Curious Parents Family Health Resources

food bites

Sweeten Your Autumn with ROMAN APPLE CAKE
By Angela Capelli

The leaves have turned hues of orange and red, bringing with it an abundance of leaves to my backyard and thoughts of endless raking as they fall to the ground. However, the leaves also bring a smile to my face as I admire the many beautiful colors of autumn and recall Octobers past…choosing the perfect Halloween costume, carving the scariest jack ‘o lantern, or trying to convince our kids that the haunted Halloween hayride wouldn’t bring them nightmares. But my family’s fondest memory and long lasting tradition is by far apple picking.

Besides apple pie and apple crisp, our favorite apple dessert is roman apple cake. Our family friend, Phyllis Forte, gave this recipe to my mother when I was a child. She shared many of her favorite recipes from her Michigan roots with our family. This apple cake is unique because it creates a sweet cinnamon sugar frosting as it bakes and with the addition of walnuts it’s a great way to sneak those omega-3 fatty acids into your family’s diet. So, forget about those leaves for just one day, take your family apple picking instead and get cooking. I am sure it will become an October tradition for your family for years to come.

Apples are rich in fiber and vitamin C and have also been proven to help children who have asthma.

ROMAN APPLE CAKE

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups raw apple peeled and cut fine

1 cup buttermilk or

(2 Tbsp. vinegar and rest milk to make 1 cup sour milk)

Frosting

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (may be omitted)

Mix cake ingredients in order. Pour batter into greased 9” by 13” cake pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar frosting on top of batter before baking. Bake at 350 degrees, for 45-50 minutes.

E-mail Angela Capelli at foodbites@curiousparents.com with any questions, comments, suggestions or baking tips that you may have.