Dutch Apple Cake

Reading Time: 3 minutes

After the renovations a few years ago, the Emerald Plaza library on Merivale Rd has become a really nice place to be where retirees, students, and parents with toddlers all hang out during the long winters. When our home internet was down for a few days, I would just go there and work from the library. The only thing missing is an espresso bar though, else I’d probably move in permanently. It is on the Nepean Trail and only a 7 minute bike ride from home or a 25 minute walk.

Mennonite cooking

While browsing the cookbook shelves, I found this small cookbook called “More-with-Less, Mennonite recipes on how to eat better and consume less of the world’s limited food resources.”

Ahead of its time

The book was quite ahead of its time, as it was first written in 1976, focusing on eating more whole grains and more vegetables and fruits and less meat, saturated fat and sugars. It took the Canada Food Guide only another 43 years to catch up with the Mennonites.

There is a number of pages in the beginning of the book expressing concerns on food habits and agricultural production methods and then it offers a series of recipes.

Dutch Apple Cake

Flipping through the (modest) book, I noticed a recipe for a Dutch Apple Cake, submitted by Sandra Miller from Akron, PA. I had not heard of a Dutch Apple Cake and since Sandra is from Pennsylvania, I figured it is probably referring to the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is not the healthiest of recipes, but what the heck.

There is quite a lot of sugar in the original recipe so I cut that back. I also replaced one quarter of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour to appease my conscience.

As I was going through all the work of prepping anyway, I made two at the same time, also because I am heating the oven anyway so I might as well stuff two cakes in.

You can order the cookbook at the library here.

Dutch Apple Cake recipe

Makes 1 loaf
Preheat oven to 350F

Cream together:
½ cup butter
3/4 cup sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Combine separately:
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
Add dry ingredients alternately with 1/3 cup sour milk or orange juice

Fold in:
1 cup chopped apples
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Bake in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan for 55 minutes or until done.

Options:
Add 1/3 cup chopped cranberries
Serve thin slices spread with whipped cream cheese

From “More-with-Less” Mennonite recipes on how to eat better and consume less of the world’s limited food resources – recipe submitted by Sandra Miller, Akron, PA