Description
Apples, spices, and nuts are fall favorites and go wonderfully in this fluffy cake. You should bake it in two round baking pans and assemble them with a layer of cream cheese frosting. The chunky and caramelized homemade applesauce brings a great twist to the traditional recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
applesauce
- 2 tart apples, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1/3 cup water
batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp powdered cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ tsp allspice
- 1 ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup homemade applesauce
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Butter to grease and flour to dust
frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz Truly Grass Fed unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the applesauce, combine chopped apples, 1 tbsp butter, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and water. Cook over low heat, stirring once in a while until the apples are fully cooked, reach a caramelized color, and the juices dry entirely. Measure ¾ of the applesauce for the cake and save extra for breakfast. Let cool before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/medium/180ºC. Grease with butter and dust with flour 2 round cake pans (8×2”).
- For the batter, place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, powdered cloves, nutmeg, and allspice into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Place brown sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, applesauce, and vanilla into the stand-mixer bowl and, using the paddle, beat for about 2 minutes, or until creamy and fluffy. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, stir until fully incorporated, add 1/3 more, beat to incorporate, stir in the last 1/3 and mix until a smooth, even batter is obtained.
- Pour half of the batter into the 2 baking pans and pop them into the oven for about 35 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, risen, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, transfer them to a wire rack, wait for 10 minutes to unmold, and let them cool completely before assembling the cake
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Place the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla into the bowl of the stand mixer and, using the paddle, stir for about 3 minutes, just until creamy and combined. Add 1/3 of the powdered sugar, mix until fully incorporated, add another 1/3, mix a little bit more, and then incorporate the last 1/3. If the weather is hot, refrigerate the cream cheese frosting for 15 minutes. If not, let it aside until ready to use.
- With a serrated knife, level cake’s tops as needed. Place first cake, cut side up, on the serving platter. With a spatula, spread 1/3 of the frosting into an even layer. Place the second cake on top, cut side down. With a spatula, spread the remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate the spice cake for about 2 hours, or until frosting sets. Serve it chilled or at room temperature, as you wish. Cake keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
