Apple Cider Cake

My beautiful and creative daughter Lauren came across this recipe in an antique book in the museum collection from Chiricahua National Monument. http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm
  

 The book is called Dr. Chase's Last Receipt Book and Home Physician and was published around 1907.



She tried the original recipe at her home in Tucson (elev. 2463 ft.) and found the recipe to be WAY too dry. After several tries at it, she perfected the recipe and has created a much moister cake.  The new and improved recipe was launched at a volunteer appreciation pot-luck to rave reviews.

As it turned out, this moist, dense cake recipe didn't require any alterations for high altitude other that perhaps a little longer baking time. (I forgot to (a) set the timer or (b) look at the clock before putting it in the oven! )

I'm not even going to post the original recipe since it was a dud, but I'm happy to present:

Lauren's New (Old) Apple Cider Cake ©Egg Free At Altitude

Preheat oven to 350° F

Cake:

1½ cups sugar

¾  cups butter (softened)

2¼ cups apple cider (cider was not available, so I used unfiltered apple juice)

8 oz. applesauce (hint: 2 single serving cups of applesauce = 8oz.)

2 Tbs. instant vanilla pudding mix

4½ cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

Icing:                                                                                         

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 Tbsp. cider (apple juice)

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar.

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In yet another bowl, stir together applesauce and apple cider.

Using your electric mixer, add wet and dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture, alternating wet and dry.

Grease and flour one bundt pan and add the batter.

Bake for about and hour or so at 350°. Use a skewer or a clean knife to check that the cake is done. 

When cake is done, remove pan from oven and let the cake sit for ten minutes in the pan before flipping onto a cooking rack. Lift off pan without burning yourself and swearing.

Let it cool completely and then move to a serving plate.

Make the icing by mixing the dry ingredients and adding the cider 1 tsp. at a time until it reaches optimum drizzling consistency.

Drizzle with cider icing.

Slice it.  Serve it.  Be fabulous.  Graciously accept compliments.

The Best Nearly Vegan Buttermilk Pie You've. Ever. Tasted.

My daughter Lauren's friend made this pie for Lauren's birthday this year.  It is tangy and sweet and delicious.  It was originally a vegan recipe, but I "un-veganized" it to take advantage of real buttermilk and real butter. The only adaptation I had to make for high altitude cooking was an extended baking time. Next time, I will probably raise the baking temperature to see if that moves the cooking time along.

The original recipe came from the blog Voraciouseats.com which became VeganNoMore.com.  Sadly, both sites are now gone and there is no link to direct you to or name I can give credit to.  If anyone knows the name of the recipe originator, I would love to give credit where credit is due, and to send her my heartfelt thanks!

This is as close to my beloved Buttermilk Pie recipe as I have come since giving up eggs. Enjoy!

1 box of Silken Tofu, extra firm

¼ cup softened butter (can substitute vegan butter)

¾ cup buttermilk (can substitute ¾ c coconut milk + 4 tsp apple cider vinegar, mix and let curdle)

1 tsp vanilla

5 Tbsp flour

1½ cups sugar

pinch of salt

1 unbaked pie shell

In blender or food processor combine the tofu, butter and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth with no lumps or grittiness.

Add the buttermilk and the flour and blend again until completely smooth.

Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and blend completely together. A little grittiness from the sugar is OK.

Pour into the pie shell and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Check at 45 minutes to make sure that it isn't getting too brown on top. It should be a pretty caramelized color when done. (For high altitudes, try either baking longer or increasing oven temperature to 350° to get the nice caramel color on top.)

When you remove it from the oven, it will be jiggly in the center, but don't worry. Let it cool, then put in the fridge overnight.

Yum, Yum, eat 'em up!