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.