Spiced apple-walnut layer cake

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
-Cake
2½ cup Cake flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
2 teaspoons Baking soda
2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground allspice
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Walnuts, toasted
1 pounds Tart green apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups Sugar
4 larges Eggs
1 cup (2 stiicks) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, room temperature
2 tablespoons Rum
2 teaspoons Fresh lemon juice Ponucho Glaze
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
1 cup Firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Milk
1 cup Powdered sugar Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 To 2 tablespoons sour cream Maple-Marshmallow Frosting
⅔ cup Pure maple syrup or maple flavored syrup
2 larges Egg whites
2 tablespoons Light brown sugar Pinch of salt
12 Marshmallows (do not use miniature), each cut into
8 Pieces
12 Walnut halves

Directions

The glaze spread between the cake layers derives from the old-time penuche candy, a brown sugarfudge. For an even quicker version, omit the glaze and spread just the frosting between and over the cake layers. 12 servings

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325!F. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment or waxed paper. Butter paper. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess.

For cake: Insert Steel Knife. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt in work bowl. Process to "sift," about 5 seconds. Add walnuts and chop medium fine, using on/off turns.

Transfer contents of work bowl to sheet of waxed paper.

Place apple pieces in work bowl. Process until pureed, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and eggs. Process until mixture is thickened, about 1 minute. Add butter and process until mixture is well blended, about 1 minute.

Scrape down sides of bowl. Add rum and lemon juice. Process to blend.

Transfer apple mixture to large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Turn out onto racks and cool.

For glaze: Cook butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until light brown, swirling pan occasionally about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and milk and simmer until blended and mixture thickens, stirring frequently about 1 minute. Place powdered sugar and salt in clean work bowl and process to remove any lumps. Add hot brown sugar mixture and vanilla. Process to mix, about 5 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon sour cream and process to blend. Add remaining sour cream if necessary to form smooth, thin glaze.

Place 1 cake layer on serving platter. Spread with half of glaze. Top with second cake layer. Spread with remaining glaze. Let glaze set for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Place syrup, egg whites, sugar and salt in top of double boiler over simmering water. Using electric mixer at medium speed, beat frosting until it mounds firmly, about 4 minutes.

Add marshmallows. Beat at lowest speed until marshmallows are melted and frosting is smooth about 4 minutes. Remove from over water. Cool to room temperature.

Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Place walnut halves around edge of cake. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

From the files of Al Rice, North Pole Alaska. Feb 1994

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