Nobby Apple Cake Makes a Great Holiday Treat

This recipe came from my grandmother, Rose Olivia Bailey Cowdrey, who raised her family of three daughters and one son in the small town of Randolph, Vermont. She and my grandfather, Fay Arnold Cowdrey, loved to gather their extended family around the big dining room table to tell stories of the old days, enjoy delicious home-made dishes, and be together.

The index card for this recipe is very dear to me - it has my writing on the front and my grandmother's on the back. Guessing from my spelling (vannilla and sortening) I was probably around eight years old at the time.

This apple cake looks like a cake but tastes as good as a pie. It is easy to make and travels well.

Nobby Apple Cake

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening, like Crisco

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. each salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice

1/3 cup whole milk

3 cups peeled, diced apples

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or nuts of your choice

In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening with electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices) and mix on low. Slowly add milk and mix. Don't over mix. With a spoon, stir in apples and walnuts.

Pour into a greased 8" pie pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

What is your favorite apple pie or apple cake recipe?