Honey-Apple Cake

Makes 1 10-inch cake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup pecans, chopped and divided

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups Golden Delicious apples, chopped

Honey sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan and sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1/4 cup pecans. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar, oil, and honey at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla, remaining 3/4 cup pecans, and apple. Spoon over pecans in Bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a rack over wax paper. Pour 1/2 cup honey sauce over warm cake. Allow to cool. To serve, heat the remaining honey sauce and, if desired, serve with the cake and ice cream.

Honey Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup milk

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring all the ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Photo: justapinch.com