Whether tucked, folded, boxed or ring-bound, our culinary recipes and keepsakes tell a story, from the company we keep to the good times we’ve shared. And most cooks have a go-to recipe: one that never fails; one they can make in their sleep; and one that garners rousing boo-yahs from the most tight-lipped of diners. One such recipe for me is a delicious apple cake that is a cinch to make and a delight to eat. If you’re not good at baking, give this recipe a try; it may mark your return to the land of batter and frosting. This show-stopping cake has it all: presence, substance, texture, flavor and dare I say, moistness. Crown the bundt beauty with maple syrup frosting, and dessert will never be the same at your house.

Grand Old Apple Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1½ cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups chopped apples (I don’t peel them.)

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1 cup golden raisins (or chopped dried apricots)

Maple Syrup Frosting

¼ cup butter

¼ cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1.5 cups of sifted confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter and flour a tube pan (bundt or angel food cake pan).

3. Beat the oil and sugar together in a mixer for 5 minutes.

4. Add farm-fresh eggs.

5. Beat until the mixture is creamy, at least 2-3 minutes.

6. Dry ingredients: Sift together 3 cups of flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.

7. Add dry ingredients one cup at a time to the batter, mix on low.

8. Add the vanilla extract, apples and raisins.

9. Mix on low briefly, but thoroughly.

10. Transfer very thick batter to cake pan, smooth until level.

11. Bake for 1 – 1.5 hours depending on moisture of apples.

12. Check with toothpick to see if done.

13. When toothpick is clean of batter, remove cake from oven.

14. Cool in the pan.

15. After 20 minutes, turn over and plate cake.

16. Glaze: In sauce pan heat maple syrup and melt butter.

17. When mixture is liquid, remove from heat and add vanilla and sifted powdered sugar.

18. Mix until smooth, drizzle over cooled cake. Icing will thicken as it cools.

— By Tom Conway

— Tom Conway