When I think of the perfect all-around dessert, several recipes come to mind.
Chocolate Cake with Pecans, Pecan Pie with a scoop of real vanilla Ice Cream…and my Grandmother’s Apple Cranberry Nut Cake. This cake, over the years, became known as the “Get Well Cake” among other names. My grandmother could whip up one (or three) of these in no time at all for someone who wasn’t feeling good, or someone who had recently had a baby, etc. The only thing I have changed from her original recipe was she used dried figs and I substituted dried cranberries. Any kind of dried fruit would work. I love sharing these favorite family recipes with you. Here is my Grandmother’s Apple Cranberry Nut Cake.
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Don’t forget…
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This is the final recipe in my series “Winter Cravings: Classic Comfort Foods.” If you missed any of these posts, I will be sharing them again compiled together in one post very soon.
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Do you have a recipe that is your ole’ reliable that you can whip together pretty quickly when a dessert is needed? Even though I do not consider myself a baker per say, I do actually have a few recipes I rely on and try to keep the ingredients handy.
This recipe of my grandmother’s is one of those recipes. I like a recipe where I can basically dump all of the ingredients in a pan and bake and go. Not a lot of “fluff and stuff” as my grandma used to say.
This cake is a bit dense, and not super sweet, so it makes a great dessert with a sweetened whipped cream topping, or is good for breakfast with coffee. I love to lightly toast mine with some creamy cinnamon butter. Yum! Or….sssshhhhh….at midnight with a glass of cold milk. (it’s our secret ok?) 😀
Oh by the way… here are some of my fave Bundt Cake Pans…
Non-Stick Steel Bundt Pan || Pro-Cast Bavarian Style Bundt Pan
Silicone Fluted Bundt Pan || Silicone Fluted Bundt Pan
Here is the Printable Recipe…
- 2½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- 1¾ Cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, figs, etc), soaked in 1 cup boiling water
- 1 Whole Apple, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 1 cup toasted pecans *toast on a baking sheet in over for about 6-7 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Using a sifter, sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.
- In a separate larger bowl, combine the butter and sugar and using a mixer on a high setting, mix the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until even consistency is reached. Add the eggs and vanilla and almond extracts to the butter-sugar mixture and continue beating until well-incorporated. Mixture will be light in color.
- The flour mixture needs to be incorporated into the butter-sugar mixture in 3 parts instead of dumping all of flour at one time so it is not so difficult to stir and you will also create a smoother texture of cake. Using your mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture, beating just a little until all is well combined. Then follow by ⅓ cup of buttermilk. Add the second ⅓ of flour mixture, beating with mixer just to combine. Follow by the second ⅓ cup of buttermilk, beating just to combine. Finally, add the third ⅓ of flour mixture, followed by the final ⅓ cup of buttermilk. Again, beat just enough to combine.
- Do not overmix or overbeat, but mix just to combine the ingredients.
- Drain the soaking dried fruit and squeeze all of the excess water from them as much as possible.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the reconstituted dried fruit cranberries, chopped apple, and chopped pecans into the cake batter.
- Spray your Bundt pan with a Baking Spray, preferable with Flour making sure all the nooks and crannies of the pan are completely covered. Pour the batter gently into prepared bundt pan. Use a baking sheet to create a level layer for the Pan, if needed.
- Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour, until toothpick comes out clear. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 40 minutes on wire rack.
- Tips for getting your Bundt Cake to release from the pan:
- ) Make sure you use a Cooking Spray with Flour added and cover the pan generously.
- ) Allow the cake to rest from the oven for about 40 minutes.
- ) If cake does not release easily after cooling for 40 minutes, place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, remove, and allow to sit on a cake plate upside down until it releases.
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Cindy Keller @ MyGardenGifts says
Barb, this looks nice and healthy – a good one for my daughter who needs to eat lesser on the sweet stuff! I will try it!
View CommentDebby Bowden says
I have not been getting your post lately. The last one I received is the post about vases. I had to search for this post with the apple cake recipe. I have checked the junk file and they are not going there. I love your blog and reading your novel, I don’t want to miss the next chapter so I’m trying to figure out what is wrong. I subscribed again but the message I received is that I’m already subscribed.
View CommentBarb says
Debby I have been very sick so there hasn’t been a new chapter, so no worries there. I haven’t sent out a newsletter this entire week. Today is the first day I have been up and about. Ugh. I will check your subscription and make sure all is well.
View CommentTracey A says
Hi Barb,
First of all, I wanted to tell you that you are in my prayers in thoughts, as I read this post and from now on. We never truly know what goes on in another persons life, all the trials and tribulations. I hope comfort and healing is given to you!
I enjoy your blog!
This cake looks devine!
Tracey
View CommentTracey A says
Divine!
View CommentCool Grammaw says
Hi Barb! I just wanted to say that you are in my thoughts and prayers, especially for the upcoming surgery. So glad the other tests were okay! I’ve had similar tests in the past and was also blessed to be okay. Hope you get feeling better very soon!
This looks like an “old” recipe, because of the soaking of the dried fruit – my Grandma’s raisin cookie recipe called for the same thing. It made the raisins nice and soft instead of chewy – yum!
BTW, when I try to print the recipe by printing the “print” button, it doesn’t cooperate for some reason, but I’d say don’t worry about it, just take care of YOU for now! XOXO
Barb says
I will see if I can use another Recipe format. That is a new format and I did not care for it, so I am sorry it didn’t work for you. Yes, its a very old recipe. My grandma used to soak the figs in brandy at Christmas time. 😀 Hope you enjoy the cake if you make it. Thanks for your prayers, as well. xxoo, Barb
View CommentRichella Parham says
Barb, this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I’m so sorry about your health struggles. May God bless you as you face what’s next. You know, I have a friend who used to say, “Life begins at hysterectomy!” 🙂
View CommentSue Peterson says
Thanks for sharing the recipe and you health situation. I had a hysterectomy several years ago because of uterine cancer and I have done remarkably well. Take the time to take care of yourself, take it slow and easy and let others do for you. You will be up and going before you know it. Prayers and blessings.
View CommentMARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says
Barb, thanks for sharing your hectic and anxious past few weeks. Bless you for thinking about all of us who read your posts. It was so good to hear from you. You have been through so much.
When there was no post last Sunday, I just stopped and lifted you up to God and asked Him to be with you in whatever situation you were in.
We will continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers each day. Barb, do make sure you take good care of yourself and get lots of rest. This is so important before your surgery.
So glad you are going away to the lake for the week-end. It will be so good for you to get away for a few days.
When I was going through my breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation we always tried to spend our week-ends out here at the lake. Five years later, we sold our home in the country and built a home up here on the lake and we just love it here, I have always said that it is a little bit of Heaven here on earth.
Barb, keep looking up to Him! He knows all about you and the anxious times you are going through. He loves and cares for you — and so do we!
We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
Blessings, Barb!
.
View CommentAngie ~ ambient wares says
It’s late but, I really want coffee and this cake like now 😉 Thanks for sharing this with us at Funtastic Friday!
View CommentCyndi says
Another great recipe! I sent you an email the other day….recently started following you…..prayers to you to stay healthy and strong! You are one amazing, talented woman!
View CommentBarb says
I did get it and I am so far behind on responding to me emails so I apologize. Thank you for sending me such a kind email. Glad you like the recipe. xxoo, Barb
View CommentJane Macemon says
Hello again Barb,
I love a good cranberry cake and this one sounds like it will be on my kitchen table soon. Easter perhaps.
Thanks once more for being such a delight.
Jane
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