For my mom's birthday I promised her a homemade Apple Spice Cake that I intended to make last night, but Howl-O-Scream called. So I set the alarm and got up early to make it before work at Costco. I found the recipe in the October issue of Bon Appetit. It is similar to a carrot cake, but with apples instead of carrots. As I made the batter, my roommate Jim wanted to talk, but I was forced to ignore him to focus on the recipe details. I hope he understood. He thinks I am crazy to go at the pace I do all the time. I think he is crazy not to fit more into his days.
The cake looked and smelled great as I took it out of the oven, but unfortunately disaster struck when I tried to flip it over. The rack slipped and a big chunk of cake broke off. Unfortunately this cake is not forgiving. It is one that isn't iced all over...just between the layers, so imperfections are not easily hidden. This drove me crazy because I am such a perfectionist. And then I thought, it is life's imperfections that make it interesting. This Broken Apple Spice Cake is going to be full of imperfect goodness. The trip in the car to Tom, Susan and Christopher's Gator viewing party just reinforced the fact. The top layer slid off the bottom and lodged up against the cake cover, then broke it three pieces. What a site.
Susan and Chris outdid themselves on the spread for the viewing party. We feasted on pulled pork on Texas toast, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, hummus with pita chips, barbecued meatballs, a mini salad bar and Chris' homemade corn bread. Oh my, it was the perfect accompaniment to a Kentucky butt kicking. Many high fives were exchanged between bites. The Broken Apple Spice Cake was served for dessert and actually tasted quite good...blogworthy in fact. I also am including Chris' corn bread recipe...yummy!
Chris' Delicious Corn Bread
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 8 ounce can creamed corn
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg and oil. Beat until fairly smooth. Stir in corn. Pour into buttered 8" square baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.
Fuji Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. rum, bourbon or apple brandy
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 medium Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour (2) 9" cake pans. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then rum (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans, smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T. vanilla
pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar, measured, then sifted
toasted pecans for garnish
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Spread half the frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting on top creating swirls and peaks. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour prior to serving. Refrigerate remaining cake.
Many hugs,
Kathy
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