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Everyone in this house loves apples, and what better than in a bundt cake. The added pecan nuts make it even better. I decided to make this cake and take it to an afternoon barbecue so that others could also enjoy the lovely flavours.
I made my own apple sauce by stewing diced apples with a little water until very soft and then pureeing them. It was nice to have the chunks of apple in the mix also.
I wasn’t sure to begin with whether the mix would be too much for my tin, but as you can see it turned out great.
The cream cheese layer wasn’t as nice as the original version but it still tasted really good. I believe the icing was a little too thin for my liking, and next time would make it thicker.
It was enjoyed by all who tried the cake, and I would probably make it again.
Hope you try it. Enjoy!
- Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cake
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish, optional)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup 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 unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 2-3 medium apples)
- Praline Frosting
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12 or 14 cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with
- flour (the cake will fit in a 12-cup bundt, but just barely).
- To make the filling: Add the cream cheese, butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer
- fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and
- smooth. Add the egg, flour and vanilla and continue beating just until incorporated. Set
- aside.
- Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or
- just until fragrant. Remove the pan to a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and
- allspice together. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix just until combined
- (I started with a whisk and switched to a rubber spatula). Fold in the toasted pecans and
- chopped apples until distributed throughout the batter.
- Spoon about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the
- cream cheese filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the pan (I found this
- tricky, just do the best you can). Use a thin paring knife to swirl the cream cheese filling
- with the cake batter just a few times - less is more. Top the filling with the remaining
- cake batter.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out
- clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto
- the rack and allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours).
- To make the frosting: Combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a 2-qt saucepan. Set
- over medium heat, and bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Boil for 1 minute,
- whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the
- confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated and the frosting
- is smooth. Gently stir the frosting until it starts to thicken, then pour it over the cooled
- cake. (The frosting will set up quickly, so don't make it in advance - wait until the cake
- has cooled completely.) Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.
- My cake only took barely 60 minutes to cook, test with a skewer to check.
