Spicy Ginger Applesauce Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt and baking soda. Add the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, applesauce and oil and whisk gently just until everything is combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and then smooth the surface so it is even.
• Bake the cake until it is just barely firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Set the cake aside on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
• Use a dinner knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the pan sides and then invert it onto a work surface. Peel off and discard the parchment. Invert the cake one more time onto a serving platter.
• Make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, honey and salt and whisk together aggressively until the cream cheese is slightly aerated (you can also do this with a handheld electric mixer or in a stand mixer).
• Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and don't worry too much about making this perfect. A not-too-perfect cake is so much better than a perfect cake. Cut into wedges and serve. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Beat 1/2 cup butter, cake mix, eggs and applesauce in large bowl with mixer until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped ginger. Pour into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese and remaining butter in separate large bowl with mixer until blended. Add vanilla and ground ginger; mix well. Gradually beat in powdered sugar; spread onto cake. Garnish with remaining chopped ginger.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then bourbon, if desired (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and stoer at room temperature.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Drop half of frosting (about 11/2 cups) by spoonfuls atop cake. Spread frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake, trimmed side down. Drop remaining frosting by spoonfuls onto top of cake, leaving sides of cake plain. Spread frosting to top edges of cake, swirling and creating peaks, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour to allow frosting to set slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.

Steps:

• For the cake, grease a 9" x 13" cake pan; line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar until fluffy; beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Beat in the vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.
• Stir into the butter mixture alternately with the applesauce and buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of wet.
• Spread in the prepared pan.
• Bake in the centre of a 350 degree F oven until the cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan on a rack.
• For the icing, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the brown sugar and corn syrup; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil just until blended, about 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir the milk and vanilla into the butter mixture.
• Again using a wooden spoon, beat in the icing sugar until smooth and spreadable; let cool for 1 minute.
• Spread over the top of the cake just to the edge, letting the icing drizzle over slightly.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until light, about 1 minute. Add applesauce, oil, fresh and ground ginger, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder, and whisk until just combined. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and firmly tap the pan on a countertop to release air bubbles. Bake the cake until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack.
• When the cake is cool, make the frosting: Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and whip until smooth. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the ginger, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, and mix on low.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake in dramatic swoops and swirls, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup crystalized ginger on top. Serve at room temperature.