Apple Walnut Cake

 

When it comes to apple cake recipes, I’m much like people with tattoos. I really don’t need another one. But I’m going to get another one.

This one came from my grandmother, via my mom. It had the cute title of “Apple Dapple Cake,” but I’m not sure what the Dapple is in this case, or how it got there. It’s not really a family recipe, except in the sense that Grandma was always trying new recipes, and if one was good, she got it to the rest of us before she moved on to something else. If she found it good, however, it was good. Worth your time to recreate.

And this cake is really, really good. The cake part is relatively simple, and is made with easy, unfussy methods. There’s a lot of apple in it, and enough walnuts to lend a pleasantly toasty and nutty flavor to each bite of cake. The real exiting bit, however, is the glaze that goes over the hot cake after it gets poked with plenty of holes to let the glaze soak all though the already moist cake.

Yes, this just looks like a humble brown square on a plate, but don’t let that fool you. This cake is not only loaded with moist, apple-y goodness, but the rich, sweet glaze gives it an added dimension. The butter browns a bit as it cooks with the brown sugar and milk to make the flavorful glaze, and that nuttiness pops with the walnuts and is a great compliment to the apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

 

There are probably plenty of ways to vary this cake with whole grain flours, pears or another fruit instead of apples, different spices, pecans or no nuts at all instead of walnuts. It’s such a good cake and such a good dressing-up method (that glaze!) that this recipe is a good one to keep and pass on, no matter how you might want to make it your own. For myself, I trusted Grandma, and was rewarded with a delicious seasonal dessert that kept well for days, but only because it’s a big cake and there were only two of us to eat it.

Glazed Apple Walnut Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 ½ cups canola, or other neutral tasting oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups chopped apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup milk

½ cup unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray, or grease it as desired. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Whisk or sift together to combine. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the granulated sugar and eggs. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil and beat in until well-combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.

4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, beating on low speed. Continue to beat until the batter is smooth.

5. Stir in the apples and the walnuts.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out to make it even. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.

7. Combine the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine well. Bring to a boil. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.

8. With a knife or a chopstick (or something similar) poke holes all over the hot cake. Pour the brown sugar mixture evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak into the poked holes. Cool completely.

Other recipes like this one: Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

One year ago: Spaghetti with Winter Squash, Spinach, and Walnuts

Recipes for World Vegetarian Day

I don’t suppose that I personally fit into any strict eating category, but I can say that I mostly don’t eat meat. That’s pretty meaningless for the most part, but I do stand by the idea that fewer animal products in our collective diets would be far more sustainable than the industrial farming processes that are so prevalent today. I am not vegetarian and The Messy Apron is not a vegetarian recipe site. I think there are, however, more plant-based recipes posted here than there are meaty ones. Put simply: that’s just the way I like to eat.

Perhaps, unlike the way everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, we aren’t all inclined to be vegetarian on World Vegetarian Day, which is today. That doesn’t mean that we can’t explore the plant-based world of delicious dishes without converting completely. If you’re at least a little ve-curious, there’s a lot of tasty and satisfying, not to mention healthy stuff that’s worth your time and attention. For this post, I’ve kept my list of vegetarian ideas seasonal, that is, particularly satisfying and accessible in a Midwestern fall.

I like to get proteins from beans and peas, and I like things bursting with complex flavors. Vegetarian curries, such as the Roasted Tomatillo and Chickpea Curry I just posted, Chickpea and Spinach Curry, Winter Squash and Onion Curry with Yogurt Sauce, and Split Pea and Vegetable Curry cover those bases with deliciousness to spare.

 

I also like vegetable-based stir fries, and have posted a few that are especially formulated for this time of year: Root Vegetable and Cabbage Stir Fry with Ginger and Lemon, and Spicy Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry.

 

While they take a little longer to put together, I also love savory pies. Some of my favorites for fall are Chard Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Winter Squash and Leek Empanadas with Sage (folded-over pies!), and Winter Vegetable Galettes with Cheddar, Mustard and Caramelized Onions.

 

I personally prefer to forgo foods with fake meats, or other products that are imitating meat, in favor of more unique dishes. I do believe, however, that the veggie burger has the potential to be a noble thing. The Beyond Burger made by Beyond Meat is very good. It does fall into the category of being at least somewhat meat-like, especially in texture. (It’s also gluten, soy, and GMO free.) The veggie burgers I make, like Lentil Barley Burgers, or Beet and Carrot Burgers may not be especially meat-like, but I still love them on a bun, especially with pickles. 

Falafel, which pretends to imitate nothing, may be the most noble veggie-burger-like substance of them all, whether you make it in patty form or roll it in balls to fry up as an appetizer.

The ultimate comfort of a casserole can be had in meatless form, too. For cheesier fare, there’s Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Poblanos and Smoked Paprika, Macaroni and Cheese with Sweet Potatoes and Green Onions, and Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sour Cream and Onion.

 

And there’s Kale and Wild Rice Casserole, too.

A seasonal, hearty salad can also be great with no weary sacrifice needed. Bean salads like Lentil Salad with Curry Lime Yogurt Dressing and White Bean Salad with Green Olives and Tarragon are particularly satisfying.

As are grain and roasted vegetable-based salads like Wheat Berry and Squash Salad with Seeds and Sage and Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad with Molasses Mustard Vinaigrette.

 

And please allow me to mention some of my favorite vegetarian hot soups and stews like Noodle Bowl with Spicy Greens, Squash and Pinto Bean Chili, and Curry Carrot Soup. (I was surprised to see how many of my soup recipes include chicken broth. Many of them wouldn’t have to, and could be made with vegetable broth instead.)

And a couple more more vegetarian recipes that are good in any season. They’re both easy and wonderfully flavorful. First, there’s Italian Chickpeas, the first recipe I ever posted, way back in 2009, and later re-posted here with better photos.

And Soup Beans is a versatile concoction that has so many, many uses beyond its simplest: poured over rice or mashed potatoes. 

You will probably note that most of these dishes aren’t vegan, and that I rely on eggs and dairy quite a bit. That may seem like cheating to those who prefer to keep as many animal products out of the mix as possible, and that’s cool.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the great meat-free stuff you can eat and be happy, especially if you like food in general and like trying new things. I rely heavily on a few good cookbooks for recipes and ideas, especially:

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (I just have the older edition)

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman (again, I have the older edition)

Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

At Home with The Culinary Institute of America: Vegetarian Cooking

And a couple others that I’d like to get to know better:

Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon

Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Whether you’re looking to change your life completely, are on the fence about the whole plant thing, or are particularly ve-curious, I hope you take some time to consider what good stuff there really is to enjoy that is plant-based or at least mostly so. You don’t have to be one way or another. You don’t have to be dogmatic about anything. You don’t have to try to convince anyone else that one particular way is best. You definitely don’t have to be guiltily weeping into your free-range turnip stew. You really should just enjoy your food, enjoy your time in the kitchen, and enjoy your world.

World Vegetarian Day kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month. You can get more information about that here.

Another post like this one: 12 Seasonal Favorites

One year ago: Fluffernutter Cream Cheese Dip (or Spread)