
it's been awhile since we've baked a cake on a sunday, for no other reason other than it being a sunday. i miss it dearly and hope to start baking regularly again now that the winter season is around the corner. there is something so utterly comforting about the warmth from the oven and the smell of freshly baked goods when it's cold outside. this week we chose an apple cake and boy was it delicious. i think i will keep this recipe around for awhile. think big chunks of baked apples and sweet golden dates throughout the richest, buttery cake with a hint of bourbon flavor. it's definitely not your grandmother's fruit cake, but completely perfect for this time of year.






you will need:
1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
1/2 cup bourbon, any kind will do
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups apples; (we used a mix of tart granny smith and sweet pink lady apples) peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
icing sugar for dusting the cake
*before preparing the cake batter, place your chopped dates in a small bowl and cover with the 1/2 cup of bourbon. stir to cover in the liquid and set aside for 30 minutes. the dates should plump up and absorb some of the bourbon.
preheat oven to 325 degrees. using butter, grease and flour your baking pan. we used a parchment lined angel food baking pan but a 13x9x2 pan will work just fine. in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. add in the chopped apples, the dates and all the liquid they have been soaking in, melted butter and the eggs. the batter will be thick so be sure all ingredients get mixed in. pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it around to make an even layer. place on the center rack of the oven and bake for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. the cake should be nice and dark in color. finish your cooled cake by dusting some icing sugar on top.
recipe slightly adapted from here.
you can find more sunday's cake here.