Saturday, January 2, 2016

Writer in the Kitchen: Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cake

This recipe comes to us from Elizabeth Hunter, the grandmother to Brenna and Ramsey in the Montana Gallagher series. This is a favorite among family and friends, and I'm certain that you'll enjoy it as well. 

This cake is moist and bursting with flavor. The cranberries, pecans, and apples blend together to offer your taste buds a truly delectable treat. As a bonus, it's a one-bowl recipe and easy to make from start to finish.


Elizabeth Hunter’s
SPICED APPLE & CRANBERRY CAKE
from An Angel Called Gallagher

Cake:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg whites
2 cups chopped gala apples
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped pecans

Glaze (optional & yummy):
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
2-5 Tbs. non-fat milk (depending upon the consistency you prefer)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
2. Stir in buttermilk, butter, and egg just until combined.
3. Fold in apples, cranberries, and pecans just until combined; pour into sprayed* bundt pan (or 13 x 9 pan).
4. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until done.**
5. To make the glaze, combine the melted butter, powdered sugar, and 2 Tbs. of milk. Blend in the vanilla extract. Add additional milk based on the consistency you prefer.

*In this recipe, sprayed refers to the use of Baker’s Joy Baking Spray with Flour. If you don’t mind the extra calories, you can butter and flour the pan. Once upon a time, they would have used lard (our shortening) but I would not recommend it.

**Oven temps may vary, so check the cake after 45 minutes as it’s easy to overbake. If you can insert a knife and have it come out completely clean, then you’ve overbaked the cake. The cake will continue to bake for a few minutes once removed from the oven. When inserting a knife it should come out mostly clean. 

CLICK HERE for a printable PDF. 

An Angel Called Gallagher
On a ranch known as Hawk’s Peak, a family celebrates love, joy, and peace at last . . . or so the Gallaghers thought.

Brenna is convinced she hears a woman singing to her son. Eliza and Ethan are unnerved by a sleepwalker, and Isabelle swears Hawk’s Peak is haunted.

Then an unlikely visitor stumbles into their lives.

Enjoy a heartwarming holiday adventure filled with tenderness, hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow for more than one deserving soul. Join us for a Gallagher Christmas at Hawk’s Peak and fall in love with the family all over again.

What could possibly go wrong at Christmas? <Tweet This>

Learn more about An Angel Called Gallagher.

Available now on Kindle Unlimited | Paperback | Large Print

THANK YOU FOR VISITING TODAY. WE HOPE TO YOU SEE AGAIN SOON.