Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle

One of the biggest days for food is coming up... Thanksgiving.

Now most people have the same traditional meal every year with lots of family favorites, but just in case you need to spice it up this year, you need this cake.

I cannot believe that in over a year of writing at this lovely little location, that I have not shared this cake.  It's about as cozy and fallish as a cake can get.  Juicy bites of apple and crunchy nuts wrapped in a full-of-spice cake, drizzled with caramel sauce is about as dreamy as it gets on a cold day.

And I know pies are usually the star of Thanksgiving, but this cake would complement them well and be a little unexpected.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)

1 cup chopped assorted nuts, such as pecans and walnuts (optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Nonstick cooking spray with flour

Ingredients for Caramel Sauce
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Step by Step

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.

 With mixer on medium speed, gradually shake in dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Add apples and, if desired, nuts, to batter; mix to combine. Add vanilla, mixing until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.  Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack.  
Before serving, make caramel sauce.  Combine caramel sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sauce is well combined and thickened.
Drizzle each piece with caramel sauce and serve immediately.