Apple Spice Cake

From the kitchen of... I have been in super "I want to bake something" mode lately, as I'm sure Adam can attest to. Maybe it is because I recently got a sweet stand mixer. Maybe because my students have been on winter break the past week, and therefore life is moving a little slower, thus giving my inner baker the chance to emerge. Whatever the reason, it brings me joy.

After rummaging around through several cookbooks (more joy), I decided upon this apple spice cake. It seemed like a good wintry dessert that wasn't going to get the kitchen too terribly messy. Plus, the bulk of the cake is deliciously spiced apples, so it falls in the relatively healthy dessert category (my favorite)!

Spiced Apple Cake
adapted from Williams-Sonoma's desserts: new healthy kitchen

3 green apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C golden raisins (which I didn't have)
2 T granulated sugar mixed with
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Whisk sugar and butter together, then add egg and continue. Stir in 2/3 of apples. Sift together flour, spices, and salt. Add to wet ingredients along with raisins, stirring until just blended. Pour into pan and smooth top. Arrange remaining apples in a pattern on

top, pressing gently down. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden and springy to touch, about 50 minutes. Let cake stand 10 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely.

Excellent with a dusting of powdered sugar, warmed with a scoop of fro-yo, or all by itself!