Marianne's Warm Spiced Apple Cake

Biting into this cake reminds me of everything good in a Jane Austen book. It makes me think of grace, elegance and beauty. It takes me to a place where manners and art are everything. Where the sweetness in life is walks through parks with good friends and family. I can almost hear the birds chirping through the quiet (unlike everyone now-a-days who all they can hear is cars and computers) through the taste of this cake. The warmth of the cake makes me think of the warm sun that shone pure light. Another words, this cake reminds me of a time I have never been in. Maybe you can find a little sweet elegance of Jane Austen in this cake, or maybe you'll just like it. Either way, it will always remind me of Jane Austen.

Ingredients: 1 tbs apple fruit concentrate, 1/2 cup apple juice, 2 granny smith apples cored and grated, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup chopped dates, 2 cups whole-wheat flour, 2 eggs, 6 tbs sunflower oil, 1 tbs chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 2 tsp baking powder

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an eight inch round cake pan with butter cooking spray. Put wax paper on the bottom of the pan. Then grease the paper with the butter cooking spray. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir the dates in. Then make a well in the center.

2) Mix the sugar with the fruit concentrate in a small bowl. Slowly stir in the apple juice. Put in with the dry ingredients. Also put in the eggs, oil and apples. Mix well.

3) Spoon the mixture into the pan with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake for about 60 minutes (or until when poked with a toothpick comes out clean). Tap cake out of pan and onto a wire rack to cool. Peel off the lining paper and then allow to cool.

4) Enjoy the warm goodness!

*Based on a recipe from Cake and then I molded it from there.

Rachael Rizzo has been acting since she was nine years old. She uses her experience to write about what the things she loves mean to her (mostly movies and baking). She is twenty-three years old and resides in beautiful Oregon.