Apple Hill cake

Is it even Fall in Nor Cal if you haven’t gone to Apple Hill???

Last week it was in the 90s, but this morning I went on a bike ride and it was in the 40s, so apparently the sun got the memo. For the record, I would totally be ok with something in between. Like a few weeks in the 70s would be GREAT. Just throwing it out there…

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This year we went to Denver’s Dans, which is an organic u-pick. It had SO MANY varieties to pick too!

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I am VERY tempted to buy a peeler these days. I borrowed one from a friend last year and it was amazing. This year, the kids both used one and we had perfectly peeled and cored apples in under 10 seconds.

There’s nothing better than a juicy fresh fuji apple. Except maybe a honey crisp… 😛

We came home with over 20 pounds of apples, so get ready for a LOT of apple (recipe/meal) pics…

Apple Cake (or muffins)

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 5 apples, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Glaze [optional]

• 1/4 cup butter (or Earth Balance)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk)

Directions:

Grease a 9×13 inch cake (or muffin pan)

Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Add syrup, oil, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and combine. Add eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and then add to the wet ingredients.

Next fold in the chopped apples and nuts.

Pour into greased pan. Bake for an hour for the cake, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (more like 30 minutes for muffins).

While that’s in the oven, you can make the glaze. It’s good for a cake, but not really necessary for muffins.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the maple syrup. Stir on low for a couple of minutes before stirring in the cream or coconut milk and boil for another couple of minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over the top and then pour the glaze over the cake, making sure to distribute it evenly.

ENJOY!

Happy Fall!