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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

It's official

It's fall.

That's right, I said it! It's fall kids and I am R.E.A.D.Y.!! The temps have mercifully dropped to withstandable degrees, the windows are open, and I'm in jeans. I can't even remember the last time I wore jeans or long pants. Now, I realize that this reprieve in heat and humidity are probably short lived and that both will come back with a vengeance here in a matter of days. I don't care!


Hear that: I don't care!

I took the opportunity to make fall inspired desserts! One should always take the opportunities given and since I've been totally jonzing for something fall related this recipe won.

 
And I mean hands down won. Like I wanted to leave work that nanosecond to go home and make it. Instead I had to wait 2 whole days till I had a day off. Soooo......what is this dessert that I keep blathering on about?

Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting


While on the subject of fall desserts can we also talk about salted caramel? I mean, what is it about this stuff that is so freaking good??? It's just caramel, which, yes is awesome all on its on. Throw in some salt and it's like BAM! Something magical happens and takes ordinary caramel to a whole other universe. The universe where you then take said salted caramel and turn it into frosting. Frosting that is then slathered over an apple cake. Did you you die a little food death? Yeah, me too!

 
Oh and please do me a favor; after you peel your apples in perfectly long strips play with them and arrange them in all sorts of silly shapes. I don't want to be the only 5 year old out there playing with apple skin strips!

Apple Cake
Serves 12

2 cups grated Apple, I used a combination of Honeycrisp and Golden Delish
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Butter, room temperature
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Vanilla extract
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Milk
2 cups Flour, I used a combination of white and wheat flour, use whatever you have
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

1. Peel and grate apples in a bowl.
2. In a large bowl mix the apples, sugar, applesauce, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, and milk in a bowl.
3. Add all the dry ingredients.
4. In a buttered 9x13 baking dish spread the mixture in an even layer. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
5. Let cool. Once cool top with the icing.


Salted Caramel Frosting
Serves Way way too many

1 1/2 cups Butter
1 1/2 cups Brown sugar
1/3 cup Half and half
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
3/4 tsp Fleur de Sel (or any coarse salt you have, I used pink Himalayan salt)
4 1/2 cups Powered sugar
2 tbsp Milk

1. In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, mix the butter, brown sugar, cream of tartar, and half and half until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool and mix in the salt.
2. Once cooled, in a large mixing bowl add the powered sugar 1 cup at a time until it becomes a creamy consistency. Mine ended up being a little more stiff than I thought, but that's what the milk is for! Add the milk 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency reached. Try really really really hard not to eat the entire bowl. I'm not even kidding.
3. Spread on the cooled cake and dive right in.

Tips:

1. I'm not sure I entirely liked this cake with this frosting. Maybe drizzled on next time? I would definitely use less frosting. While I like a high frosting to cake ratio this was a bit much, the frosting is very sweet and overpowered the cake.
2. This frosting recipe would be fabulous on many many more cakes. Use your imagination!


Enjoy!

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