Judy Barnett’s Apple-Pecan Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce

Serves 8.

Apple-Pecan Cake
1 cup all-purpose bleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans
5 small MacIntosh apples, peeled, quartered, and cored (about 2 1/2 cup chopped)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg

Warm Caramel Sauce
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350. Mix flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground; set aside. Pulse apple in a food processor to almond size; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar till fluffy. Add egg; beat until blended. Quickly beat in dry ingredients, then apples and nuts.

Pour batter into a greased 9-inch round cake pan; bake  until the top springs back slightly, 30 to 40 minutes. (Center is very moist so center may sink slightly as cake cools). Let cake stand in pan slightly and then turn onto a wire rack to cool. (Can be wrapped and refrigerated for a week)   For the caramel sauce, whisking frequently, bring butter and brown sugar to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat; whisk in milk and vanilla. (Can be refrigerated for a week; microwave on high power to reheat.)

When ready to serve, slice cake. Ladle a spoonful of warm sauce onto plates  Place a wedge of cake over sauce and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and additional sauce.