APPLE-PECAN CAKE WITH WARM CARAMEL SAUCE

APPLE-PECAN CAKE WITH WARM CARAMEL SAUCE image

Yield 6 to 8

Number Of Ingredients 18

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp, plus extra for the pan
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup flour (yes, just 1 cup)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 t allspice and nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup pecans
Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 T corn starch, mix with sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Steps:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square glass baking dish. Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Add chopped apple and pecans to dry mixture, stir to coat them (otherwise they will sink to bottom when baking). Stir mixture into other ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, thouroughly blend together. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done. Just before serving prepare sauce as follows Combine the sauce ingredients except the vanilla in a small saucepan and cook until the sugars dissolve. Cool slightly Stir in the vanilla. Cut the cake into squares and pour the sauce over. Top with home-made whipped cream or ice cream.