Apple Snack Cake with Caramel Frosting

This is a super easy, single layer (stir and bake) snack cake. It is VERY moist (even after 3 days) and truly delicious (we can't seem to stop snacking on it!!) This cake (and frosting) freezes exceptionally well when double wrapped in the freezer.

Ingredients

APPLE SNACK CAKE

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1  1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Red Delicious apples 
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions 

1. Mix the oil, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the flour and baking soda.
2. Peel and chop the apples fairly small (I use my food processor)
3. Stir in the apples and nuts until well mixed. 
4. Spray a 9" cake pan with cooking spray AND line the bottom with parchment paper, then spray it again. If you do this, the baked cake will pop right out of the pan.
5. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 35-40 minutes (test for done-ness with toothpick). My electric oven takes exactly 35 minutes.
6. Let the baked cake sit IN pan for 20 minutes before you turn it out.
7. Cool the cake completely, then frost.

Ingredients

CARAMEL FROSTING

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions 

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so that it boils softly for 1 minute, whisking the whole time.
2. Remove from heat (add the vanilla) and keep whisking until it starts to thicken up just a little (you can do this step with your electric hand mixer if you want). 
3. Keep in mind, that as the frosting cools, it will thicken even more. Let cake and frosting cool completely before cutting the cake.

NOTE: If you don't have evaporated milk, I would think that whipping cream would work just as well (but I haven't tried it that way).