Nancys Holiday Apple Cake Recipes

ROMANIAN APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. Cut the apples into 1-inch wedges; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until blended. Mix in baking soda, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in flour until just incorporated. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly; this cake is best served warm or at room temperature.

NANCY'S RUDOLPH CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• The night before making the cake, put the mixed fruit and cherries in a bowl, add your chosen spirit or orange juice, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 8-12 hrs. If you don't have time to soak the fruit, put the bowl in the microwave for 5 mins, stir, then microwave for 5 mins more before leaving to cool completely.
• Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 3. Using a large bowl and electric hand whisk, or a stand-alone mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Spoon in the golden syrup, then add the beaten egg in 4 additions, whisking well after each and adding 1 tbsp of the flour to prevent the mixture from curdling. When all the eggs have been incorporated, gently fold in the rest of the flour and the spices. Finally, fold in the soaked fruit and the orange and lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Bake for 2 hrs or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Your kitchen will be filled with lovely Christmas smells!
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 mins. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack until completely cold. If not decorating straight away, wrap the cake in foil to store. If you've made your cake a few weeks before you want to eat it, you can brush the cake with a little extra alcohol every week for up to 4 weeks. This will keep it moist and add flavour.
• To decorate the cake, brush all over with a little melted jam. Lightly dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a circle, large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake. Lift the marzipan by hanging it over the rolling pin and drape it over the cake. Smooth the marzipan down the sides of the cake, then trim away any excess from the bottom. Brush the marzipan all over with the remaining apricot jam, then roll out 1kg of the fondant icing and, using the same method as for the marzipan, cover your cake with the icing. Trim the edges and smooth out any marks with the palm of your hand, rubbing the icing to give it a shine.
• Knead the remaining icing, then cut off a small piece, about the size of a small marble, and set aside. Colour the large piece of icing with brown food colouring, adding a little at a time and kneading in well, until you have the desired colour. Divide the icing into 3, then shape a reindeer - body, head, 2 feet and a tail - from each piece. Mix 1 tbsp icing sugar with a tiny splash of water to use as a glue. Stick the head onto the body and squash down a little. Use a small knife to make three indents in the feet, then stick to the reindeer body, along with the tail.
• Remove a small piece from the reserved icing to make Rudolph's red nose. Colour with red food colouring, then use the icing glue to attach to one of the reindeer heads. Colour the remaining icing black and shape into two more noses and two eyes for each reindeer, then stick onto the heads. Poke half a pretzel into either side of the reindeers' heads to create antlers. Use a little of the icing sugar glue to stick the reindeer to the top of the cake, then tie the gold string around their bodies to create reins. Finish the cake by tying a sparkling red ribbon around the base and securing it in place with a pin.

NANA'S APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to mixture. Stir in apples. Spoon into greased 11 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

NANCY'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pour enough water into a baking dish to be about 3/4-inch deep. Lie squash halves into the water with the cut side facing up.
• Roast in preheated oven until a fork easily pierces through the flesh, 45 to 50 minutes; Remove from oven and flip squash; let cool enough to handle.
• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute shallots in hot butter until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour 3 to 5 cups chicken stock into the pot; stir. Add apples to the stock; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the apples are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Use a fork to scrape the flesh from the butternut squash, finishing with a spoon to get the last bits away from the skin; add to the simmering stock. Add remaining 3 cups stock to the pot, bring mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook until everything is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

NANCY'S HOLIDAY APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Pour sugar on apples in large bowl, let stand at least 25 mins or overnight. Add salad oil, eggs. Stir well. Sift dry ingredients together and onto apple mixture. Add nuts, dates, cherries. Pour into well greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake at 325 for 1 3/4 to 2 hours.