bring to boil. Add rum and stir until blended. Serve immediately over warm cake.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
336 calories
17 g fat (8 g saturated)
4 g protein
44 g carbohydrates
54 mg cholesterol
2 g fiber
242 mg sodium