Apple Cream Cake:

        How many apples are in nine bushels of apples?  (Have you ever wondered how many pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? - a similar question).  A lot - as we discovered one fall apple-picking day when the harvest was obscenely abundant, the branches on the trees hanging low with fruit, all too accessible for the busy hands of our children.  After several days of peeling - developing the skill of paring the peel in one long rolling strip - and transforming the tart and the sweet flesh into applesauce, pie filling, cider, dumplings (look for this apple favorite in a future blog) I was stumped. When February came the final survivors had to go and were finely thrown out of the vegetable crisper. Following is the recipe for a lovely apple alternative in the form of a rich, dense, buttery cake that enfolds a spiced apple filling.

Apple Cream Cake:
     1 cup butter, softened
     1 1/2 cups sugar
     2 eggs
     1 cup sour cream
     1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
     2 cups flour
     1 tsp. baking powder
     1/4 tsp. baking soda
     pinch of salt
    

     Apple Filling:
     Peel and core 2 large Granny Smith apples and cut into 
     small chunks.  Melt 3 tab. butter in a medium saucepan
     and add apples.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  
     Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. 
     ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. ground 
     allspice, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cook and stir frequently over 
     medium heat until apples are soft and mixture is bubbly,
     about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 cup
     finely chopped nuts. Set aside and let cool 15 minutes or 
     until ready to use.

• In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each at high speed.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla.  Gently stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
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• Generously grease and flour a bundt pan or angel food cake pan.  Spread in half of the batter.  Spoon apple filling over the batter and smooth.  Spread the remaining batter over the top of the apple filling.
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• Bake 50 - 60 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10-15 minutes and then invert on to a serving platter.

PERSNICKETY  NOTES:

**This cake is also delicious with cherry of blueberry pie filling.

(This is also excellent with cherry or blueberry filling.)