Apple Cake

This is a variation on a dump cake recipe.  I always loved the recipe, but wanted more apples...many more apples...

Apple Cake

Ingredients:

2 cans apple pie filling (21 oz)
1 package yellow cake mix
2 cups Granny Smith applies (peeled and chopped)
2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple pie spice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cinnamon and sugar together.  Pour lemon juice over chopped apples.  Coat with about half the sugar mixture (save the remaining for the top of the cake).
Coat 9x13 pan with butter.
Pour one can of apple pie filling in pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with apple pie spice.
Pour chopped apples into pan and spread evenly.  Top with remaining can of apple pie filling.
Spread cake mix over apples.  Spread evenly and break up the lumps.
Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter.  Slice remaining butter into thin pats. 
Place pats of butter on top of cake mix.  Top with melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.  This is also delicious served cold.

Dump Cake

Have you ever made a Dump Cake?  Basically you take a couple of cans of fruit, a boxed cake mix, butter, dump it all together and bake it.  This makes a quick and easy cobbler-like cake.  The recipe link I'm sharing uses cherry pie filling.  I've made this with peaches and also with apples.  I like to add just a bit of cinnamon to the cake mix to just bring out the flavors.  I even made a chocolate-cherry version once using chocolate cake mix along with cherry pie filling and chocolate chips.

Check out this link to the Pioneer Woman Cooks - Dump Cake.  Be sure to check out the great comments to her post.  There are some wonderful ideas for different versions of this cake.

Life Without Eggs?

I’ve been looking through a lot of vintage cookbooks lately.  My two favorite ones are pretty old and some recipes date back to the 1920’s.  These belonged to my great-grandmother.  Frugal cooking was a necessity she had a whole section of eggless cake recipes.  I thought you’d enjoy this one.

Black Cake

3 cups sifted plain flour

2 cups white sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees.  Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.  Beat in milk and butter.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into 9x13 cake pan and bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

No Time For Baking?

I've been a Days of our Lives fan for years. If you've ever watched this show, you know Alice Horton. She is known for her homemade doughnuts. Though you don't see her much anymore, they still talk about her homemade goodies. I remember an episode years ago when one of the other characters was talking to her about her doughnut recipe. Alice had a confession. The doughnuts were store bought and she baked them at home! What a scandal!
.
The message was clear though. You may not have the time or the talent to make something from scratch, but don't let that stop you from baking! There are several good pre-packaged cookie doughs available. Just add some of your own ingredients - extra semi-sweet morsels, nuts, candies, etc. And, cake mixes are perfect for a 'no-fail' cake. Just top it with a homemade frosting like the one below. Alice and I will keep your secret!
.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
.
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
3 sq. (3 oz. ) chocolate, cut in pieces
1/8 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
.
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in boiling water, chocolate and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Beat in butter and vanilla. Spread on cake while frosting is hot. This will make enough to frost sides and tops of two 8-in. round cake layers.
.
To make the cake extra festive, sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on sides of frosted cake.
.
Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.