Shelly's Recipe

BROWN SUGAR ALMOND POUND CAKE WITH SAUTEED SPICED APPLES

Category: Cakes

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature

Spray a Bundt pan, 10-inch tube pan, or 2 loaf pans with non stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and cream cheese, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and powdered sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Switch over to using your hand and a spatula. Add the flour mixture and fold into the batter. Do this until no flour can be seen and batter is smooth.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 75-90 minutes. For my mini loaves, it took 55 minutes. For the spring form loaf pan it took 70 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

While cooling, make the apples.

Sauteed Spiced Apples
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 large apples, I used Pink Ladies, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Place the sugar and spices into a medium sized bowl and mix till completely combined. Dredge the apples in the sugar mixture, turning to make sure they are coated well. Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Place apples in saute pan and cook until apples become soft.

To prepare: Slice piece of pound cake. Top with spiced apples. Spoon homemade or store bought caramel sauce.