I have to admit that I eagerly await the arrival of Southern Living magazine every month. When we moved to Charlotte last year from Boston, my mother-in-law gave me a subscription as a gift and left a copy of the current issue on the counter of my new kitchen. That night I tortured my husband for hours as I read him recipes aloud. Needless to say, my one year (so far) living in North Carolina has certainly changed the way I cook. Being surrounded by new types of produce and getting used to seasonal veggies that follow a different growing season than I am used to up north has been an exciting experience for me and my children.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that one of my favorite things about Southern cooking has absolutely nothing to do with locally grown veggies… dessert! What can I say? I have baked more in my year here than I have in the past five years combined. I love that every month Southern Living dedicates page after page to one particular dessert – this month, Fresh Apple Cake received the honors. The following recipe borrows liberally from the basic recipe presented in the October 2010 Southern Living magazine but I made a few changes to make it a little less like dessert and a little more suited to breakfast. One thing that I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t require the use of a mixer – just grab yourself a big bowl and spoon!
Ingredients:
4 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 cup raisins
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Stir well.
3. Add apples and raisins. Batter will be very thick and hard to stir.
4. Spread batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan.
5. Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. You can test the cake with a toothpick to see if it is done.
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| On its way to the oven… |
Southern Living offered three fabulous frosting options for this delicious cake, but the cake was devoured before it could be frosted in this house. I prepared it at night and served it for breakfast the next morning.
