Two Easy Homey Cakes

Honestly. I started on pinterest this morning...went over to Katie's and if she found out how much I like to see hers and not so much other people's she'd feel like I was stalking her. I'm not. I just love her taste. She has amazing stuff there. So to keep from continually finding her stuff to post to my own site, I thought I'd look up some blogs. If I'd known months ago that I'd be doing this pinterest thing (which I'm doing half-heartedly to say the least), I would have pictures from any number of random blogs I've read and looked at and envied. My life is just not that amazing that I feel like taking pictures and posting them, to tell the truth. And the rest of the world is apparently living a magazine-worthy life. Whatever, are they for real? I don't know, and I don't think I want to know. Anyway, in my search for my own choice of blogs to choose appetizing pictures from, I googled "food blogs." 


The second one that came up was Martha Stewart, and even though her stuff is so insanely perfectionist and all about appearance, I went there anyway. And I think by then I'd had it. Pinterest, I guess today is not the day for you...because I'm sad that gone are the simple days when you could make a chocolate cake or an apple cake and feel like you'd made a fabulous, happy dessert time. No. According to what Martha Stewart would have you believe, it has to be "Caramelized Apple Spice Cake" that looks like it came from a fancy bakery, complete with little pumpkins artistically molded out of some homemade edible putty...and of course it looks like it's 5 layers high, and it's perfectly frosted so it looks like it could be made out of plastic. Would my family rather have that than just a cake in a 9x13" pan, or even than a regular layer cake, or cupcakes? I don't think they'd want to hear all the ranting and raving that would go on in the kitchen, or have the mess of dishes that would end up in the sink for a few days because I'd be too exhausted to do them by the time I was finished. No, I revolt! I am insisting on simplicity. Simplicity is simply beautiful for family life, for reality. 


(It wasn't just that one cake that sent me over the edge. It was their whole line. Okay, they did have one that looked like it came from one of my cake pans. But the rest..."White Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake" with 4 layers..."Saffron-Scented Pear Upside Down Cake"..."Honey Cake with Caramelized Pears"...wait...did I lose you? Ha...okay...see you later...


Well, in case you're still here, I'm sharing my "Fresh Apple Cake," one of my favorite recipes that I found about 25 years ago, and it was probably 25 years old when I found it. It goes together in a 9x13" pan and doesn't need to be frosted. And a similar one, "Fruit Cocktail Cake." Easy and simple, homey and good with ice cream or whipped cream. So there you go, Martha. Ease up and enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake

Super use of apples! Easy!

2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

6 med. apples, peeled, coarsely chopped

2 eggs

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Cream sugar and oil together; add eggs and apples. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13" well-greased pan. Bake at 350F for 40 min. Serves 12. Don't need to ice or frost this cake. Good for snacks and lunches, and with vanilla ice cream!

Fruit Cocktail Cake

Rave reviews!

1 1/2 c. sugar         

2 c. flour

2 c. fruit cocktail (16 oz. can), undrained (I use lite)

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. firm-packed brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Mix 1st 3 ingred. in lg. bowl; add eggs, soda, and salt, and mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13" pan. Sprinkle top w/ sugar and nuts. Use a drizzly vanilla icing on top (mix a little powdered sugar with a very little milk and vanilla, adding a little of either the sugar or milk to get the right consistency).