Christmas Pie is a real treat and a family favorite dessert that has been serving delicious joy to generations of our family. A unique creation, Christmas Pie tastes of home in every crumbly, nut infused, gooey bite. I really, really love this special treat, which is often requested by me and always what my mom would bake on special occasions. From homecomings, family gatherings, and holidays – me and warm Christmas Pie. A little taste of home. What could be better than that? Sharing Christmas Pie with y’all of course! This traditional recipe that Grandmother Solbakken served at family gatherings and special occasions has been passed down to me from my own mom.

Spread the joy and go nuts. Seriously. Christmas Pie is not really a pie but a delicious holiday bar featuring nuts. Simple, comforting, easy, and really, really good any time of year. See? Nutty indeed. Christmas Pie is all about NUTS in a gooey, crackly, powdered sugar, yummy sorta way. The original Christmas Pie recipe called for walnuts which grow and are abundant in Northern California, but really any of your favorite nuts can be added. Now that I am a nutty Texan I like to eat what grows local here – Pecans baby! My Christmas Pie is all about the glory of pecans…

Simply wonderful Christmas Pie.

Yummy, gooey, powdered sugar goodness

Equipment:
Electric Hand Mixer
Knife or flat mallet
Wire Whisk
Sifter, or fine mesh strainer

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 ½ cup flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

3 cups of your favorite chopped nuts.
Mine? Pecans.

~Plus ½ cup sifted powdered sugar for the top~

First things first: Preheat the  oven to 300°; grease and flour a 9×13 glass baking dish.

Get started by beating the eggs on medium speed until blended.

Add the brown sugar

and beat on medium speed until well mixed.

Time for some vanilla extract action.

Give it a good mixing and then set it aside.

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk it all together and

add it to the egg mixture.

Beat on medium speed, until thoroughly mixed.

The batter will be very thick and will have a gooey consistency.

Time to go nuts.

Chop the pecans into pieces and

add ‘em all to the batter.

Pile o’ nuts.

Stir in the chopped nuts.

Look ma!

No hands! Your spoon should stand straight up.

Time for a taste test.

YUM.

Spoon the batter into the prepared glass baking dish, evenly spreading the mixture out.

If the mixture is too thick to spread out evenly,

place saran wrap over the top of the batter,

flatten with the palm of your hands,

and roll a cup over the top until the batter is smooth and even.

Finish of the top using a flat spreading knife.

Time for the oven!
In a mere 32 minutes (30-35 minutes total time) you will have

fresh from the oven Christmas Pie.

Cut while warm!

Witness the gooey goodness

and crackly top.

Cut into mouth sized bars, cutting some big sized bars for Santa.

Place on a wire rack to cool.

When cool, sift powdered sugar on top.

It’s not really Christmas until Christmas Pie arrives.

HELLO.

Spread Christmas cheer.
Go nuts.
Do it for Santa

and for the best present ever – sharing Christmas Pie with ones you love!

Happiness and warm Christmas Pie.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Christmas Pie

3 eggs, beaten
3 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 ½ cup flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups of your favorite nuts, chopped (I used Pecans)

½ cup sifted powdered sugar, sprinkled over the top

Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour a 9×13 glass baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs and add the brown sugar beating on medium speed until well mixed. Add the vanilla extract, beating until blended and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, and then add it to the egg mixture, beating on medium speed, until thoroughly mixed; it will have a thick and gooey consistency. Stir in the chopped nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared glass baking dish, evenly spreading the mixture out. If the mixture is too thick to spread, place saran wrap over the top of the batter, flatten with the palm of your hands, and roll a cup over the top until the batter is smooth and even. Finish by using a flat spreading knife to smooth the top surface. Bake in a 300° oven for 30-35 minutes (I baked mine for 32 minutes.) IMPORTANT! Cut into bars while warm! It will seem a bit gooey & gummy – this is good! Place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top. Not just for the holidays, Christmas Pie is good anytime!

Happy Holidays!
Robyn

Got your attention? Good.

Okay. I have to admit that I have been REALLY slow at getting my recent Zesty Kitchen recipes out to y’all. One of the problems I find now is that I am taking a bazillion great pictures with my fantastic Nikon camera. This is also the monster I call “editing”. All of these great pictures ensures lots of time with the “monster”. Picking and choosing what y’all are gonna see on MZL. I am not holding out on you, my zesty kitchen friends… I swear! Today is delivery day.

But wait. There’s another reason. I tend to get a little choked up in my old age, when I look at this picture -

Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake and the birthday boy. I guess I have to start saying young man, huh? Sniffle.
I know. This is a silly picture. It’s just that this picture used to hold an image of a baby. And now look what happened. This. 16 year old C$. Whaa.

But wait? Didn’t I mention a Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake? Of course I did. Which brings me back to my zesty life, you and this special recipe. A bright, yummy side to it all – ’cause I love ya.

C.A.C. This year C$’s birthday cake request: “a layer cake that has caramel, apples, and spices”. Complicated, huh? Can’t I hit rewind? Back to baby smiles over a train decorated boxed cake? Nope, not when you can get this. Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake, a special cake for a special 16 year old C$.
If you like caramel apples you will be in for a treat. This delicious double decker spice cake is filled with a caramel apple cinnamon concoction & then glazed. It is so dang good. If you already haven’t guessed, we love apples, cakes and caramel around these parts. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake – definitely worth the wait.

First things first. Set aside the following ingredients:
Caramel Apple Filling & Topping: 3 Granny Smith apples or apples of your choice, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks, 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 4 Tablespoons Butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cups cream, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract. Don’t know how to make Caramel Sauce? Get my zesty lowdown here.
Cream Cheese Glazed: 1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 ½ cups sifter powdered sugar.

For the Spice Cake:

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt, 1 cup brown sugar, packed, ½ cup white sugar, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 stick butter, softened
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (all natural), 1 cup buttermilk, and 3 eggs.

Round up the following spices

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and a ½ teaspoon ground coriander. I like to pre-blend my herb?spice and seasoning mixes. You can always skip this step and add ‘em straight to the flour mixture. It’s our little secret.

Give the spices a good whisk and then set aside.

To the the flour add

the baking soda, baking powder, a pinch o’ salt and the

mucho spices.

Give it another whisk, and set it aside.

On to the eggs. “You gotta keep ‘em separated!” Do you know what song this is?

Separate the yolks from the whites.

Place the whites into a medium bowl.

Keep ‘em separated and set ‘em aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°. and prepare two two 9-inch round cake pans with grease and flour. I use non-stick baking spray with flour.

Butter time.

Using a Kitchen Aid or electric mixer, cream the butter

and sugar together in a large bowl.

Add the egg yolks one at a time,

beating well after each addition.

Add the applesauce

and vanilla extract, beating on medium speed until well blended.

Add the buttermilk

and flour alternately.

Mix on medium speed until the batter is well blended.

Grab the egg whites and your hand mixer.

Beat the egg whites on high. Watch them go from this

to billows of fluff

and then to this. Stiff peaks.

Grab the yummy spice batter. It will get nice and airy with the addition of the whites.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter until combined.

Fold gently and

carry a big spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Time to get busy with the Caramel Apple Filling & Topping; prepare and set aside or refrigerate. Wanna 2-step? Follow the 2-step link for step by step instructions OR boogie on down to the recipe instructions.

Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes on wire racks; turn the cakes out onto the racks to finish cooling. Get going on the Cream Cheese Glazing. Ready? Set. 2-step with me or follow the recipe instructions.

Turn the cooled cakes onto a wax paper or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Here’s the trick. This will keep the toppings, fillings and glazing, off of the surface of the cake dishes. You will see in a moment how this works.

In the meantime, look.

Caramel Apple Filling has showed up just in time. Oh yeah. You know what this means.

Spread the the filling evenly out

and then top it with the remaining layer of cake.

Ready? Set?

Glaze me baby!

Drizzle the top with the Cream Cheese Glazing, starting in the center of the cake. This ensures that the cake will have even drips and dribbles.

Glaze away!

Dribble, drip. YUM.

Transfer the glazed goodness on to the cake stand and cut around the base, in a nice pretty circle. See?
No cake gunk on my serving platter. Nice trick huh?

Another trick -

a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Look.

Every angle is pure

Caramel Apple Filled

Perfection.

A tower of spice cake love.

Happy Birthday C$, with many happy returns! Love, MOM

An Anomaly: I give the MZL photos abbreviated intitials when organizing pictures for publication. It just so happened that the abbreviation I used for Caramel Apple Cake, “CAC” also stands for the actual initials in C$ name. Pretty weird huh?

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Caramel Apple filled Spice Cake or C.A.C.

Spice Cake:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground coriander
In a medium bowl, wire whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 stick butter, softened
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (all natural)
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs, separated *Place the separated whites into a large bowl

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour (or use non-stick baking spray with flour) two 9 inch round cake pans.

Using a Kitchen Aid or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the applesauce and vanilla extract, beating on medium speed until well blended. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, mixing on medium speed until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter until combined. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Prepare the Caramel Apple Filling & Topping; set aside or refrigerate. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes on wire racks; turn the cakes out onto the racks to finish cooling. Prepare the Cream Cheese Glazing and set aside. Assemble the cooled cake by spooning a generous amount of Caramel Apple Filling on the top of one cake layer. Spread the filling evenly out and then top it with the remaining layer of cake. Ice the cake by drizzling the top with the Cream Cheese Glazing. Finish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Serve each slice with a spoonful of the Caramel Apple filling on top!

Caramel Apple Filling & Topping

3 Granny Smith apples or apples of your choice, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
2-3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (optional), dissolved in ½ teaspoon COLD water

In a medium bowl, toss together the cubed apples, two Tablespoons of the lemon juice and the cinnamon. In a medium saucepan, cook the apples over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil; add the remaining lemon juice. Turn down the heat and let the apples simmer, stirring often. If you notice a lot of liquid follow the *instructions for adding cornstarch to thicken. Cook the apples for about 5 minutes until al dente. We like our apples still a bit crunchy. Set aside.

*Some apple varieties produce a lot of juices when they cook down. If there is a lot of liquid you will need to thicken it up by adding cornstarch. Mix ½ teaspoon cornstarch into ½ teaspoon COLD water until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the dissolved cornstarch into the apples. Stir and cook over med/high heat until the apple mixture is thickened. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan add:
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cups cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Mix the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan over medium low. Cook and whisk for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the caramel sauce over the cooked apples, stirring the mixture until is thoroughly combined. Spoon the filling into a glass bowl. To avoid moisture and condensation, cover the Caramel Apple mixture by placing plastic wrap directly on the top of the filling, and refrigerate. Caramel Apple Filling and Topping is freezer friendly; spoon the mixture into an appropriate container and freeze.

Cream Cheese Glazing

1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Blend cream cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon juice together. Then gradually add:
1 ½ cups sifter powdered sugar

Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until the glazing is smooth, drizzling consistency. If it is too thick, add a little more lemon juice a teaspoon at a time.

Calling all you caramel and apple lovers!  This is the delicious filling I made for my Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake. It is such a wonderful Caramel Apple Filling & Topping, that it deserves a spot of it’s own.

Caramel Apple Filling is not only a terrific cake filling, it is also great to have around for an anytime topping or filling. Try it as a topping on ice cream (sooo good warm,  heaped over vanilla ice cream), cakes (yellow & angel food are yum) and cheesecake. It makes a fantastic and quick filling for cakes,  pies, crisps, or cobblers. You are truly only limited by your imagination.  Double the batch to have on hand in the fridge or freezer; freezer friendly and so convenient.
Let me know your creative uses for my Caramel Apple Filling & Topping in your dessert creations! I am always inspired by you, my zesty friends.

Let’s start with the apple part:

3 Granny Smith apples or apples of your choice, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks, 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon juice, and 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (*1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (optional), dissolved in ½ teaspoon COLD water)

Peel and cube the apples into ½ inch chunks.

In a medium bowl or saucepan, add the lemon juice and

and cinnamon.

Give the apples a good toss; coat ‘em real good with the lemon juice and cinnamon.

Cook the apples over medium heat

and bring the mixture to a boil; ** add the remaining lemon juice.
** If you notice a lot of liquid, do not add the lemon juice and follow the cornstarch instructions for thickening.

Cook the apples for about 5 minutes or until the apples have cooked down to your liking.  We like our apples still a bit crunchy. Turn off the heat, and set the cooked apples aside. These apples are beggin’ for some caramel action. I won’t let you down Mrs. Smith.

To the rescue – my homemade Caramel Sauce. YUMMMM!
REVERB ALERT! this sauce is featured in Chocolate Caramel Decadence Cake.

Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cups cream, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.  (The powdered sugar is NOT needed)

Using a wire whisk, mix the butter

cream,

brown sugar,

and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat.

Cook and whisk for 7 minutes until bubbly.

Remove from heat and

add the vanilla extract.

Whisk until the vanilla is blended into the caramel goodness.

Now pour. It’s okay if a few drizzles happen to fall on your fingers.
Waste not, want not – right? Lick fingers, wash hands, and back to work!

Stir that creamy caramel goodness into the apples.

Pour the filling into a glass bowl.  Cover the filling by placing plastic wrap directly on the top of the filling, and refrigerate until you are ready to use. Caramel Apple Filling & Topping is freezer friendly; spoon the mixture into an appropriate container and freeze.

Ooey, gooey, caramel

apples, have a special spot in my heart mouth.

Say Ah.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Caramel Apple Filling & Topping

3 Granny Smith apples or apples of your choice, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
2-3 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (optional), dissolved in ½ teaspoon COLD water

In a medium bowl, toss together the cubed apples, two Tablespoons of the lemon juice and the cinnamon. In a medium saucepan, cook the apples over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil; add the remaining lemon juice. Turn down the heat and let the apples simmer, stirring often. If you notice a lot of liquid follow the *instructions for adding cornstarch to thicken. Cook the apples for about 5 minutes until al dente. We like our apples still a bit crunchy. Set aside.

*Some apple varieties produce a lot of juices when they cook down. If there is a lot of liquid you will need to thicken it up by adding cornstarch. Mix ½ teaspoon cornstarch into ½ teaspoon COLD water until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the dissolved cornstarch into the apples. Stir and cook over med/high heat until the apple mixture is thickened. Set aside.

Caramel Sauce:

4 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cups cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan add the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan over medium low. Cook and whisk for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the caramel sauce over the cooked apples, stirring the mixture until is thoroughly combined. Spoon the filling into a glass bowl. To avoid moisture and condensation, cover the Caramel Apple mixture by placing plastic wrap directly on the top of the filling, and refrigerate. Caramel Apple Filling and Topping is freezer friendly; spoon the mixture into an appropriate container and freeze. A wonderful filling for cakes, pies, crisps, or cobblers; use it as a topping for ice cream, cakes, cheesecake and more…

When you don’t want a frosting, you want a Glazing! Cream Cheese Glazing, tops it all off…cakes, brownies, cookies, you name it.  Light, and not to sweet, Cream Cheese Glazing adds a perfect touch. Easy, adaptable, and fun to make! The one and only finale for my Caramel Apple Filled Spice Cake.

Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar.

Start by juicing your juicy lemon.

SQ Ah EEEE ZE Please.

In a medium bowl, add the softened cream cheese, and

Vanilla extract.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract

until it looks nice and creamy and dreamy.

Gradually add the powdered sugar.

Beat the mixture until it reaches a creamy, but thin appearance. This is looking a wee bit thick, and we want a Glazing remember? No  frosting allowed!

Add a little more lemon juice – a teaspoon at a time.

Turn on the beater, and

presto, chango, let the glazing began.

Perfect Cream Cheese Glazing

sweet,                          smooth

drizzle.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Cream Cheese Glazing

1 Tablespoon softened cream cheese
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, add the softened cream cheese, lemon juice and Vanilla extract. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until the glazing reaches a smooth, drizzling consistency. If it is too thick, add a little more lemon juice a teaspoon at a time. Use on cakes, brownies, cookies…..

April is a big Birthday month around here so I am going all out with birthday cakes galore featuring cakes made with all the glory and love of caramel. Guess what that means for you? As you can see, my super yummy caramel cake recipes!!! Today’s cake recipe showcases the natural pairing of caramel with chocolate. Next week’s request is a cake creation with caramel & apples. Guess what that means for me? Oh yeaaaahhh! I love cake + feeding family & friends + birthday celebrations + eating cake = big love happiness. Guess what that means for my tummy jelly rolls? Big + Sigh = boo. But I’ll save tummy jelly roll talk for another day ~or~ NOT. Unless the jelly roll is the kind that is sprinkled in powdered sugar.

My sister’s birthday & visit kicked off the party with her request for a caramel and chocolate cake. Of course not just any chocolate & caramel cake will do for my sis. That’s where my creation of her Chocolate Caramel Decadence Cake comes into play. A rich chocolate cake is layered with a purely decadent and out of this world caramel filled center, topped with a salted caramel whipped cream frosting, sprinkled with toffee bits and drizzled in a homemade caramel sauce. Enough said? Huh.

***NOTE!*** Start by making the Caramel Sauce for the Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting. It will need some time to set up and must be cool before using in the frosting recipe. Bonus – the frosting recipe does not use the entire batch of caramel sauce and you will end up with extra! This caramel sauce will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. The extra sauce is great drizzled over ice cream, sundaes, pies, etc…

Let’s get our caramel cake extravaganza on!

Ingredients: 1 package (14 ounces) caramels, 1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk, 1/3 cup butter, 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 stick butter, 1 cup hot water, ½ cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup natural (no sugar added) applesauce, 2 eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Let’s start with the caramel filling

Unwrap 1 package caramels into a small saucepan.

Add the fat free sweetened condensed milk and 1/3 cup butter.

Heat it all over low heat.

Stir until the caramels are melted

and the mixture is smooth.

Set the caramel filling aside and preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour (I use the baking spray) a 13×9 glass baking dish.

It’s now chocolate cake makin’ time!

Melt the chocolate and butter.

With a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer, beat the chocolate and butter at low speed while adding the hot water.

Continue mixing on low, until it is glossy and smooth.

Add the applesauce,

buttermilk,

vanilla,

and eggs.

Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.

Okay, time to do a little taste test just to make sure that it is good. That taste was not good. It was GREAT!!!!

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture.

Beat on medium speed until all of the flour is incorporated.

Keep beating until the cake batter is smooth.

Pour half of the batter in the prepared baking dish

Evenly spread the cake batter out. Time to pop the cake in the oven.

Get the caramel filling ready by reheating it on low heat and stirring until it is a spreadable consistency.

After 15 minutes (do not over-bake), remove the cake from the oven to a heat safe surface and

immediately pour the caramel filling over the top of the hot cake.

Evenly spread out the caramel filling, covering the cake completely.

Top with the other half of cake batter.

Completely cover and smooth the cake batter over the caramel filling.

Pop the cake back into the oven for 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Now on to the Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting.

First things first, homemade Caramel Sauce. YUMMMM!

Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cups cream, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Using a wire whisk, mix the butter

cream,

brown sugar,

and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat.

Cook and whisk for 7 minutes until bubbly.

Remove from heat and

add the vanilla extract.

Whisk until the vanilla is blended into the caramel goodness.

Pour the caramel sauce into glass bowl.

Cover and refrigerate.

The next day I poured the sauce into a fine tipped plastic squeeze bottle to use for decorating the cake and to drizzle on ice cream.

Take the caramel sauce out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting the whipped frosting; the caramel sauce should be at room temperature.

For the whipped frosting: 2 ½ cups whipping cream, 1 cup confectioners sugar and 4-6 Tablespoons of the caramel sauce you made.

Using a Kitchen Aid or a hand mixer, whip the cream on medium high speed.

Add 1 cup confectioners sugar

and beat until soft peaks start to form.

Turn off the mixer. Are you ready? Oh yeah! Taste test time, must insert spoon (or clean finger) into the whipped cream.

Ahhhh. All good.

On low speed add 4-6 Tablespoons of the caramel sauce,

or if you are like me add the caramel sauce to your liking. I likes…A LOT.

Beat on medium speed

until stiff peaks are formed and the caramel is fully incorporated. Cover the frosting and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

The finito Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting. OH MY. This frosting is highly addictive and is truly the BEST frosting I have ever made! For alls y’all, you know I make and taste test a lot of frosting. I could seriously do some damage and taste test the entire bowl of frosting. But my sis would never forgive me.

Speaking of my sista. Here is her adorable son, my nephew. Today he is my little cake helper and the candy crusher. He is fondly gazing at the frosting, and cooked cake. Aunt Robyn when can I have a taste???

I gave him a plastic zip lock bag filled with 2 Skor bars, a smooth mallet and then let him loose. He did such a great job! This is the smile I got when I told him that he get’s to taste test EVERYTHING just like his Aunt Robyn.

Now that the candy is crushed, we can frost the cake!

Start by frosting the top of the cake.

Make it fancy with a generous sprinkle of crushed toffee bar pieces all over and some drizzling of the caramel sauce over the top.

Chocolate Caramel Decadence Cake

Happy Birthday Alycat.

My mega bite.

Pure decadence.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Chocolate Caramel Decadence Cake

Caramel Filling
1 package caramels, 14 ounces
1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup butter

In a small saucepan heat the caramels, butter and butter over low heat. Stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth; set aside.

Chocolate Cake
4 squares melted unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup hot water
½ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup natural applesauce
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 13×9 glass baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, melt the chocolate, and butter. With a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer, beat the chocolate and butter at low speed while adding the hot water. Continue mixing on low, until it is glossy and smooth.Add the applesauce, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Beat on medium speed until all of the flour is incorporated. Keep beating until the cake batter is smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Using a spatula, evenly spread and smooth out the cake batter. Bake for 15 minutes, do not over-bake. Remove the cake from the oven to a heat safe surface and immediately pour the previously prepared caramel filling over the top of the hot cake. Evenly spread out the caramel filling, covering the cake completely.Top with the other half of the cake batter and spread it to completely cover the caramel filling. Bake for an additional 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting

Caramel Sauce Adapted from Pioneer Woman
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cups cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Mix the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan over medium low. Cook and whisk for 7 minutes. Add vanilla. Turn off heat and pour sauce into glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Take the caramel sauce out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting the whipped frosting; the caramel sauce should be at room temperature.

For the whipped frosting:
2 ½ cups whipping cream
1 cup confectioners sugar
4-6 Tablespoons Caramel Sauce (or to taste)

Using a Kitchen Aid or a hand mixer, whip the cream on medium high. Add 1 cup confectioners sugar and beat until soft peaks start to form. On low speed add 4-6 Tablespoons (or to taste) of the caramel sauce. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed and the caramel is fully incorporated. Cover the frosting and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using to frost cake.

Frost the top of the cake and sprinkle crushed toffee bar pieces on the top. Finish by drizzling caramel sauce over the top.

This recipe came about one day when I first moved to Austin. I was craving a bit of home that day and had some apples on hand. I decided to give this cake my own flair by adding ingredients that I easily had on hand. The results? Apple loaded. Layered gooey, divine and fancy. In a cake. And of course it’s simple to make. Robyn’s Apple Cake, tastes of down-home, Texas style.

Robyn’s Apple Cake is different than my mom’s in a few ways. Like I said in Part 1 – mine is more of a “German version” in it’s preparation – having layers of apples and a more coffee cake like batter. Mine does not have raisins or nuts – just good ol’ apples! I also bake mine in a bundt pan, to get the nice gooey apple layers. Serve mine with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on the top.
One other thing.
Robyn’s Apple Cake is also missing butter. What? Yep, you heard me right. My creation is suuuper yum without it. Try it. I will tell no lies – when it comes to apple cakes!

I love my apple cake because it also falls under the diggity dang delicious category (just like my Mom’s). It is more cake like, than bread like. I have an apple cake confession to make. I have been eating my apple cake for breakfast everyday, oh yeah and did I mention lunch? I have also been known to have a slice after dinner. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop. Somebody please DON’T stop me! The apples are saucy & cinnamon swirled, sandwiched between layers of cake; the taste reminiscent of an apple fritter. Sounds good huh?
Mom’s Apple Cake and Robyn’s Apple Cake both share the love of apples, cake and home baked comfort. Can’t decide which one to make? I will leave you with some crumbles& crumbs – 2 apple cakes are better than 1!

***Beware I went picture crazy with my new lens – if you want to skip to the printable recipe I understand.
Whew. Now that being said, let’s get started.

Ingredients: 2 cups sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract, 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder,
½ teaspoon salt,

2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unsweetened applesauce,  1 small lemon, 4-5 medium apples of your choice (I used cameo and golden delicious),

juiced and zested or zested and juiced.

Set aside the juice and zest.

Let’s start with the Apple Mixture:

4 – 5 medium apples, about 6 cups peeled, cored cut into 1/2 inch pieces,
1 Tablespoon of the lemon juice

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and

6 Tablespoons sugar.

Give it a good toss and turn. Taste it. Good? Gooood.

Set it aside to marinate. Ahhh.

Now for the cake.

In a small bowl add the wheat,

all-purpose flour,

baking powder,

and salt.

Wire whisk to combine and set it aside.

In a large bowl combine the remaining lemon juice and zest,

the sugar,

applesauce,

and vanilla extract.

Using a hand mixer or Kitchenaide, mix on low until blended. If using the Kitchenaide use the beater attachment.

Add the eggs in one at a time

mixing well after each addition.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.

Beat on medium speed until batter is smooth and blended.

Robyn’s Apple Cake ready to assemble. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare the bundt pan with grease and flour or use your favorite cooking spray.

Spoon about 1 cup of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.

Top with ½ the apple mixture.

Keep going – cover with about 1 cup batter,

top with the other ½ apple mixture

and then cover with the remaining batter.
Alternately, you can layer this in 3 layers using a little less batter to start with – (I did 2 layers).

Smooth it out.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cool cake on wire rack until completely cool before turning onto plate.  Cover your eyes.

Naked Apple Cake.

Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 8-10 servings. Or one big ginormous serving.

Look at that! Fancy, delicious and down-home.

The Apple of my eye.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Robyn’s Apple Cake

Cake:
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 small lemon juiced and zested (reserve 1 Tablespoon juice for the Apple Mixture below)
Juice and zest the lemon reserving 1 Tablespoon of the juice for the apple mixture. In a large bowl combine the sugar, applesauce, the remaining lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until blended. Add eggs in one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Beat on medium speed until batter is smooth and blended.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
In a small bowl wire whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together.

Apple Mixture:
4-5 medium apples Of your choice; about 6 cups peeled, cored cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 Tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
In medium bowl, core and peel apples. Cut into ½ inch pieces. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar, mix and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.

Spoon about 1 cup of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Top with ½ the apple mixture. Cover with about 1 cup batter, top with the other ½ apple mixture and then cover with the remaining batter. Alternately, you can layer this in 3 layers using a little less batter to start with – (I did 2 layers).

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool cake on wire rack until completely cool before turning onto plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 8-10 servings.