Fresh Apple Cake

This is my mom's recipe and it is quite good. It is a heavy dense cake but very moist. You can put either cream cheese icing or the caramel icing (my favorite), below.

Ingredients:
Cake:
4 cups apples (winesap, rome or delicious are best) peeled and chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour

Icing:
1/2 cup Pet Milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Cake:
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Icing:
Put brown sugar into large saucepan and mix in Pet Milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cool and add powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring well. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle pecans over top of cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

My 16-year-old son likes to make this (hunger is a great motivator!). It is a delicious cake - the cake is not too sweet so the fudge-like icing makes a great compliment. I'd recommend eating it as soon as you finish putting on the icing and be sure to have a large carton of cold milk on hand.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter
4 heaping teaspoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
1 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons mile
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Cake:
Add baking soda to buttermilk and set aside. put butter, cocoa and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Put flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add butter/cocoa/water mixture. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk and soda, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Pour on greased 15.5 inch by 10.5 inch by 1 inch cookie sheet (that's right, cookie sheet, not cake pan - the cake is thin but the icing is rich!). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Directions:
Icing:
Note: Make icing about 5 minutes before cake is done and pour over hot cake.
Put butter, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add powdered sugar in thirds, stirring after each addition. Add nuts and vanilla.