1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; sifted
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour; sifted
4 cups
Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1¼ cups coarse chunks of peeled and cored apples
3 tablespoons
Applejack Apple Cider Glaze
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda and salt, and then stir in whole-wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.
4. Add pecans, apple chunks and applejack all at once and stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch round cake pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Applejack Apple Cider Glaze
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar; firmly packed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons applejack or apple brandy
4 tablespoons sweet cider
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream1. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in both sugars.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake.
Makes 1½ cups glaze