Spiced Apple Cake With Caramel Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. tube pan. In a large bowl, toss apples with bourbon., In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in apple mixture and walnuts., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack., In a small heavy saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, milk, bourbon and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally; cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Drizzle over warm cake. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Place one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and a second rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray, then line each with a parchment paper round and grease the rounds. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices to blend. Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the batter. (Start and end with the flour mixture, adding the flour mixture in 3 increments and the sour cream in 2 increments.) After each addition, mix on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla, and ginger.
• Spoon the batter (it will be thick) evenly into the prepared pans. Place two cake pans side by side on one rack and the third on the other. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until firm to the touch. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one may be done at a different time. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes, before frosting. The cakes can be kept frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 weeks. Defrost them at room temperature before unwrapping. Frost immediately.
• To make the icing: In a medium stainless-steel bowl, combine the unwrapped caramels, 2 tablespoons of the cream, and the 2 tablespoons butter. Place over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Stir the caramel mixture until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Let cool, stirring the mixture every few minutes until cool to the touch, about 20 minutes. (If the mixture is too warm, it will melt the buttercream frosting when it is stirred in later.)
• While the caramel is cooling, make the butter cream: Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 1/2 cups butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until pale in color. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream and the vanilla and powdered sugar, and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium-low speed until incorporated. Do not overbeat the mascarpone, or it may separate. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooled caramel mixture to drizzle over the cake once it is frosted. Stir the remainder of the caramel into the frosting, using large strokes to create caramel swirls throughout. Don't stir it too much or the ribbons of caramel will disappear.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer and spread thickly with frosting. Add the third layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. Use a small spoon to drizzle the reserved 1/4 cup of caramel over the top of the cake. Pat on the toasted pecan pieces to cover the sides of the cake. Tip: Using the proper tools for cutting frosted layer cakes ensures that individual servings look as good as they taste. I use a large serrated knife dipped in hot water for cutting. I wipe the knife off with a clean dishcloth after each piece, which ensures that every cut is as clean as the first.

Steps:

• For the apples: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan.
• Mix together the apples, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• For the cake: Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully combined, then add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and buttermilk. Beat on low speed until a few streaks remain, then fold together with a rubber spatula until fully combined. (Do not overmix.)
• Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with half of the apple mixture. Spread the batter over the top of the apples. Top the batter with the remaining apples, making decorative rows across the cake. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Allow the cake to cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended, scraping bowl frequently. Add milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in remaining cake ingredients until mixture is smooth and well blended. (Batter will be thick.) Spread about 2 1/2 cups batter in each pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run sharp knife around edges of pans; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 16 caramels on microwavable plate. Microwave on High 15 seconds or until softened. Roll each into ball; pinch one side of ball to form acorn shape. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In microwavable custard cup, heat 3 tablespoons chocolate chips and shortening on High 45 seconds or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip tops of acorns into chocolate; press one chocolate chip onto top of each acorn for stem. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Beat in dulce de leche and 1 teaspoon vanilla, scraping bowl frequently. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add whipping cream and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat until smooth and spreading consistency.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded top off each cake layer to make a level surface. Spread about 3/4 cup frosting between cakes layers. Frost top and side with remaining frosting. Place acorns on top of cake. break cinnamon sticks as desired to resemble twigs; place with acorns on cake.

Steps:

• Sift together dry ingredients.
• Cream together shortening and sugars until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and then eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each egg.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.
• Beat 2-3 minutes using high speed of mixer.
• Pour into 2 greased and floured 8-in. pans.
• Bake in 350 degree oven 25-30 minutes.
• Frost when cool.
• Caramel Frosting:.
• Melt butter in saucepan then add brown sugar and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add cream and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually blend in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• (Add extra cream if needed.).