Harvest Apple Cake

Over the past several years I have discovered a new love and that is cooking.  I am by no means a "fancy schmancy" cook.  I devour anything Food Network and I love to try my hand at re creating some of the great mouth watering meals the cooks and chefs prepare.  I am also a HUGE fan of Pinterest and get lots of ideas from that site as well.   

As much as I love to cook, baking is not my favorite thing to do.  I don't like the mess involved or the clean up afterwards but I do have a few simple favorites that I will share with you.  

This particular scrumptious cake recipe I got from a friend of mine many years ago.  I decided with the onset of fall that I would dust off the recipe and make it for my hubby.  He just told me that he needed to start watching his waistline because none of his pants fit him anymore and he felt like a stuffed sausage!  I don't think this cake is going to help matters any but enjoy it anyway.   I used to double the glaze recipe (so yummy) but it was so rich that it made my eyes bleed!   Time to get out them elastic waisted sweat pants and indulge!   Oh and add a big dollop of whipped topping to make it even better.

HARVEST APPLE CAKE

1 ¼ cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

3 cups apples (peeled and cubed)

1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1 cup raisins (or craisins)

Blend oil, sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla & 2 cups of the flour until smooth.

In another bowl coat apples with 1 cup flour, raisins and walnuts.

Fold apple mixture into batter.  This will be nearly as thick as cookie dough.

Preheate oven to 350 deg.

Grease bundt pan well and sprinkle a little flour in pan.  Pour batter into bundt pan and bake 1 ½ hrs or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and prepare glaze. 

Glaze

In a saucepan combine:  ½ cup buttermilk, 1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar ¼ tsp vanilla ½ tsp baking soda and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Mixture will foam up.  Pour liquid over the top of the cake and let set for four hours before removing cake from the pan.  NOTE:  I run a knife around the edges of the cake so it allows the glaze to reach the bottom of cake pan.