Fresh Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce!

This is my mother's recipe for her Fresh Apple Cake.  You can serve this delicious cake with or without the warm caramel sauce, but I will warn you that if you serve it with the sauce, you will never serve it without it again.  It takes it from a really good cake, to a lip smackin' yumilicious cake!  This is a cake that really needs the recipe followed pretty closely for it to turn out,  so for those of you who like to experiment and alter, you have been warned.  I do that myself at times, so I do understand.

 Here is what you need for this cake:

4 cups apples, peeled and diced (any good cooking apple)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups self rising flour*
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze (for the top of the cake)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter (1/ 2 cup)
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


* This cake works best with self rising flour and even though it has self rising flour in it, it still needs a little baking powder added for it to rise properly because of the fruit in it.  If you cannot get self rising flour, use all purpose flour with 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt.


The day before you want to make the cake, peel and chop your apples and place them in a bowl covered with the 2 cups of sugar.  Refrigerate overnight.


The next day in a large mixing bowl mix combine the apples and sugar with the eggs, oil and vanilla.
 

Combine the dry ingredients all together in another bowl. Add the walnuts to the flour mixture and stir to coat them. 


Gradually add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture.  Stir until well combined.  Spray either an angel food cake pan (the kind with the removable bottom) or a 9"x13" baking pan well with a nonstick spray for baking that contains flour or butter and flour the pan.   This cake does not work well with a Bundt type pan.  It is so moist, it will not turn out without falling apart in most cases.


Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 25-30 minutes if using the angel food cake pan and about 60-65 minutes if using the 9"x13" pan. 

Let the cake cool for at least 1 hours before glazing the top.  For the glaze pictured on the top, just mix the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla and drizzle over the top.
 

To make the warm caramel sauce, which you can serve over each slice or without, mix the butter, milk and the sugars in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Allow this to boil for 3 full minutes, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla.   This will thicken as it sits, but should be served slightly warm over each cake slice. 

Fresh Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce!