Even though I had been longing for Fall for weeks I had still been resisting getting into the Fall spirit. First of all, I don’t want to rush through the beautiful weather we have in Summer just so that I can make an apple pie and enjoy the smells of Fall. Soon enough I would be complaining that it is too cold, so I try not to take Summer for granted. Secondly, I try not to start my Fall cooking too early. It is a shame to burn out on apple and pumpkin recipes before Halloween even comes. And when is it ok to start getting Halloween decorations out? Would this weekend be acceptable? We already made these decorations so I might as well just get everything out, right? Anyway, I was waiting for the perfect Fall/apple recipe to get me into the spirit. As soon as I saw this one, I was ready to begin the transformation from 90 degree days to 50’s, sweaters, and boots.
This really was the perfect recipe to pull me into Fall. After making this cake I was ready to say good bye to bathing suits and hello to baggy sweaters. After all, it is no coincidence that the season for baggy sweaters and stretchy pants is also the season for eating. This cake takes a bit of work but honestly it wasn’t bad at all. I had two bowls ready to go for my kitchen aid mixer but this recipe only requires one. Nice! The worst part of making this recipe is waiting for the cake to cook (1 hour 15 minutes in my oven) and then cool (2 hours!). Torture! But it was all worth it in the end. The cake had a very distinct apple taste. As it should, there was 3 cups of apples + apple sauce. It had better taste like apples! But the cream cheese filling is what really sets it apart. Kelly took this cake to work on Monday and it did not last long! No surprises there!
Here is what you’ll need
Start with the filling. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and butter
Beat in the flour, vanilla, and egg. Set aside.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients
Toast your nuts!
Add the eggs, canola oil, vanilla, and applesauce
Fold in the pecans and apples
Add about half of the cake batter to your bundt pan. Add the cream cheese filling in the center.
Add the remaining cake batter
Once the cake has cooled start the frosting. Bring the brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil.
Add the vanilla and slowly whisk in the powdered sugar
Pour the frosting over the cake
Tis the season for apple cake. And baggy sweaters with stretchy pants.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Cake
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs
¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples
Praline Frosting
½ cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Start with the cream cheese filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, flour, and the vanilla. Beat until combined and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Begin the cake portion. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice. Whisk everything together and add the eggs, canola oil, applesauce, and vanilla paste. Fold in the pecans and apples. Spoon half of the batter into the bundt pan. Add the cream cheese filling. Try to add the cream cheese filling so that it is not touching the sides of the pan. Using a butter knife swirl the cream cheese filling. Add the remaining cake batter. Bake for 60-75 minutes. Mine baked for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stick a butter knife into the cake to test for doneness. If it comes out clean the cake is cooked. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then flip oven onto a baking rack and allow to cool for an additional 2 hours.
Wait for the cake to fully cool before preparing the frosting. Add the brown sugar, butter and milk to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and slowly whisk in the powdered sugar. If it seems too thick you can add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake.
Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
