Comfort Cake

When I want to cook something that is totally relaxing and makes me feel snuggled up and cozy, I usually end up making on of my grandmother's recipes. Today, that was raw apple cake.

I've heard over and over that smell is one of the strongest senses for connecting to memory. I don't know if there is science behind that or not, but when it comes to comfort food, it seems true. I love how even after the details have long faded from specific instances of eating my grandmother's cooking, smelling it brings back the same warm, loving feeling that she created every time she cooked.

Food is one of the most literal ways we demonstrate our desire to nurture one another and ourselves. I think that is why I connect so strongly to my grandmothers recipes. They bring me back to that most primitive parts of myself that she fostered in me, that most basic security she provided. I wish that I could give that feeling to each person who eats my cooking just by using her recipes, but the fact is those feelings developed for me because of her constancy and consistency in her care and providing for me.

There's nothing really magical about raw apple cake--well, there is for me, but in general, it's just damn tasty cake. The magic in cooking is the time and effort we give to one another, to give pleasure to our senses and nurturance to our bodies. Even though I can't make this cake magical for you in an instant, I hope sharing it with the people I love can be part of creating that feeling for our whole lives.

Without further ado--Raw Apple Cake!

4 cups chopped apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups of flour

Chop the apples as finely as you like, but at least into 1/2 cubes. The smaller you cut them, the more juice there will be and the more tender, light the cake becomes. Mix the chopped apples and sugar. You can/should cut down on the sugar depending on the sweetness of your apples. For example, today I used only a cup because my apples were moderately sweet. If you use red delicious, I would not go over 1 cup; if you use granny smith, you can sneak up closer to 2 cups. Let the apple and sugar set together to macerate the apples. I try to wait at least 30 mins.

Stir oil, beaten eggs and vanilla into the apple mixture. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl, then stir into wet. Pour it into cake pan (9"x13" ish), and bake for 30-40 mins at 375 degrees ferinheight.  Cool slightly, enjoy while still warm.