Caramelized Apple Spice Cake Olivesthyme Cakes Recipes

CARAMELIZED APPLE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Once melted, add cubed apples and cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Apple will brown slightly. Add maple syrup and ground cinnamon. MIx well to combine. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The syrup will thicken and the apples will soften. Remove from heat, straight into a food processor or blender. Cool apples for 10 minutes or to almost room temperature before pureeing. Measure out 1 c. Enjoy any leftovers as is or with yogurt, granola, on toast, etc. This step is optional, but gives the cake a wonderful texture while bringing lots of flavor. If you prefer to skip the puree step, make sure to smaash the apples really well, like you would making banana bread.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 9" cake pans with parchment paper along the bottom. If needed, lightly grease the pans. Use non stick if possible. Set aside.If making homemade buttermilk: combine the milk and lemon juice, stir and allow the milk about 10 minutes to curdle.
• Whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, chai (or pumpkin) spice and salt. Set aside.
• In stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand held with beaters, beat oil and room temperature butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 3 minutes. On medium speed, beat in a slow stream of sugar. Beat until light, fluffy and well combined.This should take about 2-3 minutes in total.
• Add eggs one at a time. Beat each egg for about 20 seconds before adding another egg. Add vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. Add caramelized apple puree a few tablespoons at a time. Beat until fully combined.
• Using a large spatuala, mix the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet, in this order: dry, milk, dry, milk, dry. Make sure not to overmix.Wet cake strips if using and fit around the prepared cake pans.
• Evenly pour cake batter into each of the prepared cake pans. If using a food scale, make sure to take the weight of each cake pan prior to filling. Make sure the an even weight of batter is added to each pan. If you don't have a good scale, add 1 c to each pan until all the batter is added.
• Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes. Cakes will be golden brown, with edges pulled slighly from the sides of the pan. The middle of the cake should quickly spring back when a finger is pressed gently onto the top, when the cake is baked through. If the indent slowly springs back, bake an addtional 2-3 minutes. Start checking for doneness around 28 minutes.
• Once baked, rest cakes in the pan for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully invert the cake onto the cooling rack ( or plate placed on top.) Tap the pan a few times to encourage the cake to release. Lift the cake pan off the cake (which should be face down on the second cooling rack). Place the original cooling rack on the lined bottom of the cake. Gently flip right side up. Cool the cake on the cooling rack for about 1 hour.Wrap each of the cakes in plastic cling. Chill the room temperature cakes for 2-3 hours or overnight to make frosting easier. When ready to frost, pull the cakes from the freezer.
• Once the cake is baking, make the brown butter. To make brown butter, melt butter in a clear heavy bottom pot or sauce pan. You can use the same one from caramelizing the apples. Once the butter starts to foam, whisk continuously until brown bits start to form. Remove from heat, pour into clean bowl, skim the foam from the top and cool to room temperature (25-30 minutes).Chill the butter in the fridge an addtional 30-40 minutes. You can the butter to be softened like room temperature butter. While chilling the butter in the fridge, pull out the cream cheese to come to room temperature.
• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or with electric mixer and beaters, cream together the brown butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined, about 4-5 minutes. Add sifted powdered sugar 1/2 c at a time. Add vanilla extract and salt. Beat on high until desired consistency is reached. Add milk as needed to thin out the frosting. If the frosting becomes too soft, place the mixing bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
• Pour maple syrup into a small or medium sauce pan. Place candy thermometer into the pot. Bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Allow maple syrup to boil without stirring until it reaches 230F on the thermometer. This is right before soft boil. Once it reaches this temperature, remove from heat and whisk in butter until fully combined.Pour in heavy cream, stir until fully combined. Add salt and stir until fully combined. Pour salted maple caramel sauce into a heat proof airtight container to bring to room temperature. Caramel can be kept at room temperature for a day. Store in the fridge for longer storage, up to 1-2 weeks. Gently reheat in the microwave. You will have caramel sauce leftover from this recipe. To top the cake you will need about 1/4 c of caramel sauce.
• Spread about 1 tsp frosting on the cake stand or serving plate. Place bottom cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread 3/4 c frosting on the top of the bottom cake layer. Add the next cake on top of the frosting. Spread 3/4 c on top of the top cake layer. Spread the frosting to the edges, leaving the excess frosting hanging off the edges. Spread the remaining frosting along the sides. Dirzzle the caramel over the edges of the cake. Using a spatula, frosting knife or back of a spoon, smear the caramel into the frosting. This caramel is thinner than tradtional caramel, so expect the caramel to run a bit. Add caramel to the top.Once assembled with frosting and caramel sauce, the cake can be placed in the fridge until ready to serve (the same day). If serving the cake more than a few hours after preparing it, all components can be prepared in advance. Assemble the same day you plan to serve the cake.

CARAMELIZED-APPLE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Put 1/2 stick butter into a large nonstick skillet. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into skillet, and toss in pod. Cook over medium heat until butter is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are golden and translucent and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup flour mixture.
• Beat remaining 2 sticks butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream and scraping bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour mixture to apple mixture, and toss. Fold in apple mixture and pecans.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Unmold cakes, and let cool, right side up, on rack.
• Assemble cake: Trim each cake so it's 1 3/4 inches high. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over top. Place remaining cake, cut side down, on top. Spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.)
• Before serving, decorate with marzipan pumpkins, acorns, and leaves.

WINTER SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with foil; spray foil. Wrap outside of pan with foil.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Sauté apples until almost tender and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Increase heat to high and toss until sugar melts and apples are deep brown, about 4 minutes. Pour apple mixture onto large plate (do not clean skillet).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar and cook until mixture is deep golden brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes (mixture will be grainy). Add cream and vinegar (do not stir). Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer without stirring until most of caramel bits dissolve, about 8 minutes. Uncover and whisk until sauce is slightly thick, deep brown and reduced to generous 1 cup, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel sauce into small saucepan.
• Spread 3 tablespoons caramel sauce over bottom of prepared pan. Arrange apple wedges side by side, rounded side down, in caramel in 2 concentric circles. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into bowl. Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla and 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Beat in half of dry ingredients, then sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.
• Spoon batter evenly over apples. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Cool cake 15 minutes longer. Place platter atop cake; invert cake onto platter. Remove pan bottom and foil. Replace any dislodged apples. Rewarm remaining caramel sauce. Serve cake warm or at room temperature with sauce.

BROWN SUGAR-SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 9-inch square pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed until blended; beat on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and sour cream until mixed; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Stir in chopped apple. Spoon batter evenly into pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around pan to loosen cake. Remove cake to heatproof serving plate. Cool cake about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook sliced apples and 1 cup brown sugar over medium-high heat 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until apples are tender and caramelized.
• In chilled large deep bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on low speed until cream begins to thicken. Gradually increase speed to high and beat just until soft peaks form. Spoon Caramelized Apples over cake. Top with dollops of whipped cream.