I was assigned to bring a dessert to our local church party and I wanted to bring something magnificently divine. With the warm pumpkin and cider feel in the air, I thought I'd try this cake out. I followed the recipe exact, but decided a few changes will make it taste much better. Make sure to use Apple Cider - It makes a world of difference and brings much more flavor than regular Apple Juice. In the frosting, add 1 tsp. of vanilla and drizzle the left over caramel across the top of the cake (more for decorative and presentation purposes, but I love the idea. If you try it before I do, send me a photo). This fall seasoned cake was devoured in a flash. My husband had to run over and cut in line to make sure we tried a piece. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
(Didn't have it on hand, so I used all-purpose flour. It worked great. Be sure to use all-purpose before any other kind of flour)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
(I always cook with olive oil. It's much healthier for you)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup caramel sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Apple Cider Frosting
7 1/2 - 8 cups confectioners' sugar
(I know, it's a lot. I did it just to desired consistency)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round pans and set aside.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon an salt. Set aside. In a second large bowl, beat sugar and oil together with an electric mixer until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add applesauce, caramel and vanilla, beat for 30 seconds, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, and continuing to beat until well combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then gently loose cakes and turn out onto cooking rack; set aside to let cool completely!
4. For the frosting, put sugar, butter, cider, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Arrange one cake on a large plate and spread about 1 cup of the frosting evenly over the top. Arrange second cake on top then frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining frosting. Set aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow frosting to set before serving.
Adapted from: A Hint of Honey. blogspot.com
