'Tunnel of Apple-Love' Spice Cake

 Apples and Apple Cider are two classic Fall Favorites that I can't help but Love. One of the things I look forward to eating at this time of year is fresh apple cake. This one uses both my favorites and carries the apple cider through in the cake, filling, and icing; along with the deep, caramel flavor of the brown sugar. A triple treat for your taste buds! It is very similar in taste to gingerbread, only more subtle for its lack of molasses.

The first thing you notice about this cake is the sweet, spicy scent following you around the kitchen begging you to pay it more attention. It screams eat me. And when you do you will be so grateful you made this cake. The frosting is just divine made with cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon and apple cider. The filling is similar to an apple pie filling. The cake is incredibly moist; it will melt in your mouth in pure, sweet, cinnamon-spicy, apple bliss.

I did make one mistake, that almost stopped me from sharing this. I thought the apple cider would be sufficient enough to stop the apples from browning. But they took on this nice hue of deep purple that is slightly off putting; it had no affect on the taste; nor did it stop anyone from eating it. All.

Tunnel of Apple-Love Spice Cake

(by Reeni)

Apple Filling:

6 cups Baking Apples, diced(I mixed Empire & Cortland)

Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed, about 2 teaspoons

1/3 cup Apple Cider

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

dash of Salt

1 tablespoon Corn Starch

2 tablespoons Boiling Water

1/3 cup chopped Walnuts

Cake:

1-1/4 cup all-purpose Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Sugar or Splenda

1 cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

1/4 cup Butter, softened

1/4 cup Shortening, softened

1/2 cup Apple Cider

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1-1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cloves

1/2 teaspoon Ginger

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

2 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows)

1. In a large skillet add all of the ingredients for the apple filling except the cornstarch, water, and walnuts. Cook over medium-low heat until apples just become tender and start to cook down a little. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and boiling water, whisking together until corn starch is incorporated. Add to the apples and simmer until the liquids start to thicken. Remove from heat. Mix in walnuts and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat all the ingredients except walnuts with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds and then on high for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Mix in walnuts. *Note: There are two ways to bake this - you can mix the apples right into the batter or you can use the apples as a filling.

4. Add half the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Add all of the apple mixture in an even layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the inner and outer sides. Top with the rest of the batter, smoothing it out evenly over the top. *If you mixed your apples right in - pour the entire mixture into the pan.

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Allow to cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. Turn out and allow to cool the rest of the way before icing.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

2/3 cup packed Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Apple Cider, plus extra if needed

1-2 cups Confectioners' Sugar

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffly. Add the cinnamon and brown sugar. Beat until fluffy and the sugar is well incorporated. Beat in the apple cider.

2. Beat in a cup of confectioners' sugar. Add more as needed to to get a nice consistency, not too thick that you have to spread it, thin enough so that it will slowly drip off a spoon.

3. To ice cake: drop spoonfuls along the time flattening them out with the back of the spoon and bringing it to the edges of the cake so that it begins to drip down the sides on its own. Let set before serving.

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