CHRISTMAS SMELLS!

Smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, apples and vanilla are wafting from my kitchen. I just took the traditional Christmas Apple Cake out of the oven. I'm doing my best to wait for the fragrant cake to cool but what I'd like to do, is serve myself a thick slice right now. Patience is an overrated virtue.

I only bake this cake 1-2 times per year because it takes a while. First, you have to soak the raisins in rum for 3-7 days. The cake took me about 30 minutes to assemble, what with the chopping of apples and pecans and the assembling of various spices and the stirring of the very heavy batter. It's worth it. The first time I had this cake was 20 years ago. I was very pregnant and with the first bite I was hooked and my pregnancy craving switched from lemons to apple pound cake.

This recipe was given to my mother-in-law by Monica Krieger, a good German cook. Monica would bake my mother-in-law an apple pound cake every Christmas. She passed away about 10 years ago but I'm carrying on the tradition of the Christmas Apple Cake. I will share the recipe with you cyberfriends and hopefully Monica's cake will make an appearance on tables far, far away!

APPLE CAKE

3 cups all purpose flour
l tsp baking soda, l tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c. canola oil
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c. finely chopped, peeled apples
l c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. raisins soaked in dark rum(3-7 dys)

Combine 2 c. flour, soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix at medium speed, the oil, rum from raisins, sugar, eggs and vanilla till combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture....it will be stiff. Mix apples, pecan and raisins with l c. flour, then fold them into the cake batter. Combine thoroughly.

HEAT in the HOT! oven, a greased & floured Bundt Pan. When hot, pour cake mixture into pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour. If center comes out clean, after l hour, remove from oven to wire rack. If not, check every 5 minutes for up to 15 minutes more of baking. Cool cake in pan before serving.

ENJOY!!

Susan