I spent the last couple of weekends before we moved into Via Corona attempting to bake-through all the ingredients I had on hand.  While none of the recipes I played with were technically difficult, everything turned out.  And some were even worthy of sharing here.

Like this one.  To be honest, it took me a couple of tries.  The first was in that lovely bundt pan I used for this chocolate sauerkraut cake.  As sometimes happens with fancy pans (and pants), the goods didn’t make it out of the package in one piece.  But, the cake was delicious so I decided to make another attempt using humble loaf pans.  The briefly cooler weather in Southern California had me thinking of fall.  Which of course meant apples and cinnamon.

And some crystallized ginger.  Because remember, trying to use up my supplies.

While it didn’t seem to make much of a different in the outcome, I layered the batter and apples.

Three batter layers and two of apple layers.

All those layers baked up moist on the inside with a nice crunchy skin on the outside.

The crystallized ginger sort of melted into the cake but gave it an extra little something.

I brought a loaf in to work and it was gone by 10:00.

Next week is a smorgasbord of photo updates.  A veritable potpourri if you will.

Also.  It’s October 13, 2016.  Still. No. Permits on the addition.

Ginger Apple Bundt Cake

adapted from Amanda Denton, Bon Apetit, December 1999

Ingredients

• 3 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil (TMH note–I like grapeseed oil)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 C crystalized ginger (depending on your spice threshold), chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil and flour 12-cup Bundt pan or 2 5X8 (or 9) loaf pans.  If using loaf pans, line with parchment.
2. Mix apple pieces, 5 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in medium bowl.
3. Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla extract in large bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Stir flour, baking powder and salt into egg mixture.
5. Stir in chopped ginger.
6. Spoon 1 1/2 cups batter into prepared Bundt pan (use 1/2 C for each loaf pan). Top with half of apple mixture. Cover with 1 1/2 cups batter (again, 1/2 C for each loaf pan). Top with remaining apples, then batter.
7. Bake cake until top is brown and tester inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 30 minutes for bundt, 40-60 minutes for loaves.
8. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto rack. Cool at least 45 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Freezes very well when double wrapped in plastic.