Caramel Apple Cake

By Vickie

Ingredients

• Caramel Glaze:
• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 C sugar, plus 1/4 C for apples
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground apple or pumpkin pie spice blend
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fine salt
• 4 large golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C sour cream
• finely grated zest from 1 orange
• juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 C)
• 1 TBS. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 TBS. light corn syrup
• 2 TBS. water
• 1/2 heavy cream
• 3/4 C pecans toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1

1. preheat oven to 350. grease & flour bundt pan
2. Whisk flour, 1 1/3 C sugar, 1 tsp. of pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Toss apples with remaining 1/4 C sugar and 1/2 tsp. pie spice and set aside.
4. Whisk eggs and oil together in another bowl. Whisk the sour cream, orange zest and juice and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy.
5. Using a slotted spoon, scatter about 1/2 of apples in bottom of bundt pan. put about 1/3 of batter on top. repeat, alternating with the remaining apples and batter, ending with the batter.
6. Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 min. Cool 10 min. and invert onto rack.

For caramel sauce:
1. Stir sugar, corn syrup and 2 TBS. water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar is dark, amber-colored caramel (about 15 min.)
2. Pull pan away from heat and carefully pour in the cream (it will splatter). Stir in pecans, vanilla and salt. Cool until the caramel becomes thick and syrup, then evenly pour over cake and cool until set.