Category: Cookies and cakes

Madge Prewitt’s Apple Cake

Madge Prewitt died at the age of 90 on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 in Corbin, KY.  Her obituary tells us that she was a member of the First Baptist Church and had been a hostess at the Holiday Inn Restaurant, that she was survived by a daughter and granddaughter, a brother and his wife, a niece and nephew “and a host of great nieces and nephews and many other family members.”

The obituary also notes that “Madge enjoyed cooking and baking. Her favorite recipe for her apple cake was included in a Courier-Journal cookbook.”

Many years ago when we lived in Murray, Kentucky, we subscribed to the Louisville Courier-Journal.  Jerri enjoyed the food column very much and tried many of the recipes.  One of the best was for a moist apple cake contributed by Madge Prewitt.  We had no idea who she was or where she lived but we loved the cake from first bite and Jerri had the good judgment to cut out the recipe from the paper.

A mile away in North Corbin, KY, Harlan Sanders developed his secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken, while Madge Prewitt published the recipe for her delicious apple cake so all of us can enjoy it free of charge.  Colonel Sanders made a lot of money while Mrs. Prewitt lived a modest life and asked that any memorials be given to the food pantry at her her church.

Once you taste her cake, I think that you will agree with me (to paraphrase Robert Frost) that “One could do worse than be a baker of apple cakes.”

Jerri has been baking this cake for over 35 years, and she has made three small adjustments that we think make a great cake even better and more foolproof.

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:
3 1/2 cups chopped tart apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves
1 cup English walnuts

For the glaze:
1/2 stick melted butter or margarine
1 T hot water
3/4 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar.

PROCEDURE:

Wash and quarter and remove the cores but do not peel the apples.   Chop the apples into a 1/4 inch dice.  Combine the sugar with the apples in a large mixing bowl and set aside.  Sift together the flour, salt, soda and spices. Chop the nuts into 1/4 inch pieces, put them in a small bowl and stir a little of the flour mixture into them.  Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Stir the melted butter into the sugar-apple mixture.  Beat the eggs until lemon yellow and stir them into the mixture.  Blend the dry ingredients into the apple mixture and stir the walnuts in last of all.

Turn the batter into the prepared tube pan and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour.  A toothpick inserted halfway between the tube and the outside of the cake should come out clean.   Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then remove the cake to a plate and allow to cool to lukewarm.

To make the glaze, beat the melted butter or margarine and hot water into the sifted sugar and drizzle the glaze on the warm cake.

Mix the cake by hand to preserve the texture of the apples.

NOTES:  Another reason we like this cake is that you do not need to peel the apples.  Mrs. Prewitt’s original recipe called for twice as much glaze.

Angel Food Birthday Cake

My birthday cake comes out of a box!  Sounds like the title of a horror film, and worst of all, it’s true.

The  first birthday cakes I remember were ordinary yellow or white cakes with white frosting and candles.  Mom made them from scratch with our own eggs and all-purpose flour out of the big flour bin under the kitchen counter.  Dad would usually bring home a quart of ice cream which made for a pretty good birthday treat.

But when I was twelve or thirteen, Mom made me a new birthday cake that is still my favorite after more than fifty-six years.  It is an angel food cake with layers of lemon pie filling and frosting made of lemon pie filling and whipped cream.  And except for the cream, it comes out of two boxes.

Jerri has been making this cake for my birthday for over forty years.  It is still my favorite birthday cake and, unfortunately, it’s also popular with guests.  But by restricting the guest list, it is still possible to have a leftover piece out of the refrigerator for breakfast the next morning.  Try it sometime.

INGREDIENTS:

1 angel food cake mix

1 box lemon pie filling mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

PROCEDURE:

Make the cake according to directions on the box.  Cool thoroughly.  While the cake is baking, make the pie filling according to directions on the box and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Chill the pie filling in the refrigerator while the cake is cooling.

After it has cooled, slice the cake horizontally into three layers.  Spread a thin layer of pie filling on top of the lower layer, top with the next layer, spread more pie filling and top with the final layer.  Since the filling is set, distribute spoonfuls of filling on each layer and use a knife or spatula to smooth it evenly on the cake.  You should have about half of the pie filling left to beat into the cream.

Make sure the cream is cold.  Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten to fifteen minutes,  Pour the cream into the bowl and beat on medium speed until the cream starts to thicken.  Add the sugar and beat until soft peaks begin to form.  Then beat in the vanilla and the remaining lemon pie filling until you have a pastel lemon cream.  Be careful not to beat the cream too long or it will turn into butter.

Frost the cake generously with the cream.  Give any leftover lemon cream to the birthday boy or girl.