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.

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.

Cranberry-Apple Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

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Cranberry-Apple-Pie-with-Pecan-Shortbread-Crust
Savor the flavors of cranberries and apples as they come together with a holiday favorite—pecan shortbread—in this stunning presentation.

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Gala apples
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Garnishes: Toasted pecan halves, powdered sugar

Preparation

  1. Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely (about 20 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute or until creamy; add powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until mixture is no longer crumbly and starts to come together into a ball. Stir in pecans. Shape one-third of dough into an 8-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use. Press remaining dough on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Cover and chill crust.
  3. Prepare Filling: Peel apples. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Toss together apples and next 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into prepared crust. Drizzle with melted butter.
  4. Cut reserved dough log into 8 (1-inch) pieces. Gently shape each piece into a 6- to 8-inch rope. Lightly press each rope to flatten into strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling.
  5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly, crust is golden brown, and apples are tender when pierced with a long wooden pick, shielding with foil during last 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove sides of pan.

Apple Pecan Pastries

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Apple-Pecan-Pastries

Ingredients

  • 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
  • Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

  1. Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Stir the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the apples, pecans and butter and toss to coat.
  3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 15-inch-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush the pastry sheet with water. With the long side facing you, spoon the apple mixture on the pastry to within 2 inches of the long sides and to the edge of the short sides. Starting at a long side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut the pastry roll into 12 (1 1/4-inch) slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar.