Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Applesauce Spice Cake 10-7-12

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve wanted to make this cake for a while now and with the it being autumn and perfect timing, I also realized it was perfect timing because I got the recipe for this (and the pleasure of first tasting it) from Paige and today is her birthday!  Happy Birthday, Paige!  She is the chef I took classes from in Kansas before we moved.  I’ve said it before, but how I miss her/her classes.  Every couple weeks I got to watch her cook and teach and then eat the things she made for the class.  Could anything be better?  And with every class, we were provided with the recipes.  I have a big 3-ring binder full of Paige’s recipes and I use many of the recipes often.  I don’t have to be the only one (well, me and all the others who took/take her classes) to have her expertise and recipes in my arsenal—she has a wonderful blog!  If you haven’t seen it—go!--For Love of the Table.  If you stop by today, wish her a happy birthday! ;)

One of the pleasures of her classes was every couple of months, she’d have a special date night class that was a full three course meal and was only allowed about eight couples.  I “dragged” Kevin to one of those classes and he liked it so much that during the time we were still in Kansas, I don’t think we ever missed one after that.  One of the date night meal classes we took had this cake for dessert and I loved it.  Not to mention, Kevin, who doesn’t really care for cake and really doesn’t like frosting, actually really liked the cake, too.

I ended up deciding to make this cake for Kevin’s birthday celebration we recently had with some of his family.  He still got his usual, traditional cheesecake, but I also made this cake and a few other things as well, like the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted a few days ago. 

This cake is perfectly spiced and instead of having chunks of apples, has applesauce which makes for a great moist cake.  The maple cream cheese frosting—well, pardon the pun, IS the icing on the cake.  You’ll want this cake/recipe in your box.  I even think you might want to make it—today.

Applesauce Spice Cake 10-7-12

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, by Paige Vandegrift

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1  1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1  1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan, line with a round of parchment paper and grease the parchment.  Flour the pan!  Set aside.  Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes at medium-high speed.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition.  Increase the speed to medium-high and briefly beat until the mixture lightens in color and expands in volume.  By hand, fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the applesauce (add the vanilla with the first half of the applesauce), beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.  Loosen the sides of the cake by running a thin knife around the edge of the pan.  Turn the cake out of the pan.  Cool the cake on a wire rack.  Frost with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting:

4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (4  1/2 ounces)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy—about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the cream cheese and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.  Scrape down the sides, drizzle in the maple syrup and beat until smooth, about 15 seconds.  (Paige has adapted a recipe from Maria Helm Sinskey’s The Vintage Kitchen)

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (2)

Oh, and because it’s also another friend/neighbor’s birthday today, too, I made one and a half times the recipe and baked one 9 inch cake and two 6 inch cakes.  Then I weighed all the batter and put half of it in the nine inch pan and a quarter of it in each of the two 6 inch pans.  I stacked the two small cakes and have a great apple spice layer cake to deliver to my friend today!  Happy Birthday, Jackie!

And again, Happy Birthday, Paige!  (Thanks for having such a great impact on my culinary life, your wonderful classes, sharing your recipes and for being my friend!)

12 comments:

Sue @ Cakeballs, cookies and more said...

yummy, I love apple cake!

Amalia said...

This looks lovely! I love apple season, there are so many great recipes to choose from. Well who says you have to choose right? Haha! I love maple cream cheese frosting, I actually tried it a couple of weeks ago with another cake and it was S.O. G.O.O.D. Great cake, it's definitely a beautiful fall dessert!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

This looks so great! The perfect cake for fall.

Anonymous said...

Looks wonderful! I just love fall desserts like this - delicious
Mary x

April said...

I haven't had an apple spice cake since I was a little girl when my mom used to make them. She used applesauce too. She usually served it without frosting though, since my dad didn't care for it. He thought it ruined the flavor of the cake. Go figure. lol I remember it being very moist though, so it really didn't need any. Thanks for bringing back such a good memory! :)

Paige said...

Katrina, I know I left a comment on FB yesterday, but I also know from my own blog that not everyone sees commments in both places. So thank you again for the birthday wishes and for the lovely post. I do love this cake and as it turns out will be having some for my weekend birthday celebration with my family. Paige

Lita said...

Spice cakes are my favorite. Even over chocolate. This looks delicious. Drop by The Tumbleweed Contessa and take a look at our cake recipes.

I'm making this for sure!

http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com.

carpet cleaning Fargo said...

I love this cake!

Veronica Miller said...

Wow does this look good Katrina! That's so cool you took cooking classes in KS, I've never done that but I know it would be so fun! I would love to when we have some money (hubby's been unemployed but it looks like he's going to get a job that starts next month-yay!). I'm saving this to try-what a perfect fall cake.

Cindy said...

What a beautiful looking cake. My sons birthday is right after Thanksgiving--we will be visiting them. This will be his birthday cake! Thanks

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