Nana’s Kitchen: Raw Apple Cake

One piece of cake with icing, one without. Nana’s Kitchen photo.

Greetings, home cooks, welcome to Nana’s Kitchen,

Last week we cooked with apples. This week we are cooking with apples! I have been on an apple kick.

My apples come from a local open air market. Asking where the apples came from, I was advised here in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I consider that local. My favorite is the golden delicious. Versatile. Good for snacking, baking, frying this little apple can accommodate your recipes. Not bad dipped in caramel sauce, too.

Before we get to the recipe – here are a few fun facts about apples!

The science of apples is called pomology.
Most apples in the world are still picked by hand.
Why do apples float? Because they are 25% air. Giving us the ability to bob for apples in a tub of water.
Bobbing for apples started as a Celtic New Years tradition. Apparently something to do with marriage or finding a mate. A maiden who placed the apple she bobbed under her pillow was said to dream of her future sweetheart.
It takes about 35 apples to make one gallon of apple cider.
When John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, he carried with him puréed applesauce in squeezable tubes. ( He was a native of Ohio.)
An apple has about 80 calories. It is fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free, and also is an excellent source of fiber.
John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was a nurseryman who planted apple orchards in Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
A bushel of apples can produce 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
Geoffrey Chaucer is attributed as the author behind the saying “ one bad apple spoils the bunch.”

Ingredients for Raw Apple Cake. Nana’s Kitchen photo.

On to the recipe:
Raw Apple Cake

Ingredients-
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup oil ( vegetable, canola)
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups peeled, chopped apples
2 cups chopped nuts
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour

Sift together salt, soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
Add oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in apples, nuts, sugar, and flour.
Pour batter into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan.
Bake in 350 degree,pre heated oven, for 45 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Ovens vary.
Cool.
Enjoy!

1/2 icing recipe tried on part of the cake. 2 Cup powdered sugar. 1/4 cup soft butter. 1 teaspoon lemon juice. 2 tablespoon full fat cream. Mix and frost cake. Give it a try. Nana’s Kitchen photo.

Hints:
This is a thick batter. A good sturdy spoon is needed. No whisk or mixer here!
This a moist cake with no icing called for with the recipe.
The kitchen had a warm spicy scent while baking, so pleasant.
Because of the need to experiment I made a little butter frosting to try on the cake. Due to the cakes rough surface, icing does not spread well. Taste was good but really sweet.
A light drizzle of caramel sauce would make a nice presentation.
Used Pam spray with flour. Worked just fine in a glass pan.

Have a blessed Sunday.