Good for your soul

My good friend brought this cake to me when I had my boys. It is an amazing cake, but also brings wonderful memories of when my boys were born!

I love making Fall recipes – and this is one I make every year!

You start by mixing all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, raisins, pecans and apples.

Then you add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Blend well by hand and pour into a greased pan. I like to use two rounds so I can frost in between the layers – love to have lots of frosting! The recipe calls for pouring it into a tube pan.

The frosting is just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and pecans. Yes, you put the pecans in the frosting. I also added more pecans after I frosted it for decoration. If you are doing frosting in between layers, you will need to make a batch and a half to have enough frosting. I usually do 2 batches to ensure I don’t run out. The frosting does freeze great if you have leftovers.

Make the day before so flavors blend – it really does get better and better as days go by – if it lasts that long! Do not refrigerate! Buy your apples from a local farmer!!! Enjoy!

Apple Brunch Cake Ingredients

3 cups apples — peeled, cored, grated 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1  teaspoon baking powder 2  teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans — chopped 1 1/2 cup oil
4 eggs — room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla

*****FROSTING*****

8 ounces cream cheese — room temperature butter — room temperature 1 stick butter — room temperature
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions Preheat oven to 350. Mix all dry ingredients together, including the apples. Add oil, eggs, vanilla: Blend well. Pour batter into greased tube pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and Frost.
FROSTING Cream cheese and butter together; add sugar, vanilla and nuts; mix well. If necessary, thin with a little milk to spread. To achieve a dribble effect on sides, before adding nuts to frosting mixture, put in small bowl and thin with milk to desired consistency.
Allow cake to set overnight before serving to blend and mellow flavors. Do not store in refrigerator.