When I originally shared the recipe for this great Fresh Honeycrisp Apple Cake I had never actually taken the time to put the recipe in typical format (ingredient list followed by instructions) and I received lots of questions about details- things like “how do you toast the pecans?” and ” what if the batter seems too thick?”. This prompted me to 1) rewrite the recipe, and 2) to really think about how different people approach baking (and cooking in general).

I recently came across the term “intuitive cooking” and it really struck a chord. My Mom was an intuitive cook. She rarely used a recipe, and when she did she wasn’t afraid to change it around or tweak something here or there. In her case this wasn’t necessarily an attempt to lend some new, creative flair to the recipe or to add or enhance flavors. Most often it was simply because she didn’t have something on hand that the recipe called for and she wasn’t about to go out and spend extra money on some ingredient that she wasn’t familiar with or didn’t have another use for. The recipe called for seafood stock? Plain old chicken broth would have to do. Slivered, smoked almonds? Throwing in some pecans should work just as well.

I’m certainly not suggesting that we all start disregarding ingredients and going rogue on recipes. Intuitive cooking comes with time and lots of experience. I’m probably an intuitive cook now, but if left unchecked intuition can often begat stubbornness – at least in my case- and I’ve made a lot of intuitive messes.

So don’t fret if you like to follow a recipe to a “t”! And if you’re like me and occasionally go rogue? Don’t let your “prowess” get the best of you or you’ll soon be dumping a lot of ingredients – not to mention your pride- into the trash.

I hope you enjoy the new, fancified version of this awesome cake.

Fresh Honeycrisp Apple Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

1.  Chop and toast 1 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts).  The toasting is SO important.  Let them cool completely. I toast mine on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for about 8-9 minutes (or when they smell toasted)

2.  Peel and chop (medium fine) 3 cups Honeycrisp apples.  Pour 1/4 c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice over the apples.  Set aside.

3.  With a mixer, combine 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 c. vegetable oil, 2 tsp. vanilla, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp. salt.  Just mix until well combined.

4.  In a separate large bowl combine 3 c. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.

5.  With a wooden spoon, (or heavy duty stand mixer) mix together the sugar mixture and the flour mixture.

6.  Stir in the apples and pecans.

7.  Bake in a well-greased and floured tube pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes- 1 hour 30 minutes – don’t let it get too brown on top.

8.  Allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes.  Run a sharp knife all around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan.

9.  Invert onto plate.  Glaze with a mix of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice.