Apple Pound Cake for Labor Day

A neighbor is hosting a neighborhood Labor Day get-together this afternoon. 

My contribution will be an Apple Pound Cake. This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes, one I've been baking for years. It's from one of my favorite cook-books - an oldie but goodie. 


The cookbook is SOMETHIN'S COOKIN' IN THE MOUNTAINS, A Cookbook Guidebook to Northeast Georgia it is a delight.


It's one Donald and I picked up on one of our trips to the North Georgia mountains while we were still living in Atlanta, and loved taking weekend get-away trips to the mountains.

The editors were Cathy and Jay Bucek who owned a wonderful little spot called "Mark of the Potter." 

It's a delightful cookbook, and so much more. It's a terrific guidebook to the N. Georgia mountains and contains several hand drawn maps along with drawings of landmarks and places of interest, like this one of the upside-down bridge. The Mark of the Potter is still there and still lovely, but sadly, Jay is no longer with us. 





The recipes were submitted by local restaurants, businesses and local folk. Every one I've tried has been a winner.

Here's the Apple Pound Cake recipe from Bruce Mitchell of Nacoochee Mound, a large Indian mound in White County. Although I no longer follow this recipe as written, I'm including it beneath my photos as Bruce wrote it with notations relating to my changes. You, of course, could either follow it to the letter . . . or not.

Apple Pound Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of cooking oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup coconut (I do not use the coconut)
3 cups tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced (I do not peel the apples)
1 cup pecans, chopped (I usually do not use the pecans)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar and oil. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the sugar mixture and blend well. Beat in the vanilla and coconut. Fold in the apples and nuts. Pour into a greased 9-inch tube pan (I usually use a Bundt pan). Bake for 80 minutes, or until the cake tests done (may not take 80 minutes). Turn onto a wire rack to cool. (this recipe does not call for leaving the cake in the pan to cool before turning it out, but I do that.  For about 15 minutes.)


And - - 


ta da!


Here's a picture of the finished product.




Note:  If it doesn't come out of your pan nicely, tear it apart and throw the pieces into a pretty trifle bowl.  Call it Apple Crumb Cake Trifle. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream on top.  (yes - it has happened . . . )