Fresh apples paired with caramel make delicious desserts. Apples by themselves are a great snack, and they’re good eaten whole or added to salads, main meals or cake, pie and cobblers.

A medium apple has zero grams of fat, cholesterol or sodium; 4 grams of fiber; and 14 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

Virginia is a good state in which to purchase fresh apples, and the state’s orchards yield a wide variety of apples for fresh consumption, as well as for commercial processing.

For a decadent dessert, pair these apple cake and caramel icing recipes from Country Treasures from Virginia Farm Bureau Kitchens.

Fresh Apple Cake 

Ingredients

2 cups sugar 
1 cup cooking oil 
2 eggs 
2 cups flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
4 cups diced apples 
1 cup chopped nuts 
¼ cup raisins 
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish. In a mixing bowl, blend sugar, oil and eggs until smooth; add flour, salt, soda and cinnamon, and beat until creamy. Add in the apples, nuts, raisins and vanilla.

Pour batter into baking dish, and bake 60 minutes. Allow cake to cool in baking dish, and top with caramel icing.

Cut in squares to serve. Serves 12-15.

Best-Ever Caramel Icing

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Add milk to make the desired consistency.