When life gives you apples...

When life gives you apples...make Apple Cake!

So, yes, that is what we did. My son LOVES (really, if I could make the letters even bigger and bolder I would) Apple Cake! I was holding off on making it because I love Apple Cake too (and so does my husband and daughter), and what's a mom to do when the kids are at school and there is a whole Apple Cake sitting on your counter? And, really, the smell of this cake baking can just about put you over the edge as well...but I succumbed and we have actually shown some restraint (surprisingly there is some left and I made it two days ago! - that's a record!).

So, I thought I would share our love of Apple Cake with you...here's the recipe.

"I LOVE Apple Cake" Apple Cake

2 1/2 cups flour (I use white whole wheat, but all purpose is OK)

1/2 cup ground flax seed

2 teaspoons baking powder

5+ teaspoons cinnamon (see notes below)

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

2 1/2 cups sugar (see notes below)

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 Apples, preferably Pippin or Granny Smith

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease Bundt pan (I used Pam Cooking Spray for Baking).

3. Mix together 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and dust the pan with the mixture. Reserve any remaining mix to sprinkle on Apple Cake just before baking.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and ground flax seed n a large bowl.

5. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, then toss apples in a large bowl with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

6. Using a mixer (a stand mixer is perfect, but a good old-fashioned hand held mixer will work just as well!), mix 1 cup of oil, with eggs, and orange juice, and vanilla.

7. Add the 2 cups of sugar and beat on medium for about one minute.

8. Add the flour mixture in three batches (this is when the stand mixer comes in handy!), until it is just combined.

9. Add the apples and fold them in gently.

10. Pour into the pan, and if you want sprinkle some of the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.

11. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours...start checking it around 1 1/4 hours, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

12. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a baking rack.

Honestly I think this cake is perfect as is, but just imagine it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel!

Some notes...

* I always make extra cinnamon sugar mixture for dusting the pan and sprinkling on the cake.

* If you like, adding some ginger, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice to the flour mixture spices things up a little.

ENJOY! Let me know what you think or if you made any variations...I'd love to hear about it!