I am only here for a couple of minutes due to continued power outages from downed branches during a snowstorm. I will hopefully be able to post it tomorrow.

Ditto. i'd like that recipe, too.

Jackie, I didn't add the walnuts to the cake in the photo but put some on top of the icing.

APPLE CAKE

4 cup peeled and chopped apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon (or 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix together apples, raisins, sugar and cinnamon (and nutmeg, if used) in a large bowl and stir thoroughly. Let this mixture sit for one hour, stirring occasionally. Juice will begin to form - do not drain off. Meanwhile, mix together flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Grease and flour a 9" X 13" pan.

After the apples have marinated for an hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the eggs, oil and vanilla and add to the apple mixture. Stir well, and then add the flour mixture. Mix well with a spoon and then add the nuts. Mix and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: I like to substitute chopped dates for the raisins. Walnuts are the traditional nuts for this cake but I have used pecans or more often, omitted the nuts altogether.

CARAMEL ICING

1/4 lb (1 stick) butter
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk (not the sweetened condensed milk)
Pinch of salt
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the brown sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the milk and salt. Return to the stove and bring to a full boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar and vanilla, beating until icing is thick enough to spread.

NOTE: I don't use a mixer for this, just a big spoon.

Yield: enough for a 13 X 9 inch cake or a 2-layer cake. Recipe should be doubled for a 3-layer 8-inch cake.

Ruthanna..Thank you so much for taking the time to post. I think I may make this tomorrow. I hope you have survived the weather this weekend with little inconvenience. Jackie

I know what I'm making this week.

Thanks Ruthanna. I like your suggestion of substituting dates for the raisins. And topping the cake with the nuts.

Ann

Ruthanna, I made your cake yesterday.
I've been looking for a Caramel Apple Cake recipe
For some time now.
Most I've tried seem to fall just short
Of my expectations.
But this one is really REALLY good!
Definitely a keeper!

Thanks for sharing!

Rusty

Ruthanna, I made your cake today.

Was a big hit. Moist and delicious. Really showcases the apples.

The only changes I made was to omit the raisins and to add toasted walnuts to the batter as well as decoration.

The icing is sooooooo goooooood!!!! Thank you.

Ann

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've also used that recipe for peanut butter icing for dark chocolate cake, beating in peanut butter immediately after the confectioners sugar is incorporated.

Does it matter what kind of apples? Thanks - this looks wonderful.

DH and I made this yesterday (it was one of those days...working together in the kitchen, getting through a huge bag of apples from someone's tree). Only thing I had difficulty with is the icing since I have NO experience with it. It turned out, initially, as thick as a ball of play-dough and we plopped it in the mixer with some added milk (didn't use condensed, just regular) to thin it out. Thanks AnnT for taking our phone call, LOL.

I've been looking for recipes to use up large amounts of apples and this one fits the bill! Thanks Ruthanna.

* correction: I didn't use 'evaporated' milk as called for, I typed 'condensed' instead. Too early in the morning!

This looks perfect. Thanks a lot. 2 questions.

Can it be frozen withoout the frosting?

Can the icing be made with regular milk, as Jessy did?

Thks again.

Julier, I like a firm, tart apple but I don't think the variety would make much difference.

Jessica, I'm sorry you had problems with the icing but Ann's advice for saving it was spot on.

Westsider, I have never frozen it but given the ingredients, I don't see any reason why not, as long as it's tightly wrapped.

Most of those old-timey fudgey boiled icings use evaporated milk or light cream. I think using regular milk would alter the texture. P.S. Evaporated milk is on sale at just about all the grocery stores in our area this week (and probably next) as a Thanksgiving loss leader.

I was intending to post a pic on the WFD thread after I figure out WFD.....but

I made Ruthanna's cake on Sunday and it was wonderful! I froze half (iced) and took the other half out of the freezer today. It freezes perfectly! I actually like it better than the day one version. It was so moist and the icing had a softer texture!

Great recipe thanks Ruthanna!

Sharon, good to know that it freezes well. I think I will make it in two smaller pans next time and freeze one.

Ann

Thanks everyone.

woo hoo, I made it. It was the most involved foodstuff I have ever attempted. It's cooling now on a rack-still in the pan, hope that's ok?

I just never had enough time, nor the inclination when I finally had the time, to make or bake anything this involved. But I thought my family would really enjoy it for Tgiving. we are not a dessert family but this apple cake sounded so good and looked so good. And dd will be home for the holiday and hopefully we will have a couple of foreign student/relatives of dil here for the celebration so this time I will have an 'audience' for good stuff to eat.

I know you guys are wonderful cooks and I so appreciate your sharing your recipes and comments. Thanks, Ruthanna, again.

P.s. now have 3 cans of evap milk and I will frost half of it at another time. Frosting/icing could be a turnoff for some of my goofy relatives.

Just wanted to let you know that this recipe caught my eye as well. I made it yesterday. I rarely bake cakes of any type (maybe once every two or three years, honestly), so was very happy this one turned out quite well. The cake is wonderful - moist and very flavorful. I used pecans.

The only thing I would do differently next time is that I probably would not frost it at all! I know, the frosting actually is wonderful, but it ends up sweeter than I usually care for. I think the cake alone would be every bit as good.

Thanks for the keeper recipe!

I made Ruthanna's cake last week and it was a big hit. I used golden raisins & walnuts. No problems with the icing. I used skim milk instead of evaporated milk because I didn't want to open a tall can for just 1/4 cup. The cake is actually better on the second day so, if you can hold off eating it...

Thanks for posting a great recipe, Ruthanna. This one is going into the keeper file, for sure.

DH just got done frosting this and wanted me to post. Awwwww.