18 Dec 2011 Don Bingham shares holiday recipe

The 501 will soon be enjoying the best of the Christmas season – a special time of fellowship and food with family and friends.

501 LIFE contributor Don Bingham – a recognized chef and a cookbook author –  is pleased to share the following recipe for your holiday enjoyment. Merry Christmas!

Chunky Apple Walnut Cake
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour, sifted
1 1/4 cups shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 1/4 cups Rome Beauty apples, coarse chunks, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons Calvados or applejack

Apple Cider Glaze

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together all-purpose flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda and salt, then stir in whole-wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.
Add walnuts, apple chunks and Calvados all at once and stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch round cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake rest for 10 minutes, then unmold and pour glaze over warm cake, or cut cake and pour glaze over slices. Makes 1 10-inch cake, 10 to 12 portions.
 
APPLE CIDER GLAZE:
4 tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Calvados or applejack
4 tablespoons sweet cider
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake. Makes 1 1/2 cups glaze.