During the fall when apples are in season here on the east coast, I enjoy baking a variety of recipes that use fresh picked apples from our local orchard. This particular recipe was given to me years ago by my grandmother, who was a fabulous baker for many years.

When it comes to making an apple dessert cake, this is my favorite recipe to use. You will want to dice down your peeled apples to about 1 to 1 1/2″ in size, so that the cake bakes evenly.

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and diced apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, vegetable oil and eggs until creamy and smooth. Slowly add in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. Fold in the diced apples, coconut and chopped pecans.

Note: This batter will be very stiff, if necessary, stir by hand.

Lightly spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the cake batter into the pan. Place pan in a 350 degree oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the center is done. Remove cake to cool on a wire rack.

Caramel Icing Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the butter, milk and brown sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and place mixture into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until its creamy and smooth. Spread icing across the top of your cooled cake.