"I feel the end approaching.
Quick, bring me my dessert, coffee and liqueur."
- Pierette, great-aunt of Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Clarissa's Apple Spice Cake

This delicious cake came to me by way of the friend of a friend.
Wherever you may be, Clarissa, I sincerely thank you for this excellent cake!

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. In another large bowl beat the butter until it is light and creamy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the Calvados, soda mixture and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, apples and walnuts just until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake approximately 1 hour, or until the cake tests done. Let the cake cool completely before turning it out onto a cake platter. Clarissa likes to serve this cake with whipped cream flavored with a little Calvados, or with a mixture of Mascarpone and whipped cream flavored with Calvados.