Apple Cake

This came from Cooking With The Preacher's Wife -- Read it Thursday and decided it would be just the right desert when some friends came over to watch their grandson this afternoon when Tulane played Houston. It was a true fall meal -- roast chicken, roasted potatoes, Waldorf salad and this simple Apple Cake. Naturally, I changed it a bit. I didn't have cinnamon, so I used apple pie spice. Fortunately, I had fresh nutmeg (and a nutmeg grater, as do all the ladies in our family), but everything else worked perfectly. The dough was stiff, as if cookie dough, but I trusted the recipe (and the note!) and forged ahead. I thought I had too many apple pieces, too, but ignored that twinge. The only thing I didn't get right was serving it hot out of the oven. But I did warm in the microwave for a few seconds and served with a slice of Blue Bell Home Made Vanilla. Excellent! Here is the Apple Cake recipe, straight from the Preacher's Wife:

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups raw apples, chopped
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter with sugar, add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir or sift to combine. Add to creamed mixture and beat with mixer until well combined.

Don't be afraid of the stiff, cookie dough like batter, the apples will cook up and provide enough moisture in the cake.

Use a good heavy wooden spoon and fold apples evenly into batter. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and spread batter evenly into pan. Bake for 45 - 50 min at 375.

Remove from oven and serve warm with desired garnish.Sprinkle with powdered sugar. You could serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.