Spiced Apple Cake

A friend of mine celebrated his 6th Annual 42nd birthday this past fall. For those of you unfamiliar with Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Bill, having achieved answerhood, decided to continue to be 42 forever -- or at least until the Earth is destroyed to make way for a pan-galactic bypass.

Each year, beginning with his 1st Annual 42nd birthday, Bill has thrown a party and invited his programming buddies, his musician buddies, and any and all 4th dimensional beings who happen to be in he neighborhood. Although Bill has been kind enough to invite me every year, I've always managed to outsmart his blandishments by living somewhere else. Last fall I ran out of other places to be living and so I had to attend.

I left my towel in the trunk of my car (I like to be prepared for sudden exits) but a number of folks wore theirs and, as you would expect, a few people arrived in bathrobes.

I'm not sure what possessed me, but I decided to bake a birthday cake for the event.

Spiced-Apple Cake
From Williams-Sonoma "Thanksgiving"

3/4 lb butter -- softened
3 tbsp butter
2 3/4 c sugar
3 ea Braeburn apples -- peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" dice
3 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 c unsweetened natural applesauce
6 ea eggs
Frosting:
6 1/2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lb cream cheese -- softened
2 tbsp butter -- softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp brandy

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add half of apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden -- about 8 minutes. Reserve cooked apples. Add additional 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar to skillet and cook remaining apples. Reserve.

Heat oven to 325F. Position rack in center, and grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl mix together milk, applesauce, and vanilla.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 3/4 lb butter until creamy and smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes -- stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down sides.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk/applesauce mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition until just incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Remove from mixer and gently fold in apples.

Divide the batter between the two pans, spreading it evenly. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean -- 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Frosting:
Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides. Add the vanilla and brandy and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add confectioners' sugar. Increase speed to medium-high ad beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

Using a bread knife, make a cut halfway up on one side of a cake. Then, using a length of dental floss, carefully draw it through the cake cutting it in half. Repeat for second cake.

Place a large spoon-full of frosting in the center of a cake plate to keep the first layer from moving. Place a bottom layer, cut-side down, on the plate. Frost top of layer with 1/4 of frosting. Place top layer on top and frost. Repeat for remaining layers. Serves 12.

This is a killer cake with perfectly balanced flavors. And as you can see, it looks really nice too.

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