Apple Cake
4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled & diced (about 3 apples)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 - 1/4 tsp nutmeg (to taste)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine apples and sugar and mix well.
Add oil, beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
Combine dry ingredients and add to the apple mixture and mix thoroughly.
Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°, then for 15 - 20 minutes at 325°. Cake will get crispy on top.
Allow cake to cool in pan and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp real butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Cream together and spread on top of cooled cake. (Or do what we did and let the cake cool for a little bit and then dollop the frosting on individual, slightly warm slices...mmmmm.) Be sure to either refrigerate leftover frosting or any leftover cake if the frosting is spread over the entire cake.
(I'd bet this cake would also be delicious with a warm homemade caramel sauce drizzled over the top of a warm cake.)
