Our family has a few special recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. One of those is Grammy’s Chopped Apple Cake, Grammy being Mabel Austin Gibson (We have more than one Grammy in our family, so I need to be specific!).
Traditional Chopped Apple Cake
Mix:
- 4 cups chopped apples
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Add:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Add:
- ½ cup oil
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a 9×13 pan.
This isn’t really what I consider a traditional cake, more like a cross between a cake and a pie and a brownie. Or a muffin without the muffin shape. Whatever you call it, it is delicious and our family always makes it for holidays and reunions, and to just eat every day!
In the past I have often deviated from the recipe a bit (as I often do with recipes I know well). I don’t peel the apples anymore (apple skins are good for you!) and I often add raisins for natural sugar and then use half the sugar listed. My dad came up with a nice variation many years ago by adding whole cranberries. Not only does it taste delicious, but the cranberries add some nice holiday color to the cake.
Lately, though, I have been eating a plant-based diet, which for me means no eggs and no oils (in addition to no dairy and no meat). While I have found many new recipes and am really enjoying eating in this new manner, I do sometimes miss some of my old standby recipes. Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, it dawned on me that I could convert this recipe and have Chopped Apple Cake for breakfast! And so that it was I did this morning, starting out with half the recipe in case it didn’t turn out well.
Plant-Strong Chopped Apple Cake
Mix:
- 2 cups chopped apples
- 1 flaxseed “egg” (1/3 cup hot water mixed with ¼ cup ground flaxseed, let sit for 5 minutes)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Add:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes in a greased 8×8 pan
I also added about ½ cup frozen cranberries.
IT IS DELICIOUS!
Between David and I, we have already eaten half of it for breakfast this morning. There really is no discernible difference between the old recipe and the new, plant-strong recipe. This is definitely a keeper!
**Thursday’s Treasures highlights the small things that make my life a good life. It may be an item, it might be a book, it could be a song; whatever it is, it makes me smile and is therefore worth treasuring.
No oil? Not even plant oils like olive?
The diet I am eating now minimizes any and all oils. So I tend to not add oil to anything I’m baking. I still get some in nuts and the occasional avocado. If you wanted to add the oil back in, you could do so and just leave the banana out, as that is what is the oil replacement.
I have a recipe similar to your first one. I also reduce the sugar and add raisins, no peeling apples either. I don’t even measure the amount of apples; mine tends to be more apple than cake, but I pretend it is truly healthier. I’d like to try some of your other substitutions. Oh, want a different look? Bake in a bundt pan.
Ah, but I’d have to have a Bundt pan! LOL But that is a good idea. I am thinking of adding some cocoa powder the next time around … chocolate and apples? hmmm … I’ll have to try it to see …
Let me know how the chocolate turns out. Sounds interesting!
I added chocolate chunks to today’s version. Yummy!