#257_Very Moist Apple Cake

When neighbors give you apples.....
make this moist and delicious
Apple Cake

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I tweaked it a little bit by adding some ground cloves and walnuts and used butter instead of margarine. I also increased the amount of ground cinnamon and glazed the cake with apricot jam after taking it out of the oven. This recipe is a must try.

Here's my modified version....

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples (about 2 large)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°
Beat 1-1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, ground cloves, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. Take 2 tbsp cinnamon mixture and combine it with the apple in a bowl, and stir this (apple) mixture and nuts into the batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch spring form pan and adjust baking time.