Swiss Apple Pie Cake

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 cup broken, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a 9-inch glass pie dish and set aside. Break egg into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat with a whisk until well blended and light. Add melted butter and whisk the mixture to blend. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk in a small bowl. Add to mixing bowl and whisk in. Sift flour, spices and salt into mixing bowl and stir mixture until dry ingredients almost disappear. Add apples and nuts and gently stir them into the batter. Spread batter into prepared dish. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 45 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While cake is baking, begin making Butter Sauce.

Rosemary-Thyme Butter Sauce

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 5 or 6 inches long
1 sprig fresh thyme, about 5 or 6 inches long
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

While the Pie Cake is baking, measure whipping cream into a saucepan. Add sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, stems and leaves. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow herbs to infuse whipping cream with their flavor while cake is baking, or for at least 30 minutes. When you are ready to proceed with preparation of sauce, pour cream through a strainer to remove herbs. Use the back of a spoon to press herbs in strainer. Add butter, honey, sugar and brown sugar to sauce pan along with the strained whipping cream. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring as it heats. Boil vigorously for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve sauce warm with Swiss Apple Pie Cake.

Store remaining sauce in a covered jar in the refrigerator. Heat before serving.

    - Recipe courtesy of Sue Doeden's All about Food.