Facing My Fear -- Chunky Apple Cake

I said I'd never do it, but I did it.

I made a recipe with my absolute least favorite word in the title.

Do you guys have a word that you can't stand?  It makes you uncomfortable every time you hear it?

Well, I do. 

Chunk.

Ew.  Even typing it makes me cringe.

It may be because, once, in elementary school, a kid named Bryant threw up on my desk.  He sat in the desk across from me and he didn't even have the decency to turn his head.  He didn't go home afterward, either.  Not only did he not go home, but he was playing at recess.  I was completely confused as to why he would want to stay at school when he had a perfectly good excuse to go home.  I was also not happy that there was a risk of him throwing up again.  So I went up to him and I asked him why he was still at school.  (Rude, maybe? Sorry, Bryant.)  He said "Sorry for blowing chunks on your desk.  It was probably because I had some old fish last night."  Really?!!?  Sick!!  Ever since then, I've had a fear of vomit and I feel totally uncomfortable every time someone mentions that word.  I hate it.

But, I was looking through some recipes for apples because I had some leftover, and I found this cake.  It looked really, really good and I was totally excited to make it until I realized what it was called.  But then I decided it would be stupid not to make it just because of it's unfortunate name.

So I made it anyway. And I didn't even think about the incident while I was eating the cake.  And it was good!

Chunky Apple Cake (with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting)
Adapted from: Southern Living

• 1/2  cup  butter, melted
• 2  cups  sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 4  Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
• 1  cup  chopped walnuts, toasted
• Chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients.

Add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. The mixture will be really thick.  Almost like a cookie dough consistency.  Stir in apple slices (I diced mine a little bit, but the pieces were still pretty big) and 1 cup walnuts. Spread into a greased 13- x 9-inch pan, or two cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

While cake is cooling, make the frosting.  Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until it's creamy and smooth. 

After cake is completely cooled, spread first layer with frosting, and then top with other layer and frost the rest of the cake.  Sprinkle with walnuts if desired.

 

The cream cheese frosting was pretty good on the cake, but can be left off, or another frosting can be used in place.  Any ideas on a different frosting that would taste good with it?