Recipe Corner: Fall Apple Spice Cake

1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest

1 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)

1/2 cup chopped raisins or dates (optional)

Cinnamon and sugar

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 inch baking pan or Bundt pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and sugar, and set aside while you make the batter.

Beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, rum, vanilla, and zest; stir in apples, toss, and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix to combine.

If desired, add nuts, raisins or dates, and mix to combine.

Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until cake is done and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If your oven is weak, it may take a few minutes longer for tooth pick to come out clean. Remove to rack.

Top cake with Brown Sugar Glaze (below), fresh whipped cream, caramel sauce or caramel cream cheese frosting. Or sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with sliced fruit or berries, Greek yogurt, or vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Brown Sugar Glaze:

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup cream or whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla, walnut or almond extract

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and spoon hot glaze over the still hot-from-the-oven cake. Let glazed cake cool before serving.

Serves 8-10.