Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

This moist, semi-chunky cake, spread with brown sugar frosting is a perfect autumn dessert. Serve with a cup of coffee or a glass of ice-cold milk. I made this cake last week for Friday night dessert and will definitely make it again. I love Watkins Cinnamon and spices because they add delicious flavor to this cake.

Cake
 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour (I used 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup whole  wheat flour)
 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
 2 teaspoons baking soda
 3/4 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cinnamon
 1/4 teaspoon each Watkins Ground Ginger and Watkins Ground Nutmeg
 2 large eggs
 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
 4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds apples
 1 cup diced toasted walnuts or pecans

Frosting
 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
 2/3 cup brown sugar
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 cup milk
 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
 3/4 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch x 13 inch pan.
2. To make the cake: Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl.
3. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly.
4. Add the apples and nuts, and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.
5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
6. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool completely; don't remove the cake from the pan.
8. To make the frosting: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts.
9. Add the milk, bring to a boil, and pour into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes, stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat well; if the mixture appears too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Spread on the cake while frosting is still warm. Yields about 2 dozen servings.

To toast nuts, place them in a single layer in a cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 9 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell "toasty."

http://www.jrwatkins.com/consultant/eleisiawhitney

Banana Spice Bread

My family loves banana bread and I've tried several recipes, some with nuts and some without. I never waste over ripe bananas. When they get too ripe to eat I put them in a bag and throw them in the freezer. Then when we crave banana bread I'm prepared.

This recipe is from Watkins Incorporated and uses several gourmet ingredients.

Banana Spice Bread

1/3 cup/80 mL vegetable shortening
1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
3/4 tsp/4 mL Watkins Banana Extract
1-3/4 cups/440 mL all-purpose flour
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Baking Powder
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL baking soda
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Sea Salt
1/4 tsp/1.2 Watkins Ground Nutmeg
1 cup/250 mL mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup/125 mL chopped walnuts

Grease bottom and sides of a 9 × 5-inch/23 × 13-cm loaf pan; set aside. In large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla and banana extracts until well combined. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add alternately with bananas to sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F/180ºC for 45 to 50 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool completely on rack. To store, wrap tightly and refrigerate.
Makes 1 loaf, 12 servings.

Order the Watkins Gourmet ingredients at http://www.NotJustVanilla.com or call Watkins at 1-800-WATKINS (Monday - Friday) to place your order. Please give my name and ID# as your Watkins Consultant, Eleisia Whitney ID# 335001.

Find out how to get a Watkins membership with a 25% discount on products you order for yourself. Visit Watkins Products and Home Business Opportunity or take the business opportunity tour at http://www.vanillasage.com 

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Thanksgiving Prayer
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.
Mary Fairchild

Thanksgiving Day is almost here. As you plan your holiday dinner menu you may decide to add a new dish or vary your traditional fare. Pumpkin Pie is the standard dessert for most families. We love pumpkin pie with whipped cream! This Pumpkin Bundt Cake makes a tasty alternative to pumpkin pie for those guests who prefer cake instead of pie.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Watkins Nonstick Cooking Spray, for pan
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 14-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Watkins Aloha Fruit Dip

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow cream
1 tsp. Watkins Ginger
2 tsp. Watkins Rum Extract
1/8 tsp. Watkins Orange Extract (optional)
Dash Watkins Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle a small amount of nutmeg on top for garnish.

Serve with assorted pieces of fresh fruit placed on cocktail picks.

Shop for Watkins Products at http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney

Watkins Nutmeg - Old-Fashioned Spice Bars

Capture the essence of the holidays with Watkins pure ground Nutmeg (05206). The intoxicating aroma enhances traditions like eggnog, custard, hot drinks, spiced cookies and baked goods.

This collector's edition tin is based on artwork from the 1920's and beautifully displays our premium-grade nutmeg. Regularly $12.99 USD/$17.99 CAD
SAVE $3.00 USD/$5.00 CAD through the month of October!

Use Nutmeg in

Baked goods
Eggnogs
Custards
Cheese, egg, fish and poultry dishes
Whipped cream topping
Doughnuts
Fruits
Boiled vegetables
Cream soups
Ice cream
Sweet potatoes
Hot Milk
Sweet doughs
Muffins
Cakes
Frostings
Applesauce
Crêpes
Beef
Ham
Sausages

Did You Know?

• Nutmeg comes from the seed of a peach like fruit of an evergreen tree that is native to Moluccas, or Spice Islands.
  
• Nutmeg is one of the oldest spices; it has been cultivated for over 1,000 years.
  
• Grenada is known as 'The Nutmeg Isle' because of the amount of nutmeg that is cultivated each year.
  
• Connecticut is known as the Nutmeg State.
  

Old-Fashioned Spice Bars

Fall is the perfect time of year to warm up your home with the fragrant scents of nutmeg and pure ground spices. This recipe will quickly become one of your favorite autumn desserts.

1 cup/250 mL raisins
1 cup/250 mL hot water
1/2 cup/125 mL Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
1 cup/250 mL sugar
1 egg
1-3/4 cup/425 mL flour
1 tsp/5 mL baking soda
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Cinnamon
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Nutmeg
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Allspice
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Cloves (Ground)
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL salt
1/2 cup/125 mL chopped walnuts or other nuts of your choice

Icing

3 cups/750 mL powdered sugar
1/2 cup/125 mL vegetable shortening
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
Milk as needed for texture

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Combine raisins and hot water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, add oil and set aside to rehydrate raisins. Place sugar and egg in mixing bowl; combine until smooth. Sift flour, soda, spices and salt together; add to sugar and egg mixture. Stir in water/oil/raisin mixture; add nuts. Pour batter into a jelly roll pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients: mix powdered sugar and shortening. Add vanilla and a teaspoon of milk at a time while beating. Frost bars while still warm (not hot).