AUTUMN APPLE-NUT CAKE

For the batter:

3 sticks of butter or margarine (3/4 lb.)
2 eggs
1 C evaporated milk
2 C flour
1 1/2 C sugar

1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
5 big apples

confectioner’s sugar

For the filling:
1 C, approximately, of chopped nuts, your choice or a mix
1 C sugar OR ½ C EACH white and brown sugar
2 Tbs. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground cloves

Core and slice apples, about ¼ inch thick. Melt butter and let cool until it begins to thicken. Beat butter with eggs and evaporated milk. Add flour, 1 1/2 Cs of sugar, the salt and the baking powder and continue to beat the mix until it is fully blended. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 cake pan and arrange the sliced apples on the bottom, making sure to cover it. Combine the nuts, 1 C sugar and the spices; put half of this mixture over the apples. Then on top of this add the (butter, eggs, flour) batter and top with the other half of the nuts-sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean, about 45 - 60 min. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.  Serve warm. Garnish with ice cream or caramel topping , if you wish.

GINGERBREAD-PUMPKIN SANTA CAKE

2 Cs flour

1 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 lb.canned pumpkin

1/2 C light molasses

1/4 C milk

2 eggs

3/4 C margarine or butter, 2/3 C for the topping, the remainder for the batter

Melt butter. Reserve 2/3 cup. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and white sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, place the baking soda, canned pumpkin, light molasses, remainder of butter, milk and eggs and stir vigorously to blend. Combine the dry and wet ingredients into the larger bowl. Spread the batter into a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Mix reserved 2/3 cup of butter with brown sugar, until syrupy or thin and crumbly. Spread reserved topping on batter and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Let cool. Cut into squares and place one on a doily or pretty napkin for Santa.

HOLIDAY WREATH CAKE

1 bundt pan

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese

1 1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 1/2 C walnuts or almonds or both (chopped)

10-12 nuts, not chopped, for garnish

1 jar maraschino cherries

green food coloring

½ C or less confectioner’s sugar (for glaze)

Cream together butter, sugar, cream cheese, and almond extract until fully blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add baking powder and flour, mixing well. Drain the cherries and chop the entire jar in half – except, set aside 8-10 halves to decorate the top of the cake. In a separate bowl mix a small amount of flour with the cut cherries and fold into the cake mixture, being careful not to crush the fruit. Add the nuts and pour the entire mixture into a bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Take the cake out of the oven and immediately turn upside down on a dish. After the cake has cooled, glaze the top with a mixture of the confectioners sugar, water and a few drops green coloring. (Start with ¼ C sugar, stirring in water to thin to a glaze. Add sugar, water and coloring until you have enough glaze for the cake.)  Drizzle over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate the “wreath” with cherries and walnuts along the top.