Caramel apple cake for fall nights

Apple bundt cake (Getty Images/alvarez)

In "Bibi's Gulf Coast Kitchen," columnist Bibi Hutchings takes you on a culinary journey across the coastal south. Come for the great food writing, stay for the delicious recipes.

This recipe is from my friend, Jeni, who loves October even more than I do; in fact, she's probably at a pumpkin patch right now. 

Jeni and I met as first-year English teachers around 1996, and I quickly learned that she lives for fall. She counts down to the Autumn Equinox and has a party in her back garden on the evening of the Harvest Moon, weather permitting. Do you know that the times of the spring and fall equinoxes change every year? I did not until I met Jeni, and just so you know, the Autumn Equinox officially occurred on September 22nd at 8:03 pm (CST) this year. I know because Jeni told me, and she's up on other fall-phenomena too. For instance, the first full moon after the Autumn Equinox is the Harvest Moon, named for when the moonrise occurs earlier in the evening, resulting in a longer day, traditionally associated with a longer farming and harvesting day.