Martha Stewarts Apple Spice Cake Recipes

APPLE LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans; line with parchment. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out any excess.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined; fold in grated and diced apples. Add flour mixture; mix just until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans 20 minutes, then invert onto wire racks; remove parchment. Invert cakes again; let cool completely on racks.
• Frosting: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat 5 minutes.
• Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup frosting evenly over it; top with a second cake layer. Repeat with another 1 cup frosting and third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Garnish with apple chips, if desired; use a serrated knife to slice cake.

APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the apples, walnuts, butter, and eggs; stir just until combined.
• Spoon into pan; smooth with a spatula. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

APPLE-HONEY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup sugar, honey, eggs, melted butter, and milk. Whisk egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
• In a small, heavy saucepan over high heat, combine remaining 2/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cook, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until mixture is deep amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in room-temperature butter. Immediately pour into prepared pan.
• Decoratively arrange layers of apples over caramel filling. Spread batter evenly over apples. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 45 to 55 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife. Let stand 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE-CINNAMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; arrange in prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
• With an electric mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (if cake has risen above rim of pan, simply push back inside rim).
• To serve, run a knife around edge of pan, and invert cake onto a rimmed platter.

APPLE-PIE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using an electric mixer or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until the mixture forms pea-size pieces. Press 2/3 of the mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples, cut into thin slices, and place in a bowl. Pour off any accumulated liquid. Toss apple slices with remaining teaspoon cinnamon and lemon juice, and put them in the prepared pan, pressing down gently as you pack them in (they will mound above the edge of the pan). Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top.
• Put the pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and let the cake cool in the pan to set. Serve at room temperature.

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE WITH HONEY FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.
• Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.
• Make Honey Frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, and honey until smooth.
• Spread top of cooled cake with honey frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.

APPLE-CINNAMON BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Using a rubber spatula, fold in apples. Spoon batter into a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan, and smooth top. Bake until a tester inserted in cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes; invert onto rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and enough water to form a thick yet pourable glaze. Set rack with cake over a piece of wax paper (for easy cleanup); drizzle cake with glaze, and let set before serving.

PERFECT APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough into a 12-inch round that's 1/8-inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, spices, lemon juice, zest, and salt; toss to combine. Pour into lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Roll second disc of dough into a 12-inch round that's 1/8 inch thick. Lay dough over fruit. Cut vents into top crust. Trim edges to 1 inch over pie pan, and seal, crimping edges with thumb and forefinger. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove pie from refrigerator. Brush crust with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking sheet; this will catch any juices that may overflow during baking. Bake until pastry is golden and juices in center of pie are bubbling, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool for 1 hour before serving.

APPLESAUCE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.
• In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Beat in applesauce.
• Generously coat a nonstick 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (but slightly wet), 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a cutting board or baking sheet; invert cake onto rack, top side up. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.