The Farmer’s Apple Cake Recipe

Several years ago, I was bestowed with an old cookbook that belonged to my great-grandma. Being an old fashioned girl at heart, I took my sweet time browsing through the browned pages, gleaning tidbits from the good old days when it was normal to prepare meals from whole food ingredients!

Old cookbooks and I have a special bond. I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to follow a recipe without going through a mental arithmetic game, adjusting half the ingredients for healthier alternatives and fiddling with the ratios.

I almost feel like I set a normal table when I use old recipes! And because some of these recipes are so amazing and timeless, I want to share one of my favorites with you today.

 

An Old Fashioned Apple Cake

In my great-grandma’s cookbook, this recipe was officially titled “Apple Pudding.” I suspect that once upon a time, it was prepared like a traditional bread pudding.

However, by the time the cookbook was released in the 50’s, modern stoves had taken over and it became a sort of hearty tea or breakfast cake, with apples baked into the center. This recipe is simple, wholesome and if you’re a whole-food fan, you’re going to love it! Here you go!

 

Step 1: Do the Prep Work

To prepare for this recipe, you’ll need to:

• thoroughly butter a 9 inch pie plate
• preheat the oven to 350F
• thinly slice two large apples, until you have 2 C worth.

With this recipe, it doesn’t really matter if you peel the apples. Everything will be baked until soft. I absolutely love using an old fashioned apple corer/peeler in my kitchen to create thin, even rings!

 

Step 2: Mix the Batter

Before you measure out your whole wheat flour, remember to fluff it with a whisk! Measure it into a bowl, along with the other dry ingredients. Whisk them all together.

In a separate bowl, you’ll cream together honey, butter and eggs, until they’re thoroughly mixed. After measuring out the milk, alternate adding milk and your creamed goods to the dry ingredients, gently mixing in after each new addition.

In so doing, you’ll created a delicious, whole wheat cake batter!

 

Step 3: Fill the Pie Plate

Take your freshly-made batter and place 1/3 of it on the bottom of your buttered pie plate. Smooth it out. Evenly spread the apple slices on top, then cover your fruit with the remaining batter. It too, should be smoothed out.

 

Step 4: Bake Your Old Fashioned Apple Cake

This cake doesn’t take long to reach completion, approx 30 minutes. But because it’s made from 100% whole wheat flour, you must be careful not to over-bake and dry it out! When the very center is no longer jelly and jiggly-like but still soft, it’s done.

That’s it! You can top it with whipped cream, an apple sauce or your favorite icing. Cut a slice and enjoy as a breakfast food, a hearty dessert or as a new addition to the tea table!

 

Note About Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, be sure to store this apple breakfast cake in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Being make of 100% whole grain, it will dry out faster than you’d expect! If perchance this does happen the first time you make it, you can brighten things up by drowning your piece of cake in applesauce or cream…with a touch of maple syrup!