I’m sitting here very early in the morning, hoping that none of the animals realize that I’m awake.  The only light is that of the monitor, and dawn is more than an hour away.   As the days shorten, these dark early mornings are a wonderful gift, giving me time to myself before the routine of the day gets started.

The shortening of days compresses the outdoor hours, and the time to get the outdoor jobs done.  All the animals are now brought in and fed well before we sit down to dinner, so we’ve tweaked our end of day routine to fit. This adjustment of our lives, each and every year, allows us the time to enjoy the coziness of being home, and the longer times of being together.

This is one of the coziest desserts I know.  Lots of apples, held together with a cinnamon laced batter, and topped with a deep caramel glaze, it is perfect to enjoy by the fire as your day wraps up, or tucked into lunches as a sweet treat on late fall school days.

Click here for printable version.

9” x 9” pan – 9 pieces

Ingredients

3 good-sized cooking apples (such as Bramleys, Jonathans, Sunrise, Ambrosia etc.)

½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar

2 eggs

½ c canola oil (or other light vegetable oil)

1 t vanilla

1½ c flour

½ t salt

½ t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

Topping:

¼ c brown sugar

2 T milk or light cream

¼ c butter (2 oz./55 gr/4 T)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°

Peel, core & chop the apples.  You’ll need about 2 cups of chopped apple.  It’s okay if there’s a bit more or less. If your apples are small, add in another.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs.

Add in the oil & vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Add the flour to the bowl.

Scatter the salt, baking soda, & cinnamon on top of the flour.

Using a sturdy spoon, stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Add in the apples, stirring until just mixed.

Lightly grease a 9” x 9” pan.

Spoon the apple filled batter into the pan, leveling it once it’s all in.  This is a very lumpy batter, so don’t worry if it isn’t absolutely level.

Bake for 45 minutes.

While it is baking, assemble the topping ingredients in a small saucepan.

About 5 minutes before the cake is ready, gently heat the topping until it is all melted, stirring as needed.

Allow it to come to a gently boil for 3 minutes.  It can rest for a minute or two if the timing isn’t perfect, so don’t worry!

When done, remove the cake from the oven.

Pierce all over the top with a skewer, perhaps 20 holes in all.

Pour the topping over the cake; using a spatula to be sure it is all glazed.

Return the cake to the oven for 4 more minutes to finish cooking the glaze.

Remove the cake from the oven, the glaze with be bubbling.

Let the cake cool for at least an hour before serving.

The cake keeps well, just cover and refrigerate.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

This cake is also great when made with pears.