Apple Cake

This weekend we went up to Mark’s “cabin” about two hours north of the city. I say “cabin” because it had five bedrooms, a tree house, a huge heated pool, a fire pit down by the lake and a basement set up with a projector and giant screen for rainy movie days. When we weren’t teasing Mark about the meaning of the word ‘moderation,’ we were playing scategories, swimming, drinking and eating.

Mark had gone apple picking the day we arrived so we had plenty of fresh apples. Ryan made a great whiskey and cider cocktail garnished with fresh apples…but we still had dozens to use up. The house was stocked with awesome cookbooks including “Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods.” I made the recipe for apple cake which I think goes something like this. (If I’m a cup or a tablespoon off, blame Ryan’s cocktails!)

Mix together 3 cups of flour, one teaspoon baking powder, one teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and set aside. In a larger bowl, whisk together 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil. Then mix in one teaspoon of vanilla and three eggs. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients and four cups of chopped apples. Pour into a greased bundt pan and cook for an hour. Check for doneness and cook another few minutes if necessary.

This is a sturdy, fruit-packed cake that isn’t too sweet. It’s great for breakfast and snacking.