Apple Spice Cake

Note: Buttermilk makes a moist, delicious flavorful cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own! Put one tablespoon of vinegar in a one-cup measure, then fill the cup with milk.

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (2 large or 4 small)
1 cup toasted pecan pieces (optional)

Penuche icing:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk or half & half
3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a bowl or on a sheet of wax paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer just until creamy. Beat in white and brown sugars, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the apples and nuts, if using. Stir just until blended. Pour into pan and bake 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool, then ice.

To make the icing: Combine butter, sugar, salt and milk in a medium sized heavy saucepan and stir until smooth over medium heat. Cool slightly. Use an electric mixer or whisk to beat in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cake. Serves 16.

Almond Apple Pie

Crust:
1-1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons ice water

Apple almond filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup finely ground almonds
3 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon flour
6 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples
1 10-inch deep dish pie crust

To make the crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water over the mixture and blend until the mixture holds together when pressed lightly with your hands. Form into a ball, flatten and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 30 minutes before rolling out to fit a 10-inch, deep-dish pie pan. There may be a little extra dough.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend butter and sugar. Beat in egg, almonds, rum, almond extract and flour. Distribute sliced apples in the pie shell. Pour almond mixture over the top and bake for 45 minutes, until apples are tender and the pie is brown. Serves 8.