This cake is pretty much the essence of fall. A moist spice-flavored cake with chunks of apples throughout, and a ribbon of sweetened cream cheese filling in the middle. When Tracey posted it last month for Baked by Rachel’s “An Apple A Day” event, my jaw literally dropped. I knew I had to make it immediately. I only had a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan though, and the recipe called for a 14 cup. I tried to make it using the 10-cup, scaling back the amount of cake and filling – but it just wasn’t right. Turns out the larger pans are harder to find than I though, luckily my mom came across one though – and I made the cake again. Sheer perfection!
And the praline frosting? I was thinking I wouldn’t like it – that it would be gritty. Wrong, on all counts! It was smooth and thick, and complemented the cake perfectly. Not to mention the gorgeous presentation it lended. Will definitely be making this one at least a couple times more before apple season is out! Enjoy!
Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
For the cream cheese filling:
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake:
1 cup finely chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish, optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Rome)
For the praline frosting:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350º.
To prepare the filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended. Set aside.
Toast the pecans in the 350º oven for about 8 minutes, until fragrant.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and allspice together. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until just until combined. Fold in the toasted pecans and chopped apples until evenly distributed.
Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon cream cheese filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over the filling.
Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).
To make the praline frosting, bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.
Source: Southern Living, September 2011 via Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
