Apple cake is coming.
But first:
My kids have been fighting constantly.
I’m up to my eyeballs in chains and smashed coins. An etsy shop is happening.
Tried twice to start the fire. It wouldn’t.
Not really into Thanksgiving so it’s good we’re going to my parents. I think there will be pulled pork and … squid. I’m making a cheesecake.
My room is trashed. The terrain is hilly, thanks to socks, gloves, the kids’ too-small clothes, random shoes, and magazines.
My oldest daughter is staging a Class A revolt against the lowly legume.
My daughters have declared World War III … against each other. I’m ready to put them both in the state penitentiary. Or at least their rooms. Oh wait. They already are in their rooms.
I Love Lucy is my saving grace.
I took a picture of the full moon.
Taking pictures is hard. I want lessons.
I cleaned out my bathroom cupboards.
It’s amazing how a cleaned out cupboard frees up my brain space.
Wish it would rain already.
I need a bigger blanket to cover the giant hole in my leather sofa. Or else a seamstress who wants to indebt herself to me.
There is a bushel of broccoli on my kitchen table.
And now, for cake. I discovered a new apple cake and made it three times.
I think this was the apple cake I was looking for when I embarked on last year’s apple cake quest. Next year there will be no searching for I have found the perfect apple cake.
What is a perfect apple cake? It’s an apple cake that uses lots of apples, not just a wimpy cup or two. The cake must taste of apple, lots and lots of apple. There must be no doubt that you are indeed eating a cake made out of apples.
Apples apples apples apples.
Have I made myself clear?
This cake is an apple cake all right. With 4 cups of apple to a 3/4 cup of flour, there ain’t no two ways around it.
Apple Rum Cake
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog
I changed the title from “French Apple Cake” to “Apple Rum Cake” since the boozy flavor is deliciously distinct. But not so distinct that the kids fussed. To the contrary, they acted like it was the best cake I’d ever served them.
They (“they” being Frenchified foodies, I presume) say that using a variety of apples is key. I used Golden Delicious, Fuji, York, and Stayman.
One time I added fresh cranberries and some chopped nuts. The cranberries were nice; the nuts were not. Another time I used ½ cup maple sugar plus 1/4 cup regular white sugar. It had a nice flavor, but wasn’t noticeable enough to warrant using up my precious maple sugar.
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons rum
½ teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
½ cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
4 apples, a variety, peeled and chopped (about four cups)
Beat the eggs till frothy. Add the sugar and beat till well combined. Beat in the rum and vanilla.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stirring gently, add the dry ingredients alternately with the melted butter. Fold in the apples.
Pour the batter into a heavily greased 9-inch springform pan, using a spatula to smooth out the top. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cake for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan and removing the sides. (I was dumping my cake upside down every single time—and having mighty problems, too—and just now re-read Lebovitz’s instructions and realized that was not a part of them.)
Serve slices of cake warm, or at room temperature, with whipped cream. Cover leftovers with plastic and store at room temperature.
This same time, years previous: feminism, part II
