Chef Jean’s Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups coarsely chopped Granny Smith apples, UNPEELED
1 cup walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

Using an electric mixer, blend together the oil and sugar in a large
bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon into egg mixture, beating
thoroughly. The batter will be very stiff.

Fold the apples and walnuts into the batter with a spatula, then stir
in the vanilla. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 1/4 hours, or till a pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Place pan on a rack; let cool for about 1 hour.

To Make Caramel Sauce:

Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in
brown sugar. When sugar dissolves, add the cream, whisking to form an
emulsion.

Gently turn cake out onto a plate. Pour about 1/2 cup of the warm
sauce over the cake to form a glaze. Serve immediately, with a little
of the remaining sauce spooned over each slice, or let the cake cool
completely.

The sauce keeps well in frig, but it should be reheated before
serving.

Source: Chef Jean Denham, CC