Apple Pound Cake

Beverly Garland's Buttery Apple Pound Cake
from the Butter is Best site

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups regular or reduced fat sour cream
1-1/2 cups apples (peeled, thinly sliced)

Toasted Butter Brown Sugar Glaze
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside. Cream butter with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in granulated sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternate adding sour cream and dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Spoon 1/2 of the batter into well-buttered and floured 12-cup bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan. Arrange apple slices on batter. Spoon 1/2 of the brown sugar mixture over apples and press lightly into batter. Spoon remaining batter over apple mixture. Sprinkle top with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Gently loosen cake from pan with sharp knife. Invert onto cooling rack. Serve slightly warm if desired.

Directions for Toasted Butter Brown Sugar Glaze:
In small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until it starts to turn brown. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth Drizzle on cake.

Notes: As it happens, no pecans in the house, so walnuts were used instead. And worked just as well. Also - the cake batter tasted so sweet prior to baking that I opted not to use the glaze. Took the whole cake off to Lou's place because it was his birthday yesterday, where it was much enjoyed by all, based on the fact that there was very little left, and the compliments were frequent. For myself, I was pleased with this particular recipe - the cake was moist, the apple and spice layer made it just unusual enough to stand out.

Posted by Jennifer at November 7, 2004 9:08 PM