Fresh Apple Cake

We made our annual pilgrimage to the orchard.

I just love the orchard, and so my girls.  Someday my boy will love it too.  But right now he just loves his mama.  Yes, that's him in the pink pouch in the first pic...bless his heart.

When I was a kid, we would go to the orchard every year.  We would pick apples, watch them make cider, and buy a pumpkin.

Now, the orchard is a whole thing.  There are slides, playgrounds, haystacks to climb, hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo and a cafe (complete with hotdogs, chili, and everything apple you can name).

Naturally, we bought apples at the orchard.

And just as naturally, I turned something healthy into something less than healthy.

What can I say.  That's how I roll.

So here's how I did it!  No mixer necessary for this cake!  Just a big bowl and a whisk.

Start with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, veg oil, buttermilk and lemon juice.

Now add the flour, salt, soda and cinnamon.

Chop up the apples and add those.

Now, you can also add coconut.  I left it out this time, so I added an extra cup of apples to replace the coconut.

Grease a bundt pan really really well and pour the cake batter in.

My cake baked for about 55 minutes, but just start checking it at that point.  Once your cake tester comes out clean, pull your cake out.

Right before the cake is done, make the glaze.  Melt butter, sugar, buttermilk and baking soda together in a saucepan.

Bring it to a boil and boil it for exactly one minute.

Watch out, though, because the soda will make this mixture like quintuple in size.  So use a big pan.

When the cake comes out, poke holes all over it with a fork.

And pour on the glaze!

It's a lot, but just keep pouring.  The cake will drink it up.

Let the cake cool completely before turning it out on a cake plate.

And slice it for your friends.

It don't get no moister, y'all.

Happy fall.

Fresh Apple Cake
Adapted from Paula Deen

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T plus 1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups finely diced apples (like Rome, Granny Smith or another type of baking apple)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Glaze:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda

Whisk together the cake ingredients until incorporated.  Pour into a very well greased bundt pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 55 minutes or until done (a cake tester will come out clean).   As soon as cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in the top with a toothpick.

Just before the cake comes out of the oven, make the glaze.  Bring glaze ingredients to a boil and boil for exactly one minute.  Pour glaze over cake as soon as cake comes out of the oven.

Allow cake to sit in the pan until cool, absorbing the glaze.  Invert on a cake plate and slice and serve.