Caramel Glazed Applesauce Spice Cake

My Todd really loves a spice cake, and this applesauce cake is one of his favourites.   He loves apple anything to begin with, but when you combine the flavour of apples in a cake along with the warm baking spices, he is in cake heaven.  He would probably rather have an apple pie for sure, but this is a close second on his list of teatime loves.



It's not surprising really . . .  this cake is moist and filled with lovely warm flavours . . .  cinnamon, ginger, allspice  . . .  and the surprising addition of black pepper.



 It smells like heaven when it is baking  . . .  it smells like all the comforts of mom, home and apple pie  . . .  but it's a cake, not a pie.  You can hardly wait for it to come out of the oven!  But that's not al . . .  there's even more deliciousness!



Look at  that glorious caramel glaze  . . .  oh so rich and delicious . . .  dripping down and gilding all those lovely spiced crevices and curves!  Just like a warm brown sugar fudge  . . .  like my mom's fudge . . .  poured over the cake . . .



This is the perfect weekend cake . . .  the cake your family will love.  The cake your family will beg you to make again and again.   I sure wish I could have a piece . . .  sigh  . . .

 

I confess I had a little corner, a tiny smidgen . . . it is the heavendom of delicious cakedom . . .  and that eensie peensie tiny morsel was pure bliss.  The only way this could get any better is if you topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*Caramel Glazed Spiced Applesauce Cake*

Makes 10 servings

Printable Recipe 

A deliciously spiced moist Bundt cake with a fabulous brown sugar caramel glaze.  Perfect for the holidays. 

For the cake:

280g of plain flour, sifted (2 cups)

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper (fine)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground allspice or mixed spice

2 large free range eggs

190g of golden caster sugar (1 cup fine granulated sugar)

100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)

330g of unsweetened applesauce ( 1 1/2 cups)

156ml of vegetable oil (2/3 cup)

1 tsp pure vanilla 

For the glaze:

4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into chunks

100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)

78ml of heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk (1/3 cup)

pinch salt

97g to 130g of sifted icing sugar (3/4 to 1 cup, powdered sugar) 

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a bundt pan (6 pint or 12 cup).  Dust lightly with flour. 

Sift the flour into a bowl, along with the soda, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger.   Stir in the castor and brown sugars.  Whisk together the applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Add at once to the dry ingredients.  Fold together, taking care not to overmix.   Pour into the prepared bundt pan. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean.   Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Cool completely before making the glaze. 

To make the glaze, put the butter,brown sugar, cream and salt into a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat.  Once it reaches a rolling boil, allow it to boil for exactly 1 minute and no longer.  Remove from the heat immediately and whisk in the icing sugar until smooth.  Spoon over the cooled cake.  Let set before serving.  Cut into slices to serve.

 Note, this is neither low sugar nor low fat.  Proceed with caution if you are dieting or watching your fat and sugar intake!  Boo Hoo!  *sniff *sniff