1.18.17
As I catch up on The Bachelor it’s hard to think of anything other than the fact that tonight I’ll be on a plane on my way to Milan! The Hubs has the opportunity, through work, to visit Italy a few times a year, but I’ve never come along. When he goes, it’s normally very long days in an office and very little, if any, leisure time. But this trip is different, less stress, days that have more free time, even the weekend off for us to take the train to Rome for a few nights. With cheap flights available, we figured how could we not jump at the chance to be in an amazing country, and get to explore and get lost in it, together. Our honeymoon last year was so special, it made us want to travel all the time, just live life as travel buddies. But because we’re not rich, obviously, not a realistic possibility. This trip is a wonderful surprise and I’m so happy we decided to just go for it. If you don’t follow me in Instagram, it’s time to start, as I feel like there will be some killer moments and scenery to capture.
Alright on to the real reason you’re here. Apples and sweaters, right? This cake wasn’t supposed to be frosted. I made it out of a Kosher recipe book gifted to me by a coworker. She said it was her favorite and her family makes it all the time. So obviously that’s what I wanted to bake. But I made a rookie mistake, I just trusted the bake time without checking at least 10-15 minutes before said time to make sure it wasn’t burnt. All ovens are different, I know this. And when I pulled it out, I could already smell it. While apples permeated the apartment, the slight scent of burnt also trickled in. A few apples on the bottom had a little burn on the edges, which I easily cut off. But then after a little cool down time I took the cake out, and the whole top of the cake was over baked. I was heartbroken. Partly, because it requires so many apples to prep. But I wanted it to be perfect, and it wasn’t. I let it cool, and stared at it, unsure what to do. I tried a small un-burnt piece, it was moist and flavorful and delicious. I couldn’t throw it all away! So I put it in a container, threw it in the freezer and sat on it for a minute. What to do…..
I mean frosting fixes everything right? Once I pulled that cake out, let it thaw, and it still tasted great, I had an idea. I cut the top inch or so of burnt cake off (and kept it). I made a caramel frosting, and then scraped the inside of the cake I cut off and threw it on top. Not only did it work, those who tried it had no idea any of it was burnt, or that the cake wasn’t supposed to be like that to begin with. I was so happy I didn’t trash the cake as soon as I was disappointed with it. Not all mistakes are the end all be all. And this happy accident was quite a treat.
If you want to make the traditional cake, simply get rid of the frosting part, and glaze the top if you’d like. Or let it stand on it’s own, it’s so yummy and moist!
Look number two for my Anthro sweater may seem like a familiar formula. But if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I love layering with mini skirts. There’s something so charming about it.
The shirt under the sweater is sleeveless, and I wear it normally in the summer. It was actually one of my first posts on the blog. But being able to layer it and show off the fun neck tie detail with the sweater was something I hadn’t thought about before.
I definitely feel like I’ve taken two steps back on my self-timer journey, but with the cold weather, I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to focus correctly. As my hands got colder, so did my tolerance to keep taking pictures. Oops.
These shoes have been aching to be on the blog. Especially because my friend bought them second hand for me for….wait for it……$3. Amazing. I’m in love.
I’m a big fan of the little bit of pattern play in this, and of course the pop of yellow. I even had a stranger passing with her dog tell me how much she loved my outfit! Validation from strangers is the best. And feels a little better when you’re taking pictures of yourself like a psycho on the street. I look forward to seeing what other summer blouses I can layer up and bring back into my winter wardrobe.
Wear It:
Anthropologie Yumi Sweater (similar) / Stitch Fix Neck Tie Sleeveless Blouse (similar) / Ruche Grey Mini
Frosted Apple Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups flour
- 2 1/2 cups sugar + 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 6 apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp of lemon juice
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- splash of vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp caramel sauce
- crumbles from removed top of cake
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour a bundt pan or angel food cake pan
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed at first, mix together flour, the 2 1/2 cups of sugar, oil, eggs, salt, orange juice, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth, upping the speed once everything starts to come together
- In a large bowl, mix together sliced apples and lemon juice to prevent browning, then toss with cinnamon and remaining sugar until evenly covered
- In pan, pour one layer of batter, than apples, alternating and ending with apples
- Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes and check for doneness with a tester in middle of cake, bake for another 5 minutes at a time as needed to avoid burning
- Allow to cool 15 minutes in pan before carefully inverting on rack and allowing to cool completely
For the Topping
- Slice the top 1 inch off the cake, scrape out the inside and crumble, set aside
- In a bowl of a stand up mixer with paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar, then add cinnamon, vanilla and slowly pour in caramel, beginning with 1 tablespoon to start. If frosting needs to be thinned more, add more sauce
- Frost the top of the cut cake
- Sprinkle crumbled cake on top of frosting and if any caramel sauce remains drizzle over top
- This cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days
Adapted from California Kosher
