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By Root 1117 0

mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well combined and smooth. Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 cake pans, pouring the batter over the pears and smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the cake pans in the oven side by side.

5. Bake the cake layers until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 25 to 27 minutes. Remove the cake pans from the oven and carefully run a knife around the edge of each cake. Invert the cakes onto serving plates immediately and let them cool for 10 minutes.

6. Cut the cakes into wedges and serve with ice cream.

Keep It Fresh! Store these cakes, in cake savers or loosely covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to three days. It does not freeze well.

APPLE BUTTER SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

SOME OF MY FAVORITE NEW CAKES have come from testing recipes for “A Piece of Cake,” my online newsletter. Often these recipes are something I develop out of the blue, but just as often they are to fill a request from a reader. This cake is one of the latter. A reader from San Antonio was looking for a spice cake with a filling of apple butter. I could not get this idea out of my head so I went to work. The apple butter and orange filling is sandwiched between my sour cream spice layers. And the caramel frosting on the top and side makes this a crowd-pleaser.

serves:

12 to 16

prep:

30 minutes

bake:

16 to 18 minutes

cool:

30 minutes

For the cake

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans

Flour, for dusting the pans

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling

1 large egg

1 large orange (see Note)

2 cups apple butter

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter

½ cup finely chopped toasted pecans (see page 204)

Quick Caramel Frosting (page 485)

Recipe Reminders

MADE FOR

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PREP NOTES

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DON’T FORGET

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SPECIAL TOUCHES

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1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist three 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, 3 eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the cake batter evenly among the 3 prepared cake pans, about 1½ cups of batter per pan, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold 3 pans on the center rack, place 2 pans on that rack and one in the center of the rack above.

3. Bake the cake layers until they are light brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 16 to 18 minutes. The cake layer on the higher rack may bake faster so test it for doneness first. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks