Shelly's Recipe

CARAMEL-APPLE SPICE CAKE

Category: Cakes

Cake
1 1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 larges eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Apple-Cherry Filling
2 mediums Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice

Caramel Apple Topping
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tbsp heavy cream

Prepare Spice Cake: Line two 9-inch cake pans with waxed paper.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour lined pans. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil until well blended; add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. In large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt; stir into sugar mixture until just combined and smooth batter forms.

Stir walnuts into batter and divide evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake cake layers 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare Apple-Cherry Filling: In medium-size saucepan, combine chopped apples, dried cherries, cider, and cinnamon. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until apples and cherries are soft-about 15 minutes. Transfer half of apple-cherry mixture to food processor fitted with chopping blade, or blender; process until smooth. Return to saucepan, blending with remaining half. Prepare Caramel Apple Topping.

To assemble cake, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread Apple Cherry Filling evenly over top of layer; place other cake on top. Transfer apple slices from Caramel Apple Topping to top of cake.

Drizzle remaining caramel syrup over cake. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Caramel Apple Topping: In large skillet, combine water and sugar; heat over low heat, stirring gently to dissolve sugar. When all sugar dissolves, increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until mixture turns a deep amber color. When sugar mixture is amber colored, remove from heat and carefully stir in the heavy cream to make caramel (mixture will bubble up, but then recedes as it cools). Add apple slices to caramel and return to low heat. Cook 5 minutes; cool.