The problem with the packaged snack cakes is that they are kind of full of really bad stuff. Like that “crème” filling they all boast? Yeah. That’s made of animal fat, or some kind of hydrogenated something. Have it now and then. But we’re not in high school anymore, so eating it every day is not advisable.

How do you make easy snack cake? Well, you need a 9 x 13 pan and you need a recipe that mixes up in one bowl. And if you do it really well, there shouldn’t be much fat or bad stuff involved. Like with this apple cake!

This recipe was initially my mom’s, but I modified it. She loves this cake because it’s easy to make and tastes great. I agree with that, but I cut the oil in half just to see what would happen. Guess what? It worked. I also used apple pie filling instead of the apple slices the recipe initially called for to add more moisture, but not as much fat. And finally, I cut the sugar in half.

I tested this cake out at work, and a colleague had no clue that it had apple pie filling in it. She thought the apples were fresh. So that’s a good thing! I’d much rather use the canned stuff if nobody can tell the difference.

The result is a fantastic after-school treat. You can feel really good about giving this to kids, or about eating it all yourself. Save Little Debbie for a really bad day!