ABBY’S PECAN APPLE CAKE

ABBY’S PECAN APPLE CAKE
Ingredients:
½ tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp salt
3 tart apples
2 large eggs
2 Tab butter, melted
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
? cup milk
½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
2 Tab rum
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup butter
2 Tab pecans, finely chopped
1½ tsp soda bicarb
1½ tsp BP

1. Prepare apples, peeled, halved, and sliced (3 cups).
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the sides of a 8 x 3 1/4-inch springform pan with the melted butter.
3. Mix together ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg & ¼ cup flour and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Wrap foil around the pan to prevent leakage.
4. Starting at the outside edge, arrange a ring of apple slices in the pan, slightly overlapping and pointing to the centre (it will feel backwards.)
5. Fill in the centre with another circle of apples, with some overlap occurring. Layer any remaining apple slices evenly, overlapping to prevent the batter from escaping.
6. With a wooden spoon or electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add the eggs, milk, rum & vanilla. The batter will look curdled.
7. Add 1¼ cups flour, pecans, BP, bicarb and salt, beating only until the flour is completely incorporated. Pour the batter over the apples and spread evenly.
8. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Cover with a piece of foil if the top begins to brown too quickly.
9. Let the cake rest in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then, using a small, flexible knife, gently separate the sides of the cake from the pan.
10. Invert the cake on the rack, letting it stay in the pan for another 10 minutes, then remove the pan, lifting it up carefully.

AARGAU (SWISS) CARROT CAKE

AARGAU (SWISS) CARROT CAKE – serves 12
Ingredients:
3 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
1½ tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tab fresh lemon juice
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup almond meal
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp BP
1 pinch salt
ICING
¾ cup icing sugar
1 Tab lemon juice

1. Prepare the 9 inch cake pan by rubbing the inside well with a drop of cooking oil and then scattering a little flour over it. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks into the sugar thoroughly. Add lemon juice and grated rind, carrots, almonds, flour, BP and salt. Mix well.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake mixture. Pour batter into 9 inch cake pan. Bake at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.
ICING
Beat icing sugar into lemon juice. Little marzipan carrots are the traditional decoration.