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Today’s recipe is pure nostalgia and a piece of Rochester history! McCurdy’s Department Store Apple Spice Cake as found in the Junior League of Rochester’s classic cookbook Applehood and Motherpie. 

When I attended the You Are What You Eat Event Hosted by the New York State Folklore Society last year I was really struck by the fact that our food tells a story about who we are, where we’ve come from and what we care about. The food we eat also connects us to other people, and even our community. I think that’s why our favorite dishes, and the dishes we long to recreate are the ones that stir up strong memories of certain times, people and places we love. And trust me, this cake recipe is bound to bring back some memories, whether from the cookbook from which it comes, or McCurdy’s Department store.

Applehood & Motherpie

Growing up almost all my friend’s mother’s kitchens had a copy of the Applehood and Motherpie. Usually, the book was proudly displayed on a shelf, easy to spot sporting an apple- green vinyl cover that bends partway so that the book cover can also serve as a book stand, which by the way is truly a genius idea. The book was first published in 1981 and you can get the vinyl stand book cover version directly from the Junior League of Rochester, and I even have a $5 off coupon code for you! Just use the coupon code HomeinFLX .

35 years later Applehood & Motherpie has stood the test of time, the recipes ranging from homestyle comfort food to elegant dinner party fare,  and they are just as relevant today as they were when the book was first published. 

If you walk into any bookstore you will find and ton of newer cookbooks all with highly styled gorgeous photos.  Applehood & Pie’s focus was always on the job at hand:  providing you with a book full of amazing recipes with local ties. There are no full-page glossy photos, but the recipes enough. I find myself reaching for this book again and again.

McCurdy’s Department Store

McCurdy’s department store was founded in 1901 by John Cooke McCurdy, the flagship store was located at the corner of Main and Elm streets in Rochester, directly across the street and in competition with Sibley’s. McCurdy’s boasted 6 floors to shop, and had 2 places to dine; The Garden Room Restaurant, Oak Room Grill, and in 1962 added a bakery.

McCurdy’s was the last holdout in locally owned family Department Stores, and when the doors closed for the last time in 1994 a void in the Rochester shopping experience was created, more than just another store McCurdy’s had become a beloved institution, that had left quite an impression on Rochester during its 93 years in business.

Decades after the fading of Rochester’s department store era, the premier shopping destinations have become part of our culture. McCurdy’s, Sibley’s and B.Foreman, chances are even if you have never shopped at one of these stores you have heard stories of these shopping destinations. Upstate New Yorker’s nostalgically remember these great department stores with lifelong memories; our first jobs, shopping with mom for a special occasion, and the yearly visit to see Santa and check out the holiday window displays in the city. When these stores doors closed we lost more than another shopping spot, we lost a piece of Rochester’s history. 

McCurdy's Department Store Apple Cake

Yield: 10-12 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Recipe from Sherrie Zebrascky, McCurdy's Department Store Home Economist, as found in the Rochester Junior League Cook Book Applehood and Motherpie

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Ingredients

Apple Spice Cake

• 1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plain wheat germ
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 large apples
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons apple juice

Instructions

Apple Spice Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside
3. Pare and shred enough apples to equal 3½ cups. Combine with the lemon juice in a large bowl of cold water.*
4. Blend sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly.
5. Mix in well-drained apples, nuts, and dry ingredients into the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla mixture.
6. Pour into a greased bundt or 9x13 pan.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes in a 9x13 pan, or 50-55 minutes in a bundt pan, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Blend Cream Cheese, vanilla, sugar and apple juice until it has reached spreading consistency.
2. Frost cooled cake.
3. Garnish with chopped walnuts if desired.

Notes

Apple Spice cake can be made ahead and frozen before frosting.

*I found it unnessecary to soak the apples in ice water with lemon, if you work quickly, you can get the apples shredded and measured out long before they start to brown.

Recommended Products

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  Applehood & Motherpie: Handpicked Recipes from Upstate New York
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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 573Total Fat: 28.3gSaturated Fat: 5.3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 476mgCarbohydrates: 77.5gFiber: 3.2gSugar: 63.5gProtein: 7.1g

What are your memories of McCurdy’s Department Store and Applehood & Motherpie?

Share your memories in the comments below!