apple cake

Last winter some like-minded friends and I formed a book club. A smaller group of us tried forming one several years ago, but it fizzled before it had a chance to really take off. This second attempt, however, has seen much more success. Like with your typical book club, we've been taking turns picking books to read which we then discuss at our monthly meetings. So far we have read the following:

• Sky Burial by Xinran
• The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
• The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (I didn't finish this one, mostly because the timing coincided with Matthew's birth and I was otherwise occupied.)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Though I liked some of the books more than others (and about half of them I'd already read once before), I found each of them interesting and compelling enough to allow for some engaging discussions. It's really been a lot of fun to read good books, gather with good friends, and participate in good talks about them.

Last night we met to discuss our latest pick: East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I first read this book when Blake and I were newly married and I was still unemployed. I've been eager to discuss it with someone ever since, so last night's meeting was not only highly anticipated but incredibly satisfying. I now have a much greater appreciation for allegory based on the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry between Cain and Abel that Steinbeck so ambitiously penned.

Book clubs need, in my opinion, several things to be successful: 1) A group of people who enjoy reading, who 2) can carve out the time in their schedules to meet to discuss what they read, and 3) food to eat while they discuss the books. If the food somehow coordinates with the subject of the book, why, all the better! Which is why my contribution last night was Apple Cake. (You know that with a book called East of Eden apples would have to be on the menu somewhere!)

I found this recipe in, of all places, a Costco cookbook (which, despite its origin, has recipes for dishes in normal sized proportions). It's one I've been wanting to try for a while now, so even though it's technically a breakfast cake, I pulled the apple card and made it anyway. Because it calls for a store-bought cake mix, it was really easy to make, and it was tasty to boot (I'd categorize it alongside coffee cake).


Good Morning Apple Cake
adapted from Smart Cooking the Costco Way

1 yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium-sized apples, the variety of your choice

Streusel Topping:
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13" baking pan. Prepare the streusel topping by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

Beat the cake mix, eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a large bowl until just moistened. With an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

Peel, core, and dice the apples; fold into the batter. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel topping. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.