Mrs. Fisher's Apple Cake

In my family growing up, we did not have many "plain" cakes. Instead we often had cakes made with fruit for birthdays and special occasions. This is one such cake that I remember fondly and love to make even all these years later because everyone loves it! It is so moist and only gets better with age. So it is a great make ahead cake for potlucks or any other gathering you might have coming up. The easy caramel sauce add so much flavor!

Makes approximately 20 smaller pieces or 12 larger pieces.
Ingredients:

• 1  1/2 cups oil (I have used up to 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened and 1 cup oil with good results)
• 2 cups sugar (may be reduced to 1 3/4 cups)
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I often use apple pie spice and increase to 1 1/2 tsp or add 1/4 tsp nutmeg in addition to cinnamon)
• 3 cups chopped apples (I usually add 4 cups apples)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.
• Mix apples, sugar and oil (applesauce, if using) in a large bowl. Beat in eggs. 
• Sift together dry ingredients and then add to liquids, followed by the chopped nuts.  
• Pour into prepared baking pan. 
• Bake approximately one hour or until toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.
• In the last 10-15 minutes of the cake baking, combine the first three ingredients of the topping and heat until it thickens- needs to boil for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the butter. Stir to melt and mix well. Remove from heat and then pour over cake after it is placed on cooling rack while topping is still warm. Make sure it is poured evenly over the cake as much as possible. The excess will run down over the sides of the cake into the pan- that is ok.

*Recipe found in Elmira College Cookbook, 1971 and submitted by Mary Casciato .