Caramel Applesauce Cake

Well the last couple of post were all about my little guy's Toy Story Party.  We had a ball that day, but we had another celebration in our family.  As previously mentioned, my father-in-law shares a birthday with Brandon.  It was wonderful that my in-laws made the trip to help celebrate Brandon's birthday. 

We decided to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday the next night.  (I don't think he really wanted a Toy Story cake.)  My father-in-law really likes the spice, vanilla, caramel flavor profiles.  While he will eat chocolate cake if it is the only option, he's more of a spicy kind of guy.  So I made an applesauce cake with a caramel glaze from the Cake Mix Doctor Returns, by Anne Byrn.

This cake is so moist it can be made a few days in advance.  The caramel glaze just seeps into the cake and makes it more moist.  I recommend serving it with a bit a whipped cream to help cut the spicy flavors.  Linking to these parties.

recipe

1 package (18.25 oz) plain spice cake mix
2 c. sweetened chunky applesauce
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used regular milk)
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, and mix on medium for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.  Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with baking spray.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  Check with a cake tester, when it comes out clean remove from the oven an allow to cool. 

caramel glaze

3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cream in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring with a whisk.  Remove from heat, add vanilla.  Pour glaze over cooled cake. This glaze will not harden.  Also great topping for a bundt cake or ice cream.

If desired, top glazed cake with toasted nuts for garnish.

To Die For Crumb Cake

I'm saying a lot when I've named this recipe, To Die For Crumb Cake, but it is really that good.  Crumb cake or coffee cake, is one of my favorite treats.  While I love chocolate items, my heart is really reserved for vanilla and cinnamon. 

I have been thinking about crumb cake for a while.  I have tried the commercial varieties and each one has a part of it that I like.  I even tasted one at a local coffee house, and while I liked the topping, the cake itself I found to be a bit dry.  So I decided to take the favorite parts of each, and form my own creation.

So how did I come with this recipe???  I took the batter from a basic coffee cake, and made a few changes.  I used half and half instead of milk, I added sour cream, and pumped up the vanilla and cinnamon.  Then I took the topping from my grandmother's streusel cake added more cinnamon to it, and viola, a great combination. 

Who got to test this recipe??? The first tasters were myself, Jay, and the kids.  Once it passed our scrutiny, Jay took the rest to work for an event.  The employees loved it!  It was the first thing off the table, even before my triple chocolate brownies.  No one believed it was the first time I made it.  I must say, I really lucked out having the recipe work the first time out.  Sometimes with baking there are more errors than victories.  This victory is going to be a staple in my baking arsenal.
Linking to these parties.
ingredients for cake

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c. half and half
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon

ingredients for streusel

1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the streusel, mixing with a fork, until it looks like wet sand; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, half and half, vanilla, and sour cream.  Slowly add dry ingredients until just mixed. 

Pour batter into a greased 1/4 sheet pan, or 9 x 13 pan.  I lined the bottom of my pan with parchment, for easy removal of the cake.  Sprinkle the streusel crumbs over the cake.  Bake for 34 minutes, or until the center tests clean with a toothpick.

Allow to cool before cutting.  When completely cooled, dust with powder sugar.