{feed the mackenzies} 1;

i love food. i’m usually thinking of my next meal with the last bite of the present one. i daydream about what desserts will go with a fancy entree for a dinner party i am planning a month ahead of time (it’s pumpkin chocolate cupcakes with maple frosting. for my halloween dinner party. invitation only, but you all are on the guest list.)

that being said, i sometimes find it hard to quell this magnificent hunger of mine. i’ve been known to say that i “have the appetite of a thirteen year old boy” (his name is oliver, by the way). i’ve also been known to not wear white shirts because i cannot be trusted around noodles covered in essentially any kind of sauce. and sriracha sauce. it basically looks like the splash zone at seaworld whenever i slurp noodles. i usually eat noodles in private due to my shame over this. in the dark.

i mean, what?

thus, my first in a series i’d like to call “feed the mackenzies”. this hunger of mine is almost as bad whales not being saved. but don’t fret, i won’t make sarah mclachlan sing sad songs to you on tv.  i will just give you yummy recipes. pinky promises.

this baking mission was a long time coming. i took four (+) years of german and used three, count ‘em, three textbooks that all referenced “apfelkuchen” (apple cake) heavily. my classmates were basically all of my best friends all these years of german and we spent way too much time making bad german puns (“wir machen es regeln!” = we make it rain!), and making fun of this weird sounding dessert. we always said we were finally going to bake this mysterious dessert at the end of each year but never got down to doing it. thus, i finally got closure yesterday, and what scrumptious closure it was.

versunkener apfelkuchen , adapted from “the joy of vegan baking”.

cake:

1/2 c. of sugar

1/2 c. of vegan margarine (i use earth balance. mostly because i always have it/slather it on everything)

3 apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin

1.5 c. of all purpose flour

1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

2 tbsp. non-dairy milk (almond, soy, rice)

topping:

1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. of cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of ginger (secretly, i used nutmeg because i’m not fancy enough for ginger. tasted just as good!)

1. microwave apples in a small amount of water for 30-40 seconds, set aside.

2. cream together the sugar and non-dairy margarine with a spoon.

3. slowly mix in flour, baking powder, soy milk, and apple sauce.

4. place the mixture in to a spring form pan that is lightly greased/oiled.

5.  place apples in a pretty spiral on top of cake mixture.

6. mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle atop the cake/apple/magic.

7. bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (40 minutes worked perfectly for me.)

8. let cool for 15 minutes before popping this bad boy out of the springform and prepare yourself for glory.

hannah, the happy victim of the baking experiment. 

needless to say, it makes it rain.