Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

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Apple-Pecan-Carrot-Cake
Top a showstopping crown of Mascarpone Frosting with swirls of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and a scattering of salty-sweet Spiced Pecans (minus the ground red pepper). Caramel sauce, rather than frosting, sandwiches together the moist cake layers.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups finely chopped lightly toasted pecans, divided
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups peeled and grated Granny Smith apples
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Caramel Sauce<,
  • Mascarpone Frosting,

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cups toasted pecans into 2 well-buttered shiny 9-inch round cake pans; shake to coat bottom and sides of pans.
  2. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.
  3. Stir together eggs and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in apples, carrots, and remaining 1 cup pecans. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  4. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
  5. Place 1 cake layer, pecan side down, on a serving plate. Spread top of cake layer with 2/3 cup Apple Cider Caramel Sauce; top with remaining cake layer, pecan side down. Spread Mascarpone Frosting over top of cake. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Caramel Sauce over frosting, and swirl sauce into frosting. Serve immediately.

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

Apple-Cider-Caramel-Sauce
For straight-up apple flavor, start with fresh-pressed cider from a farm stand.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream

Preparation

  1. Cook cider in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, and cool completely.
  4. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
  5. To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

Mascarpone Frosting

Mascarpone-Frosting
Luscious Mascarpone Frosting crowns the top of Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake.

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Preparation

  1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl just until blended.
  2. Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into mascarpone mixture.

Apple Stack Cake

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Apple Stack Cake
Use six disposable 8-inch aluminum cake pans to create the layers of this stunning cake. Prepare the filling up to three days before assembling the cake.

Ingredients

FILLING
  • 3 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 3 pounds crisp apples (such as Braeburn or Honeycrisp), peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced
CAKE
  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 6 (8-inch) round disposable aluminum foil cake pans
  • Parchment paper
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • 1 cup apple butter

Preparation

Prepare Filling
  1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a light boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are tender and juices thicken.
  3. Discard lemon slices.
  4. Cool completely (about 2 hours).
  5. Cover and chill until ready to use.
Prepare Cake
  1. Lightly grease disposable cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, and lightly grease parchment paper.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
  3. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
  4. Stir together apple pie spice and 2 3/4 cups flour in a medium bowl; stir together buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
  5. Stir together pecans and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Fold pecan mixture and apple butter into batter.
  6. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir about one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites.
  7. Divide cake batter among prepared pans, spreading with an offset spatula.
  8. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes; rotate pans from top rack to bottom rack.
  9. Bake 7 to 9 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  10. Remove cake layers from oven, and brush each with 2 to 3 Tbsp. warm Apple Cider Glaze. (Reserve remaining glaze.) Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).
Assemble Cake
  1. Place 1 layer, glaze-side up, on serving platter.
  2. Top with 1 1/2 cups filling. Repeat with remaining layers and filling.
  3. Top last layer with any remaining filling, and drizzle cake with desired amount of reserved Apple Cider Glaze.

Apple Cider Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Bring sugar, apple cider, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Note:

If necessary, microwave glaze in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 10 to 20 seconds before drizzling over cake.

Streuseled Zucchini Bundt Cake

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Streuseled Zucchini Bundt Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, patted dry
  • 1-1/3 cups fat-free plain yogurt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 egg
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons fat-free milk

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the zucchini, yogurt, sugar, egg whites, oil, egg and 3 teaspoons vanilla until well blended.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into zucchini mixture until blended.
  3. Coat a 10-inch fluted tube pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with bread crumbs.
  4. Pour a third of the batter into pan. Combine the brown
    sugar, pecans, raisins, cinnamon and allspice; sprinkle half over batter.
  5. Top with another third of the batter. Sprinkle with
    remaining brown sugar mixture; top with remaining batter.
  6. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, remaining vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over cake.

Yield: 14 servings.

Fresh Apple Cake

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Fresh Apple Cake
Thinly sliced apples create rich, moist layers of fruit within the cake. Frost it with Browned-Butter Frosting (pictured), Dark Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
  • Browned-Butter Frosting,
  • Dark Chocolate Frosting, or
  • Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
  2. Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
  3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apples and 1 cup pecans. (Batter will be very thick, similar to a cookie dough.) Spread batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
  4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes). Spread your choice of frosting over top of cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.

Browned-Butter Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
  2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Preparation

  1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt.
  2. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks. Use immediately.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
  2. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Mile-High White Chocolate Hummingbird Cake

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Mile-High-White-Chocolate-Hummingbird-Cake
The Hummingbird Cake remains our most-requested recipe of all time. The origin of the name is unknown, but its signature ingredients—mashed banana, pineapple, coconut and pecans—assure its continued popularity. Eight layers and a spoon-licking white chocolate-cream cheese frosting make this updated version more spectacular than the original. But it’s easy as can be because of convenience products such as cake mix, instant pudding mix, and canned pineapple

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
  • 2 18.25-ounce packages white cake mix (we tested with Duncan Hines)
  • 2 3.4-ounce packages vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
  • 2 cups canola oil
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 4-ounce white chocolate baking bar, finely chopped (we tested with Ghirardelli)
  • 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
  • 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
  • 2 cups chopped banana (about 3 medium)
  • White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Garnish

  • Toasted pecans

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice for another use. Squeeze pineapple well using several thicknesses of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
  3. Combine cake mix and next 7 ingredients in an 8-qt. mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes; beat at medium speed 3 minutes. Fold in pineapple, white chocolate, and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
  4. Bake at 350° for 34 to 36 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  5. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 8 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Repeat procedure 6 times. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover; chill in refrigerator overnight. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Cover cake in an airtight container and freeze up to 1 month in advance. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.
  2. To prepare a 4-layer White Chocolate Hummingbird Cake instead, use half of all ingredients in both cake and frosting recipes. Follow cake recipe as directed in Steps 1 through 4, except use only 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. In Step 5, slice the 2 cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Follow White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe as directed except microwave white chocolate morsels in Step 1 for only 1 1/2 minutes. Assemble cake as directed. Both the 8- and 4-layer versions of this delicious cake slice best after they have chilled overnight.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 3 cups white chocolate morsels
  • 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Microwave white chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes; stir until smooth.

2. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate, beating well. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at medium speed until mixture reaches desired spreading consistency.

Hummingbird Cake

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Hummingbird Cake
The ultimate recipe for Hummingbird Cake. It’s the most requested recipe in our Texas Nutshellers Recipes history and frequents covered dish dinners all across the South, always receiving rave reviews.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 cups chopped bananas
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.
  2. Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
  3. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Stir in vanilla.