I love apple pie, but I don't bake pies. My mom was an amazing pie baker, but that gene didn't pass down to me. My favorite fall dessert to bake is apple cake.
October 31 was the farm's last day of business for 2026, and I made an apple cake to take in to celebrate the end of the season. I've had this recipe for almost 50 years!
I got the recipe while working at my first job out of college as a paralegal. The week before Thanksgiving, one of the other paralegals brought an apple cake to share with everyone who worked on our floor. Oh my, it was delicious! It ranked right up there with Mom's apple pie.
This cake always takes me back to those early working years: driving my VW Rabbit or taking the bus downtown, the things I learned, and the transition from college student to young professional. I remember realizing that the bosses' secretaries were the ones who really ran the ship, figuring out who to avoid at the office Christmas party, and making friendships along the way. There were late nights preparing for trials, out-of-town trips to clients' businesses, and being recognized for my research skills. After five years on the job, the decision came to stay home after my son was born.
So much of those work days comes back with making this cake The workplace was a very different place back then. We gathered in offices, shared coffee breaks, celebrated birthdays, exchanged recipes, and got to know one another in ways that just happened naturally when we worked side by side.
It makes me wonder if today's work-from-home generation has those same opportunities to make connections with coworkers, share favorite recipes, and discover that someone down the hall makes an apple cake worth keeping for 50 years.
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