Layered Apple-Spice Cake Topped with Caramel-Twisted Frosting
Pump up your holiday spirit with this eye-catching Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl, a sumptuous treat that's worth the extra effort!
No need to feel intimated about cooking a cake from scratch; this breeze-to-make cake is all about impressing your friends with its tall, showy structure. After all, you want your creation to be the star of the show!
Pro Tip: A large serrated knife heated in hot water and wiped off after each piece ensures clean cuts, ensuring that every serving looks as good as it tastes!
If you prefer a simpler version, give our Apple Cupcakes Recipe a whirl!
Yield: 12-14 servings
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: 1 ½ cups (3 sticks), at room temperature
- Sugar: 3 cups
- Light molasses: 2 tablespoons
- Eggs (large): 6
- Cake flour: 3 cups
- Baking soda: 1 ¼ teaspoons
- Kosher salt: ⅛ teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon: 2 tablespoons
- Ground allspice: 2 teaspoons
- Ground nutmeg: 1 teaspoon
- Ground ginger: 1 teaspoon
- Sour cream: 1 cup
- Granny Smith apples (peeled and shredded, about 1 ½ cups): 3
- Vanilla extract: 1 tablespoon
- Grated fresh ginger (optional): 1 teaspoon
For the icing:
- Caramels: 1 bag (14 oz)
- Heavy whipping cream: 4 tablespoons
- Unsalted butter (room temperature): 2 tablespoons + 1 ½ cups (3 sticks)
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Powdered sugar: 3 cups
- Mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores): 1 cup (8 oz)
- Pecan pieces (toasted, optional): 2 cups
Procedure:
- Grab an oven rack and place it in the bottom third of the oven. Place another rack on the top third. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans with butter or cooking spray, then line each with a parchment paper round and grease the rounds.
- Crank up your electric mixer, attach the paddle attachment, and cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Give the mixture a scrape, then beat in the molasses.
- Mix it up! Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices to blend. Make alternating additions of the dry mixture and sour cream into the batter, starting and ending with the dry mixture. Add the shredded apples, vanilla, and ginger, and stir to combine. The batter will be thick.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Place two cake pans side by side on one rack and the third on the other rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes, monitoring the cakes carefully. Keep an eye out for doneness; each layer may be done at a different time. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks and cool completely, approximately 15-30 minutes, before frosting.
- Store leftover cakes in the freezer, tightly wrapped for up to 3 weeks. Allow the cakes to thaw at room temperature before unwrapping and frosting.
To make the icing:
- In a medium stainless-steel bowl, combine the unwrapped caramels, 2 tablespoons of cream, and 2 tablespoons butter. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool. When the caramel mixture is cool to the touch (around 20 minutes), stir it every few minutes.
- While the caramel cools, prep the buttercream: Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 ½ cups butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until it's pale in color. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar, then mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Incorporate the mascarpone, being careful not to overbeat the mascarpone, or it may separate.
- Stir ¼ cup of the cooled caramel mixture to drizzle over the cake once it’s frosted. Reserve the remainder of the caramel for the icing. Stir the caramel into the frosting, taking long strokes to create caramel swirls throughout. Don't overmix the caramel, as it may dampen the frosting or cause the ribbons of caramel to disappear.
- Decorate your masterpiece! Place one cake layer on a serving plate and cover it with a generous layer of frosting. Top the frosting with a second layer, coat it too, and repeat the process using the third layer. Frost the top and sides with an even layer of frosting. Drizzle the reserved caramel over the top of the cake before covering the sides with toasted pecan pieces, if desired.
Dive into the holidays with a spectacular twist on tradition - this Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing is a heartwarming blend of flavors that will undoubtedly take center stage at your festivities!
Enjoy a simplified version of the Apple-Spice Cake with the Apple Cupcakes Recipe, which offers a more straightforward baking process. This recipe requires lesser ingredients and makes for a perfect treat when you crave the apple-spice flavor without the elaborate layering.
In case you're mindful of nutrition, keep track of your intake with this recipe, as it contains carefully measured amounts of unsalted butter, sugar, and spices like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.
Should you wish to decorate your Apple Cupcakes with a touch of caramel, feel free to unwrap a bag of caramels and prepare a sweet and smooth caramel icings for a delectable coating. Decorate your cupcakes with various toppings like toasted pecan pieces, fresh apples, or even a sprinkle of powdered sugar for a tantalizing finishing touch.
