Time for a Treat – Southern Living Apple Cake!

This is by far my favorite fall treat. I could make this cake all year long and never grow tired of it, but it just sounds so good in the fall and makes my house smell so yummy! It’s also so easy that anyone can make it, in fact when I first found the recipe eight years ago I was teaching preschoolers and they made the cake – our whole church smelled amazing. I was excited to find some deals on the basic ingredients and hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

If your Publix is allowing the $4/4 General Mills coupon on ANY General Mill products this could make for a pretty great deal. Go to http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ to print two $.50/1 Betty Crocker Frosting coupons & two $.50/Gold Medal coupons. Stack with $4/4 in-ad coupon from Publix’s weekly ad to get all for $1-$2. If you want to make the cake but skip making the frosting you could use Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting for your deal!

Southern Living Chunky Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, melted (I actually have used margarine, Smart Balance Butter Blend sticks, and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter sticks without any problem)
$1 off Smart Balance Butter Blend SS 10/18 or printable

2 cups sugar
$0.50/1 10/18/2009 RP Domino Sugar, 2 lbs. or larger

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
$.50/1 Gold Medal Flour at http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ (print two of these coupons, and buy 2 other General Mills products to use the $4/4 General Mills in-ad coupon – at the Eat Better America website you can print two $.50/1 Betty Crocker frosting that would work for this)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (if you have an apple peeler & slicer it makes this so easy, and my kids love watching it work! If not you may have a little more prep time on your hands.)
$1/2 lbs. or more Target IP HERE (Publix has their bulk apples on sale for $.99 a pound so you should be able to get 2 lbs. of apples for $.99!)

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
There’s a Publix Kraft coupon HERE for Pecans so you could use those instead

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
$1/1 HERE for Philadelphia Cream Cheese

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
$1/1 Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks from 10/18 RP
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
$0.50/1 10/18/2009 RP Domino Sugar, 2 lbs. or larger
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chopped Walnuts, toasted (optional)
Use Kraft coupon HERE for Pecans to use instead

The RecipeStir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apple slices and 1 cup walnuts. Spread into a greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting; sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Southern Living. Be sure to check out all the new printable Kraft coupons HERE – there are some great coupons for the holiday baking season! Thanks I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups!

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