I've got a great fall dessert for you - applesauce spice cake with a caramel filling and cream cheese frosting. Forget about the pumpkin pie and pecan pie for Thanksgiving. This cake takes the best parts of the pies - the spices and the nuts - and combines them in one delicious dessert. The warmth of the spices, the sweet richness of the caramel, and the creamy, slight tang of the icing all combine to balance for a flavorful finale.
For the applesauce:
3-4 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB water
2 TB sugar
pinch salt
Slice apples directly into a small pan with the lemon juice and water. The acidity keeps the slices from browning. Sprinkle sugar over the apples. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples cook down - about 30 minutes or so. I like a few small chunks in my applesauce, not completely smooth, but cook it down however you like it. Salt to taste.
I like a combination
of smooth and semi-chunky.
You're only going to need 3/4 cup for the cake, so refrigerate any leftover applesauce.
Save it for breakfast - scrambled eggs with cheese, buttered toast, and sausage. And applesauce!
Now for the cake:
Applesauce Spice Cake
Cake layers:
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 TB cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
1 ¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup applesauce
4 eggs, room temperature
1 TB vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans.
In a small bowl, mix flour,
baking powder and soda, and spices.
In bowl of stand mixer,
combine brown sugar, oil, and applesauce until well-mixed, scraping down sides
of bowl. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
Add in half the flour mixture,
on low speed, until just combined. See mixing note below.* Blend
in buttermilk, then add remaining flour.
Fold in nuts.
Divide mixture evenly among
two prepared baking pans. Bake at 350°
about 28 minutes, or until toothpick comes out fairly clean.
Allow to cool in pans about 10
minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
*Mixing note: There’s a
reason cake recipes instruct you to mix in flour until “just combined.” It has to do with the development of gluten. Basically, gluten is a protein found in wheat
which, when mixed with liquid, forms a protein chain or network which gives
structure to any baked goods. For
breads, you want to develop that protein network. This is why you “knead” a bread dough. For cakes, we want to avoid or limit gluten
development in the batter. This is why
we gently fold flour into the batter. You
want to add the flour in 2 or 3 additions instead of all at once. Adding all at once results in over-mixing
and a denser, tougher cake. In order to get a soft, crumbly texture and a
lighter, fluffier, melt-in-the-mouth feel, use a cut and fold motion with one hand
while rotating the bowl with the other hand, mixing the flour in as few folds
as possible. When no streaks of flour remain in the bowl, stop mixing.
Caramel filling:
In a small saucepan combine:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter
¼ cup cream
Cook over low heat until
butter and sugar are melted. Continue
cooking at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Stir in 2-3 teaspoons vanilla. Let cool and thicken.
Any leftover caramel is most
excellent heated up and poured over ice cream.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
(1 ½ pkgs)
1 ½ sticks
butter, softened
4 cups+ confectioner’s sugar
1 TB vanilla
Beat cream cheese and butter.
Beat in sugar a little bit at
a time, until you get proper spreading consistency.
Beat in vanilla until
well-combined.
To assemble:
Set first cake layer on
serving platter and cover with caramel filling. Set second layer on top. Secure layers, if needed, with
toothpicks. Slather top and sides with
cream cheese frosting. Press additional
pecans into icing if desired.
For the step-by-steps:
Mix dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and powder, and spices.
In bowl of mixer, combine brown sugar and oil and...
... applesauce.
I like a few chunkies in my applesauce.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Liquid mixture in the mixing bowl.
Flour and spices top right.
Buttermilk bottom right.
Add in half of the flour mixture.
Then all of the buttermilk.
Then the remaining flour mixture.
Mix flour until just barely combined and then ...
fold in nuts.
Pour into prepared pans.
And bake. Let cool on rack.
Pour thickened caramel over first cake layer.
Place second layer on top and secure with toothpicks.
Then frost away!
Go slap happy with the spatula.
Give it some pecan lovin'.
Oh...
This is just grand!
