Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

From The Sisters Cafe

2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 med, apples, peeled and finely chopped (a little more than 2 cups)
1 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans)


Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12 c. bundt cake pan. (I use a plastic bag around my hand and apply shortening to the inside of the bundt pan, then dust it with flour. That way the cake will fall out easily.)
Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda until smooth. Stir in apples and nuts. Pour into pan.
Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
(The cake was done slightly earlier than the 1 hour mark for me. Be sure to take it out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Of course, insert the toothpick in the moist crack in the top of the cake and not through the firm crust. And try a few different toothpicks, because there is a chance one of them might deceive you by coming out with bits of apple on it if you happened to poke it into an apple.)
Cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan; place on wire rack. Glaze prior to serving.


CARAMEL GLAZE
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. light cream


Heat all ingredients to boiling in 2 qt. saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Boil 2 min., stirring constantly; remove from heat. Spoon over cooled cake.


I recommend serving this soon after you put the caramel glaze on it. After a few hours the glaze will crystallize and then, although the cake is still moist and delicious, the glaze will just be a sugary frosting instead of a rich caramel topping.