Apple Sauce and Cherry Cake

I love this time of the year!! My favorite fruit has flooded the market and I can't seem to get enough of it. 

I love apples, especially our desi Himachali types. Sweet, crunchy and juicy, it wins hands down over the imported variety which is now available almost the whole year around. Not only the imported apples quite expensive but tastewise too pale in comparison to our wonderful homegrown variety. I have already tried my hands at making an Apple Crisp Pie, an Apple salad, Pancakes with stewed apples and am still rearing to try out a couple more recipes.

Of course, if you too have some tried and tested recipes with my favorite fruit, please share them with me - I would be only too happy to try them out.

I had some leftover applesauce from the Apple crisp pie which I had made a few days ago when my brother had visited (recipe to follow soon) and I also found nestled in the back of my fridge a cupful of cherries remaining from the Peach and cherry clafoutis. Not one to waste two such wonderful ingredients, I decided to combine them in this cake and the result was dynamic.

If you want, you can omit the cherries or swap them for another dried fruit such as prunes, raisins or apricots. Or leave them out totally if you want - I am sure it will be taste great just as it is.

The cake was delicious - fresh tasting, lightly spiced and extremely moist. 

Ingredients

4 eggs

150 gms sugar

1 cup cooked apple sauce

2 tsp baking powder

150 gms flour

1/2 tsp All spice powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

1 cup tinned Cherries, drained.

3 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup Canola oil

For the Apple sauce 

4 apples

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup water

To make the Apple sauce

Chop the apples and remove their seeds ( I like to leave the skins on the apples as I believe that's where most of the nutrition is!)

Place the chopped apples in a pressure cooker with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup water and pressure cook for about 7-8 minutes (give about 3 whistles). 

Open the cooker lid and let the apples cook for 10-12  minutes till the extra liquid is absorbed and the mixture is thick in consistency.

Add the cinnamon powder, lemon juice and the raisins. 

I usually use this same filling for making my Apple Pies or Apple crumbles. If you like you  can checkout my recipe for Apple Crumble here: http://bake-a-mania.blogspot.in/2011/10/apple-crumble.html

To make the cake

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Grease a bundt pan all over with melted butter. You could also spread the batter in an 9 inch rectangular or round tin.

Sieve together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.

Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixture at high speed till pale and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, beat together the applesauce, honey and oil for a minute till smooth.

Add it to the egg mixture along with the sieved dry ingredients and cherries.

Mix gently with the hand mixture on low speed until the mixture is well combined and the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and a wooden stick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake pan to loosen the cake, then invert into a plate.

Reinvert the cake on to a serving dish.

Once cool, dust with powdered sugar, or glaze if you wish.