Apple cider cake?  Who knew?  This little gem was my 3rd son’s request for his birthday!  Where he got the idea. . .I don’t know.   Several of my children like to see if they can dream up something unusual for me to try and this time .. .apple cider cake was the bomb!  We loved it and will definitely make it again soon.

All organic and wholesome ingredients, truly easy and delicous.  The flour was from pastry wheat.  Pastry wheat is perfect for cakes and other pastries.  Try this cake and let me know how you like it.  I’d love to know if you modify it, too!

Ingredients

• For the Cake
• • 1 cup organic apple cider
• • 2 cups organic Granny Smith or organic Fuji apples (3 large or 4 small apples)
• • 1 whole organic lemon – juiced and added to a medium bowl of water – use this to put sliced apples in to prevent browning while you finish making the cake
• • ¼ cup coconut oil or butter
• • 1 cup sucanat sugar
• • 2 farm fresh eggs
• • 2 cups pastry wheat flour (freshly milled)
• • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
• • ½ teaspoon baking soda
• • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• • ½ cup heavy organic cream
• • butter or use coconut oil to lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan
• • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• • 3 tablespoons sucanat sugar
• For the Glaze
• • 1 cup apple cider
• • 1 cup sucanat sugar
• • 1-2 tablespoons heavy organic cream or milk

Instructions

1. Place the first cup of apple cider on the stove and bring to a boil and boil until reduced to ¼ cup. Set aside to cool.
2. Core and peel the apples and then cut each into 16 slices (fewer slices if using smaller apples). Have a bowl of water that has a whole lemon squeezed into it. Place apples into water and then onto a plate to dry and set aside. This will keep them from turning brown.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until well mixed.
5. With the mixer running, add one egg at a time beating until smooth. Scrap sides and beat until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
6. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7. Measure out cream and add cooled reduced cider to cream.
8. With the mixer on low mix until well combined. Scrape sides and mix until smooth.
9. Grease a 9X13 pan liberally with butter or coconut oil and pour in the batter.
10. Arrange the apples, across the top of the batter in layers.
11. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top of the cake and place in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
12. While the cake is baking, make the glaze.
13. Place the second cup of apple cider on the stove as before only reduce down to ½ cup.
14. Place the sugar in a small bowl and add the reduced cider along with one tablespoon cream and stir. Add the last tablespoon of milk or cream a little at a time until desired consistency. It should be thick so you can drizzle it across each cut piece of cake as you are serving.
15. When the cake comes out of the oven, cool to room temperature and cut into squares.Serve with whole cream and natural sugar vanilla ice cream, if desired.

We make this cake at least 1 time each year.  Organic whip cream icing paired with fresh bananas and mandarin oranges along with a date cake mixture.  Love to know if  you like this cake best the first day or second.

Two healthy sisters from a health oriented family made this delicious concoction.  They like to call it “Deep Dark Secret Cake” (From the Kitchen of Two Sisters:  A Satisfying, New Approach to Slimness, Vitality, and Health).

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped organic medjool dates, pitted (or chopped date pieces)
• 1 cup honey (might sub maple syrup. . sometimes honey can be a little strong)
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts – chopped
• 4 pastured/free range eggs
• 1/2 cup whole grain flour (golden wheat, pastry wheat or spelt flour) Freshly milled
• 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 3-4 ripe organic bananas, sliced
• 1-2 (11 ounce) cans of mandarin orange segments, drained
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 pint organic whipping cream – whipped and sweetened with honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well.
2. Spread this mixture into an oiled 9 * 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. One hour before serving, break up half of the cake into bite-size pieces and put them on a cake platter. The cake will probably be a bit gooey.
4. Cover with the sliced bananas and the mandarin oranges.
5. Break up the other half of the cake and lay it on top of the fruit mound.
6. Cover this mound with the undrained pineapple.
7. Finally, “ice” with whipped cream, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Chill, serve and enjoy!

Need a new cake idea with all natural, wholesome ingredients?  We never feel guilty eating this way.

This was my first all natural (not from a box) upside down pineapple cake and it was big success!

Very simple:  fresh flour, natural sugar, real butter and coconut oil, etc.  We loved it and intend to serve it again and again!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 TBL unsalted organic butter
• 1/2 cup turbinado or other unrefined sugar
• 20 oz can sliced pineapple, drained and juice reserved
• 1 1/3 cup fresh flour (could sub in gluten free flour)
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup whole organic milk (could sub other kinds of milk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, liquified but not too hot
• 1/2 cup turbinado or other unrefined sugar
• 1 egg, whipped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet melt butter over low to medium heat.
3. Add in sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar melts. Remove from heat and arrange the pineapple slices in the skillet.
4. In a separate bowl, begin cake mixture by whisking flour, baking powder and sea salt. Add in and mix well: milk, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. Finally, mix in sugar, coconut oil and whisked egg. (coconut oil should be liquified – let it cool a bit before adding)
5. Pour the well mixed batter over the pineapple slices in the skillet and spread evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
6. 25-30 minutes.
7. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover with a large plate and invert the cake and wa la! you have a delicious dessert.