I am craving fall flavors like apple and pumpkin pie spice. Something sweet but not too sweet. I know that I do not bake much at all, but I knew I could put this cake together. This cake is dense, moist, and flavorful. So a little goes a long way to satiate my cravings, and it lasted close to a week without drying out thanks to the applesauce and the buttermilk.
Applesauce & Almond Bundt Cake
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or 4 teaspoons)
1-3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 cups applesauce, unsweetened
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup slivered Almonds, chopped
Marcona Almonds for garnish
Creme Caramel Sauce (see below)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer portable or otherwise, beat together the brown sugar and the applesauce.
Next, add in the eggs and vanilla. Now mix to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Then add the buttermilk and mix into the batter.
Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just mixed.
Hand stir in the chopped almonds.
Thoroughly coat the bundt pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cool for a 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. This step is non-negotiable as the cake will break apart if too warm.
To remove from pan, place a wire cooling rack or a large platter over the bundt pan and flip the pan over, keeping the rack or platter against the top of the bundt pan. Remove the pan and allow the cake to finish cooling.
Once completely cooled, the cake can be served plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar or, with a drizzle a sauce of your choice that6 compliments the apple spice flavors. I chose a creme caramel sauce that I made myself and then garnished with salted Marcona Almonds.
Creme Caramel Drizzle
Heating sweetened condensed milk is the method used to make Dulce de Leche. A dessert believed to have originated in Spain but is most well-known as a Mexican treat. I am not cooking it as long as one requires to get the dark color or consistency of traditional dulce de leche. That is why I call it a creme caramel.
To make my creme caramel drizzle, I submerged a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pan of simmering hot water for 2 hours. The longer you cook the milk, the darker and thicker it will become.
Remove the paper label from the can (do not use a pull top can as it can explode). Place the can in a pan of water with at least 1 inch of water over the top of the can. Once boiling, turn heat to a bubbling simmer and start the timer for two hours.
Do not open until the can is just warm to the touch or cooler. Pour the sauce into a glass jar or other storage container. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and stir until blended.
Download Printable PDF Here: Applesauce & Almond Bundt Cake And Creme Caramel
That is all for now.
Cheers,
rick