Spiced Caramel Apple Cake with Vanilla-Flecked Buttercream #AppleWeek #Sponsored

 This post is sponsored in conjunction with #AppleWeek.

I received complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #AppleWeek recipes.

All opinions are mine alone.

Here we are at Day Six of this year's #AppleWeek! It's the last day!! You can read my introductory post, peruse the prize packages from our event sponsors, and enter the giveaway: here. You won't want to miss out. Really.

As far as recipes go, two dozen bloggers have been working hard to bring you over ninety recipes to bring apples to your Autumn table. Here are the Saturday offerings for you.

#AppleWeek Day Six Recipes

• Apple Cider Tea Latte by Who Needs A Cape?
• Cheddar Apple Biscuits by Simple and Savory
• Chicken Normandy by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hard Cider Iced Tea by The Baking Fairy
• Spiced Caramel Apple Cake with Vanilla-Flecked Buttercream by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Spiced Caramel Apple Cake 

with Vanilla-Flecked Buttercream

I had initially planned to share some oat-crisp stuffed baked apples. And I still will...call it a bonus recipe! But this weekend Jake's parents are coming to town and the boys asked if I could make a cake for dessert. Done. This cake is spiced with oils and filled with caramel from Chocoley, sweetened with sugar from Bob's Red Mill, topped with vanilla-sautéed apples made with Envy with Taylor & Colledge products, and drizzled with Puremade Caramel Sauce from Torani. [updated January 2020: unfortunately Chocoley is no longer in business, so I have removed all of the links to their site!]

And my kitchen tools from Zyliss made prep a snap. I have never been a gadgety kinda gal, but I will admit that I was quickly enamored with how easily this cored an apple. And the knife was a dream to use as well.

Gotta love these generous event sponsors. 

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 C (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 C cane sugar (prefer Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 C honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 C chunky applesauce
• 3 C flour
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 T ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground cardamom
• 1/2 t ground all-spice
• 2 to 3 drops nutmeg flavor oil (prefer LorAnn from Chocoley)
• 2 to 3 drops ginger flavor oil (prefer LorAnn from Chocoley)

Buttercream

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 C water
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 T organic corn syrup
• 2 C butter, softened
• 1 T organic vanilla paste (prefer Taylor & Colledge)

For Serving

• 2 peeled, diced apples (prefer Envy)
• 2 T butter
• 1 T cane sugar (prefer Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t organic vanilla paste (prefer Taylor & Colledge)
• 1 to 2 T water
• 2 T caramel, softened (prefer Chocoley)
• caramel sauce for drizzling (prefer Torani)

Procedure

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9" round baking pans by buttering them and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey until lightened and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat again. Stir in the applesauce.

Fold the dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture to form a thick batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before assembling.

Buttercream

Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat on high until they are thick, pale, and ribbon off the whisks.

Combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. You can attach a candy thermometer to the side; I just kept testing until it reached soft-ball stage. If you're using a thermometer, heat until it reaches 238 degrees F. For testing otherwise, dip a spoon into the syrup, then into ice cold water. The syrup should immediately set up into a soft ball. Mine took about 8 minutes to reach the correct consistency.

Once the syrup is ready, remove it from the heat. While one hand hold the mixer, use the other hand to pour the syrup into the yolks. When all of the syrup is added, turn the mixer up to high and beat until the yolks have doubled in size and have reached medium peak stage. The bowl should be cooled and just lukewarm to the touch. Mine took about 9 minutes.

Begin adding butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. The more butter you add, the more firm the buttercream will be. Once your buttercream resembles what you think of as buttercream, add in the vanilla paste and beat until well-combined.  

For Serving
Melt butter in a pan and add in the diced apples. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cook until the apples are softened. Add water if the apples seem too dry.

Once the cake layers have cooled completely, use a serrated knife to cut the layers flat. Spread a generous amount of buttercream and two dollops of softened caramel between the layers and place them on your serving platter.

Smooth the buttercream over the top and along the sides. Refrigerate to let the buttercream harden.

When ready to serve, drizzle with caramel sauce and top with apples.

We had this for dessert with both sets of our parents. It was a sweet evening for more than one reason.

Sponsor Ingredients Used

in This Recipe

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Disclaimer: Thank you AppleWeek Sponsors:  Envy Apples, Bob’s Red Mill, Republic of Tea, Flahavan’s Irish Oats, Nairn’s, Taylor & College, Zyliss, Chocoley, and Torani  for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for AppleWeek  recipes. All opinions are my own. The AppleWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Nine (9) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The AppleWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the AppleWeek posts or entry.