Because of the rainy weather here in Denton yesterday, I was stuck inside, so I decided to bake this fabulous Apple Raisin & Pecan Bundt Cake and give you the recipe. Well, things didn’t go as planned. As you know, this whole blog business is new to me. I bought a new camera a week ago that I’m still learning how to use, and I attempted a new recipe with changes to make it a little bit healthier.

With each step of the recipe, I picked up the mixing bowl or baking pan and took it over to the table to stage the photo. Natural light is better for food photography, and the table is in front of the window. Remember I said that I’m still learning how to use my new camera, so I spent a lot of time just fiddling with the camera.

The cake recipe originally only included apples, and I was adding raisins and pecans. I spread the pecans on a baking pan and put them in the oven for a few minutes to toast them which intensifies the flavor and makes them a little crunchier. So far so good – I didn’t burn the pecans.

Then, I soaked the raisins in boiling water and chopped up the apples.

I melted the coconut oil in a saucepan, and sifted the flour with the spices and other dry ingredients. Next, I mixed the eggs with the sugar, honey, applesauce, and coconut oil. Did I say coconut oil? I thought I poured it into the bowl. And, I just now realized that I didn’t add the vanilla to the batter either. Then, I folded the dry and wet ingredients together.

I worked slowly through the recipe in order to make sure I didn’t miss anything (ha!). I added the apples, chopped pecans, and raisins, and spooned the batter into the Bundt pan. Then, I photographed the batter filled pan and popped it into the oven.

As I started to clean up the mess, I grabbed the saucepan off of the stove and almost splattered coconut oil everywhere. Oops! I forgot to add the coconut oil to the batter. The apple cake was ruined. But, it had only been in the oven about a minute or two. Surely, I could still mix in the coconut oil. Right? Out came the cake from the oven. I dumped the batter into a bowl and added the coconut oil. Whew, I was feeling pretty good that I had avoided a disaster.

I washed the Bundt pan and smeared coconut oil all over the inside of it again. The recipe said to use cooking spray, but I don’t like the taste it leaves on cakes, so I decided to use coconut oil instead. Then, I poured the batter back into the pan and slid it into the oven for a second time.

Fifty minutes later, I took the cake out of the oven. It looked delicious. The cake cooled in the pan for fifteen minutes, then I inverted it onto a rack. Nothing happened. The cake should have easily come out of the pan and onto the rack, but it didn’t. I shook it gently. Still nothing. So, I shook it harder… and half the cake fell out on to the rack, and the other half was stuck inside of the pan.

That’s how I ended up with my fabulous Apple Raisin & Pecan Bundt cake in pieces. It actually tasted pretty good. When I bake this cake again, I plan to make a few more tweaks to the recipe. And, I probably should flour the Bundt pan to keep the cake from sticking to it. Then, I’ll post the recipe.