Caramel Apple Bundt

I'm going through a caramel phase apparently. Not that that's a bad thing.

My grandpa's birthday was last week, and he has a thing for apple pie. Apple pie, with cheddar cheese melted on top...I don't get it. I'm too scared to try it. This was about as close to apple pie as I could get without being so...predictable.

Oh, and just a word for the wise: check your expiration dates. Not just on your milk and stuff, try your baking powder too. Turns out our baking powder was expired by over SEVEN YEARS. Baking powder lasts about a year and a half in the pantry, that means we bought this around the beginning of eighth grade. Little Jackie was still growing out her elementary school bangs, and couldn't play higher than a D (maybe an E on a good day) on her middle school horn, Larry, baby Ethel wasn't even born yet. And somewhere in there, Jackie's mom was out buying baking powder. So yeah, I borrowed some from our neighbor today.

But anyway, this cake was moist and amazing, and sweet, but not too sweet, and had the perfect amount of appley goodness. It was basically everything you'd expect from a Jackie cake. I'm not feeling all that wordy tonight, and I'm not actually convinced anyone reads all these words next to my pretty pictures (Hellooo? Anyone there?) So I'm just going to leave it at that. Yum.


Caramel Apple Bundt

1 cup plus 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the milk, flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring just until blended. Stir in apples.
Pour apple cake batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.
Combine brown sugar, butter, and cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. (Watch out, it bubbles up a lot when you add in the vanilla!)
With a fork, pierce cake all over. Pour hot caramel topping over cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.