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.