Fresh apple spice cake

This apple spice cake is amazing - it's the rum-soaked raisins that put it right over the top. Serve the warm cake with ice-cream and caramel sauce.

Credit: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

• serves

  9

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pecans 
• ½ cup dark rum, such as Mount Gay 
• 1 cup golden raisins  
• 1 cup granulated sugar  
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed  
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature  
• ¾ cup vegetable oil  
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract  
• 2 tsp grated orange zest (2 oranges)  
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour  
• 2 tsp baking powder  
• ½ tsp kosher salt  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon  
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg  
• ½ tsp ground ginger  
• pinch (about 1/8 tsp) ground cloves  
• 680 g (1½ lb, about 3-4 apples) granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2 cm (¼ in) dice 
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve  
• Caramel sauce, heated, to serve  

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 23 cm x 33 cm x 5 cm (9x13x2 inch) baking pan.
2. Place the pecans on a sheet pan and toast them for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set aside. Combine the rum and raisins in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 60 seconds. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla and orange zest on medium speed for 3 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, just until combined.
4. Drain the raisins, discarding the liquid. With a rubber spatula, fold the raisins, pecans, and apples into the batter. Spread into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce.

 

Recipe from Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter). Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.