Apple Basil Cake

CAKE 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons (packed) minced cinnamon basil or sweet basil leaves

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil, preferably canola oil

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 ½ cups unpeeled, coarsely chopped cooking apples, such as Granny Smiths

GLAZE 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 10-inch removable-bottom tube pan.

2.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk in basil leaves until thoroughly dispersed in the flour; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together oil and sugar on low speed.  On medium speed, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and increase speed to high; beat for 30 seconds.  On low speed, add flour mixture and beat just until blended.   Mixture is very dense.

3.  Fold in apples with a spatula; spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

4.  Just before cake is done, make glaze:  Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in both sugars, cream, and vanilla.  Boil glaze for 1 minute.

5.  When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour the hot glaze over.  Let cake cool completely on a rack before removing from pan.  To remove from pan, run a knife around the edge to release it, then run a thin knife between cake and pan bottom; invert to release and invert again to place on platter, so glaze side is up.

Yield:  12 to 16 servings

This recipe is from “Desserts from an Herb Garden” by Sharon Kebschull Barrett.

Linda