Our cool weather ended today, and our heat and humidity have returned. Nonetheless, the weather forecasters say tomorrow will be in the upper 60s, with Saturday even cooler with rain--perfect weather either day to make something special for your family to celebrate the end of the first week of school or the beginning of school next week after Labor Day. How about a simple apple cake for the teachers, students, and anyone else who might be hungry? The cake isn't decadent or overly sweet. Rather it's topped with nutritious apples, nicely spiced, and includes just enough sugar and oil to keep it moist without being too daunting for your diet. The cake also is cheap and easy to make. The cake is great "as is," warm from the oven, but you might need to cool it a little with a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream.
Simple Apple Cake -- Serves 8-9
2-3 apples, cored and cut into 1/4-1/3-inch slices
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of butter or Smart or Earth Balance
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of allspice
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Zest of a small orange
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat an 8- or 9-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the apples in rows over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the apples and then sprinkle the spices over the sugar. Divide the butter into small pieces and dot the butter over the apples/sugar/spices. In a large bowl, combine the canola oil, egg, milk, vanilla, and orange zest and whisk them well. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk them into the oil and egg mixture gently until everything has been incorporated (don't be too energetic with the whisk or you'll have a tough cake). Pour the batter over the apple mixture in the prepared pan and bake the cake about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter. Serve the apple cake warm or let it cool and serve it at room temperature.