Spiced Apple Cake Recipe

Serve warm for breakfast or as a snack. Try the cake with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream for a simple country-style dessert. Or allow the cake to cool and then sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar.

Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Aifos

Yield: 1 cake; 12 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 to 45 minutes

Spice meter: Mildly spiced

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2-1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped apples, such as Rome, Cortlandt, or MacIntosh

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-x-8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix and set aside.

3. In medium-size bowl, combine the butter, egg, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla and stir well.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix. The batter will be quite thick. Stir in the apples and nuts.

5. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool briefly on a rack.

Per serving: Calories 179 (From Fat 76); Fat 8g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 38mg; Sodium 138mg; Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.