All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [34]
4. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the egg in a metal bowl and beat until the egg is lemon colored. Rinse the orange and pat it dry with paper towels. Grate enough zest to measure ½ teaspoon. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl; you will need 1/3 cup of juice. Add the orange zest and juice to the beaten egg and set this mixture aside.
5. Place the apple butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir it with a whisk until it is steaming and bubbly. Pour half of the hot apple butter into the egg mixture and whisk briskly to combine. Pour this egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining apple butter and whisk briskly over low heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, stir until it melts, then let cool.
6. To assemble the cake, transfer one layer, right side up, to a serving plate or cake stand, spread half of the filling on top and sprinkle ¼ cup of the pecans over the filling. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first and spread the remaining filling over it, topping it with the remaining ¼ cup of pecans. Place the third layer of cake on top of the second. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and set it aside.
7. Make the caramel frosting.
8. While the frosting is warm, spoon or pour two thirds of the frosting over the top of the cake, letting it flow down the side. Using a long metal icing spatula, spread out the frosting on top and spread it around the side. Add more frosting as needed to cover the side of the cake, working with smooth, clean strokes. As the frosting cools, it will harden.
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, in a cake saver or loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to three days. Freeze the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to six months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Note: If the orange does not yield 1/3 cup of juice, use orange juice from a carton to make up the difference.
Can’t Find a Spice Cake Mix?
Use a plain vanilla or yellow cake mix and stir in 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
CINNAMON APPLE SPICE CAKE
UNLIKE MOST SHOPPERS I don’t stroll down the supermarket aisles just in search of dinner ideas. I also look for new ingredients I might use in baking. And this recipe is a great example for it is based on those cinnamon apple rings that come packed in a jar. I looked at them one day and didn’t think roast pork or ham. I thought pureed in a spice cake batter. In this cake the apples create pretty and fragrant, pink and moist layers. If you can’t find spiced apple rings substitute 1 cup of cinnamon-flavored applesauce.
serves:
12 to 16
prep:
25 minutes
bake:
25 to 30 minutes
cool:
25 minutes
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans
Flour, for dusting the pans
1 jar (14.5 ounces) spiced apple rings
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Buttercream Frosting (page 468)
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional; see page 204), for garnish
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.
2. Drain the apple rings, discarding the juice. Blend the apple rings in a food processor until they are almost smooth, about 6 pulses. You will have almost 1 cup of apples.
3. Place the pureed apple rings, cake mix, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients