Before we get to the cake, I have a little house-keeping matter to take care of...
Today I'm doing double duty...posting here and Guest Posting over at Sew We Quilt/Stash Manicure...If you haven't visited Sew We Quilt before, now would be a good time...they are in the 2nd month of a 3-month DAILY giveaway!! And the prizes are amazing...sewing machines, irons, gobs and gobs of fabrics and every kind of notion/sewing/quilting supply you can think of! To get in on the fun, all you have to do is be a quilter, or a wantobe quilter...just let me know and I'll get you signed up! Click on over and have yourselves a looksy, I'm serving up an Iron Cozy Tutorial...which I'm sure you need, who doesn't need an Iron Cozy?!?
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When the September issue of Southern Living arrived on my doorstep, the cover photograph practically jumped down my throat! Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake...I mean, what's not to love? Apples, cream cheese, spices...the taste of Autumn in every bite! I donned my apron and reached for my Bundt...it was not in it's usual place. Nor was it in anywhere in my kitchen, or the cave (the hallway/dumping ground under the stairs) or in my "Personal Overflow Area" in the garage...you have one of those, right? I searched everywhere...no Bundt pans to be seen. So I called the mister at World Headquarters and asked him if he'd seen my Bundts...he said, "Yes, I've seen them and I'd like to see them again!" Everyone's a comedian...I explained that I was missing my Bundt pans, all THREE of them...he claimed to have no knowledge of Bundts, except for the ones on my backside, hardy-har-har...so I hung up and began a new search. Then the boy came home...I asked him about the missing Bundts and he told me he thought the mister used them to change the oil in the car/lawn mower/edger/whatever...oh REEE-Heeee-LEEEE! Back on the phone with the mister...I ask him about his oil change and the PANS he used...and he said, "Oh that?! I used those metal bowls with the spouts you set out for Good Will." I told him those were my missing BUNDT pans and he said, "Well how am I supposed to know what a Bundt pan is?!?" Oh gee, how old are you?!? How can you have an A.A.R.P. card and not know what a BUNDT pan is?!?! And let's see...were the Bundt pans in my Personal Overflow Area, on the shelf in the storage room, no where near the black plastic bag clearly marked Good Will?!?!? Some days it just doesn't pay to be me. Just answer me this...who's idea was it for men and women to live together?!?!
This is a good-ol'fashioned cake...it reminded me of my grandma and my mom...it is not only memorable, it's memory-making! Dense, moist, rich crumb...softened apple bits with the crunch of pecans and the creamiest of fillings...I'm telling you, this cake has it goin' on! And the frosting? Fogettaboutit! It's ridiculously good...praline frosting...praline...sugary-buttery-caramelly-coma-inducing praline frosting! It could only be better if vanilla ice cream were served with it!
Those apples may look like they've seen better days, but they were hand-picked by yours truly Thursday morning...my parents have an apple tree in their back yard and I just couldn't leave it alone! I picked apples every day! When it came time to leave I picked about 20 pounds of apples to bring home; I know Washington is the apple state but these little green beauties are so good I couldn't resist! I stuffed about 10 pounds into my suitcase and the other 10 went into my carry-on...the ones in the suitcase came out a little bruised, thanks to Delta...
That's my bag the guy has his hands on...and what you don't see is him throwing all 45 lbs. of it into the little container...it was on the bottom of the container and bags were thrown on top - and I do mean thrown. My poor little apples! But they survived and made the most delicious cake!
I actually made two of these cakes, one for my friend Denise on Friday and one for a little gathering we had on Saturday...I think I just might have to make another one today to say good-bye to summer and hello to fall! 5 dangs on the ol' meter...this one is dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!
Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake - Adapted From Southern Living, September 2011
Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Apple Cake Batter:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly 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 applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (I used Granny Smiths, recipe called for Gala's), about 1 1/2 lbs.
Praline Frosting:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup pecan halves for garnishing cake, optional
Prepare filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended. Set aside.
Prepare cake batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove and set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine 3 cups flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, soda, nutmeg and allspice, whisk together lightly. In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs, add to flour mixture. Add canola oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in apples and pecans. Batter will be very thick.
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 Cream Cheese Filling.
Bake at 350 degrees 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 wire rack, and cool completely, about 2 hours.
Prepare Frosting: Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and 3 tablespoons milk to a boil in a 2-quart 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. (Do not let frosting sit or it will harden and you won't be able to frost the cake!) Garnish the frosting with pecan halves. Serves 12.
