It's apple season! I love apples! We recently visited a local orchard and had a great time despite the rain picking our own apples. Up until I tried this recipe, I had never had a lot of success with pound cakes. Other people certainly do, but not me. However, somehow...some way...this one worked for me. And boy am I glad that it did! It was moist, sweet, and just the perfect notes for fall. The caramel frosting was absolute perfection and could be used for other desserts as well. This was a feature in Southern Living magazine and it is definitely worth adding to your repertoire!
Ingredients: apple butter, pecans - toasted and finely chopped, vegetable shortening, butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, large eggs, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, whole milk, powdered sugar, dried apple chips (optional)
Step 1: Stir together apple butter and pecans in a small bowl; set aside. Grease (with vegetable shortening or butter) and flour a 14-cup Bundt pan; set aside. Step 2: Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Step 3: Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Step 4: Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Step 5: Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Step 6: Stir ¼ cup batter into apple butter mixture. Pour half of the remaining batter into prepared Bundt pan. Using a small offset spatula or knife, make about a ¾-inch-wide x ¾-inch-deep trench (or channel) in center of batter around pan. Spoon apple butter mixture into trench. Top with remaining cake batter. Step 7: Bake in preheated oven until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour, 35 minutes). Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, and remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Step 8: While cake cools, bring brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium, whisking constantly. Step 9: Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Step 10: Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, and whisk gently until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately spoon over cooled cake; top with apple chips, if desired.
Apple Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting
Recipe:
1 c. apple butter
¼ c. finely chopped, toasted pecans
Vegetable shortening or butter
1 ½ c. butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 c. granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
3 t. vanilla extract, divided
½ c. packed light brown sugar
¼ c. butter
3 T. whole milk
1 c. powdered sugar
½ c. dried apple chips (optional)
Stir together apple butter and pecans in a small bowl; set aside. Grease (with vegetable shortening or butter) and flour a 14-cup Bundt pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Stir ¼ cup batter into apple butter mixture. Pour half of the remaining batter into prepared Bundt pan. Using a small offset spatula or knife, make about a ¾-inch-wide x ¾-inch-deep trench (or channel) in center of batter around pan. Spoon apple butter mixture into trench. Top with remaining cake batter. Bake in preheated oven until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour, 35 minutes). Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, and remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. While cake cools, bring brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth, and whisk gently until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately spoon over cooled cake; top with apple chips, if desired.
Source: Southern Living https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/apple-butter-pound-cake-caramel-frosting