Apple Cake with Real Whipped Cream

This week was my husband's birthday and my plan was to make his yearly German Chocolate cake with Caramel Coconut icing. Time for a confession... I've never made that cake from scratch. I have always been afraid to risk it not being as good as the cake from a box with the icing from a tub. Seriously, who am I to compete with Betty Crocker? But this is the year I am making 52 cakes so I was all set to ditch the box and make the real thing.  But after eating chocolate, coconut Bunny Cake most of last week, he said he wanted an apple cake instead. The German Chocolate will have to wait until another week.... maybe the week of our anniversary. 

This cake is so simple it didn't seem to warrant birthday status, but with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and real whipped cream this cake was every bit as special as he is.

I just drew the numbers on a doily cut them out. Easiest cake ever to decorate!

Apple Cake with Whipped Cream			Skill Level:  Easy and quick
3 c.	Flour
2 c.	Sugar
1 c.	Oil
1 tsp.	Baking soda
1 tsp.	Salt
2 tsp.	Vanilla
3	Eggs
3 c.	Apples peeled and diced
1 c.	Walnuts chopped
½ c.	Raisins (soaked in hot water to soften then drained)
½ c.	Powdered Sugar for dusting the top
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 square cake pans 8” each. I used 1 square cake pan and made the rest into 6 jumbo muffins because they are easier to share or freeze. Put the first 7 ingredients into a mixer bowl and mix on low until blended. Scrape the sides of bowl and beat on medium for 3 more minutes. By hand stir in the apples, nuts and raisins. The batter will be thick, more like muffin batter. Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake 40 minutes for jumbo muffins, 60 minutes for the 8” square pan or until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Put on wire racks to cool 10 minutes. If you are removing it from the pan do this while   it is still warm or it will stick. Dust top with powdered sugar. Serve with real whipped cream. This cake gets better each day and will keep several days in the refrigerator. Put the powdered sugar on the cake just before you serve it or it will dissolve and disappear.  Whipped Cream:
1 c.		Heavy Whipping Cream
2 TBSP		Sugar
1 tsp.		Vanilla
Beaters and bowl in refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Whip the cream on medium until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks. Chill or use right away. This recipe is loaded with nuts and raisins but does not have cinnamon making it different from other apple cake recipes.        Source: The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1980.