Idea Alley

Fresh apple cakes fit for festive fetes

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Jenny Ann Boyer shares this easy apple cake recipe. The recipe does not contain baking soda, baking powder or salt.

Boyer got the recipe from a magazine (name unknown) 15 or 20 years ago.

Apple Cake

3 cooking apples (such as Braeburn, Fuji or Jonagold)

3/4 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core and thickly slice the apples. Sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the cinnamon; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, 3/4 cup sugar, flour and egg.

Arrange apples in a 9-inch cake pan. Spread batter over apples. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Makes 1 cake.

This apple cake recipe is from Marlene Jackson. It includes apples and nuts.

"This recipe was given to me by my mother. She loved to make it and made it often," Jackson writes.

Fresh Apple Cake

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups chopped raw apples, unpeeled

1 cup raisins, soaked

1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 11-by-13-inch baking dish or large Bundt cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the apples, raisins and nuts.

The batter will be very stiff.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes (depending on type of pan).

A Mena reader who wishes to remain anonymous shares this oldie, but goodie.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 (8-ounce) cans crescent roll dough

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

2 cups granulated sugar, divided use

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the dough from one can of the rolls in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan, pressing the dough to fit the pan.

Mix together the cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and vanilla; spread mixture over the dough layer.

Cover this mixture with the remaining dough, stretching to fit.

Pour the melted butter over the top; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 12 servings.

REQUESTS

• Turnip greens soup like that served at La Bella Gourmet Gifts and Delicatessen in El Dorado for Carolyn Barnett.

• Pasta Orleans like that served at Cheers in Maumelle for Pam Shaw.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

kbrant@arkansasonline.com

Please include a daytime phone number.

Food on 11/19/2014

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