Coffee In the "Drawing Room"

Sometimes when we have dinner, we'll eat dessert a bit later

And if we do dessert later,

It's always in the "drawing room"

(I've watched too much Downton Abbey and read too many Miss Marples!)

Or living room or parlor!

Or "front" room!

The coffee table is the perfect table to serve from!

Everything on a tray

And the tray on the coffee table

It was after Sunday Lunch

Halfway between lunch and tea time!

And because it was Sunday, the silver coffee pot,

Grandmother's Noritake tea plates and a pair of paper thin white and gold cups I bought ages ago and am extremely fond of.

They have an initial and being me, I try to find a family member who will fit!

So they can be "inherited" pieces!

The "KE" on the cups are for Cousin Katherine!

(Shhh - don't tell!)

The dessert --

An apple pecan cake

With burned butter icing

Even thought we adore our tea

We like coffee with dessert!

The recipe is for a layer cake

Which is silly just for the two of us!

So instead of making it into a layer cake,

I make it into two one layer cakes.

One for now

One for a gift

or

One to freeze for another day!

The cake is simple to make -- can be made as a layer cake or a 9 x 13 -- it's good either way!

APPLE PECAN CAKE

2 1/2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 1/2 c. appleslauce

3/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1/2 c. chopped pecans

APPLE BROWN BUTTER FROSITNG:

1/2 c. butter

4 1/2 c. powdered sugar

6 to 8 T. apple juice

Heat oven to 350.    Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.    In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon;    mix well.    Add applesauce, oil and eggs; blend at low speed until moistened.    Beat 2 minutes at high speed.    Stir in pecans.    Pour batter into erased and floured pan (and I always line mine with parchment).

Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.     Cool 10 minutes.    Remove from pan; cool 45 minutes or until completely cooled.

Frosting:   In small heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat butter until light golden brown, stirring ocnstnatly.     Remove from heat; cool.   In large bowl, combine powdered sugar, 4 T. of the apple juice and the browned butter; blend at low speed until moistened.    Continue beating until well blended; adding additional apple juice for desired consistency.

To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer top side down, on serving plate, spread evenly with about 1/4 of the frosting.    Top with remaining cake layer, top side up.    Spread sides and top of cake with remaining frosting.     Garnish with whole pecans, if desired.

It's Tuesday and I'm sharing my "coffee in the Drawing Room" with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday (she said it doesn't have to be tea -- it could be coffee or lemonade!) and with Bernideen for Friends Sharing Tea (And I'm sure Bernideen won't mind that it's coffee!)