Apple Pecan Cake

One of the best cakes we've had this year!

The Apple Pecan Cake made a few weeks ago was delicious. It was barely around long enough to get a few photos. The challenge with fruit cakes (as with much of cooking/baking) is managing moisture.

In my recent post - Classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake - I shared a first write up using graphics. If you are visual like me I hope you'll find this useful.

---recipe is adapted from joanne chang's apple snack cake in flour

Step 1: Ingredients

Infographics have become popular ways to communicate information. For a visual person like me it is much easier to see a recipe drawn out on a single sheet of paper.

Ingredients - Dry + Spices

• 1 c. Flour - king arthur flour
• 3/4 c. Cake Flour - king arthur cake flour
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon - (amzn for $.39/oz)
• 1/4 tsp Ginger - (amzn for $.62/oz)
• 1/8 tsp Cloves - (amzn for $1.28/oz)

Ingredients - Wet

• 1-1/2 c. Sugar
• 3/4 c. Butter
• 2 Eggs - see how we prepare our backyard chickens for winter...

Ingredients - Accent / Filling

• 1 c. Pecans (kirkland on amzn at $.58/oz)
• 1/2 c. Raisins
• 4 c. Apples

Step 2: Apple Slicing

We picked the apples at a Southeast MN orchard. Best baking apples are Northern Spy!

Step 3: Chopped Pecans

Easy to chop the pecans with a sharp chef's knife. Toast for 15-25min at 375F / 180C.

Step 4: Mix Dry

Mix dry ingredients using a sift. If you don't use a sift it's ok. Easy to use any strainer.

Step 5: Combine Wet + Dry + Accent

Use a stand mixer if you have it but easy to also do the work with a whisk/spatula.

Wet Ingredients (process for adding):

1. Add Sugar + Butter - beat 1min at medium
2. Add Eggs - beat for 15 sec on low
3. Extra Beat - 1 min at medium-high

Once the wet ingredients are incorporated switch to a spatula to fold in the apples, raisins, pecans.

Step 6: Bake + Enjoy

Pour batter into a ~13" bunt pan. Well greased!

• Oven should be pre-heated to 350F / 175C. Expect an 80min bake time. You may want to check the cake with a wooden toothpick at 70 min and every 5 min from there. Toothpick will come out clean when done.

Enjoy & Happy Thanksgiving! Jeff
Hope you've found the visual recipe useful. Any comments are welcome - this one really is fantastic!

----recipe credit. yes, this one comes from joanne chang's flour. one of jess's favorites along with smitten kitchen's every day.

Here are a few other recent baking instructables:

• Pineapple Upside Down Cake - a classic with a caramel sauce
• Bread Pudding - never let bread go to waste - most underappreciated dessert!
• 'Italian Cheesecake' - yes, ricotta goes a long way in cheesecake