Fresh Apple Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze

One of the best things about the holidays this year was that I got to spend a lot of time with my mom.  If there’s anyone out there that likes to cook as much as I do, it’s Mom.

I popped over this weekend to discover this beauty sitting on her counter.  This is her version of a recipe she found on a bag of White Lily flour.  She (and then I) made a few changes to the recipe and decided that this might be one of the best recipes for any sort of fruit cake around.

The glaze is spectacular.  Seriously, you will be tempted to throw it on the floor and roll in it or at least take it to the shower and scrub your body with it.

I think (and I’m looking forward to testing this theory) that you could substitute the apples and applesauce with any fruit.  I’ll list a few alternatives below.

Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze

Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

½ cup apple sauce

3 eggs

4 cups grated apples

1 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter Pecan Glaze:

¼ cup butter

¾ cup pecan halves

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup corn syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan.

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat brown sugar, oil, apple sauce and eggs in an electric mixer. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in apples, pecans and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake 15 minutes in pan then remove and set on a cake plate in its upright position. Cool completely.

For glaze melt butter in small saucepan. Sauté pecans in butter over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in brown sugar, cream and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

Cool glaze until thickened. Drizzle over cake. Extra glaze may be spooned over individual slices, if desired.

Other alternatives:

Fresh Pear Cake:

Substitute the grated apples with grated pears.  Keep the apple sauce or substitute with pear sauce (found with the individual apple sauce packages for kids).

Bananas Foster Cake:

Substitute the grated apples and apple sauce with 4 ½ cups mashed bananas.

Fresh Peach Cake:

Substitute the grated apples and apple sauce with 4 ½ cups finely chopped fresh peaches.

PRINTABLE RECIPE