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Ingredients
- CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- CAKE:
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup oil (canola, olive or vegetable)
- 3/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (I used Granny Smith)
- PRALINE FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- GARNISH:
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
Preparation
Step 1
Grease and flour a (14 cup) bundt pan, and set aside.
Prepare cream cheese FILLING:
Beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.
Prepare CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350*F and bake pecans for 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant.
Meanwhile, stir flour, both sugars, salt, baking soda and spices together in a large bowl.
Stir in eggs, then oil, apple sauce and vanilla.
Stir in apples and pecans.
Spoon two-thirds of the apple batter into the prepared pan, then spoon cream cheese filling over the apple mixture, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges of the pan.
Spoon remaining apple batter over the cream cheese filling.
Bake cake at 350*F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan, on a wire rack about 1 hour. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely (an additional hour).
When the cake has cooled, prepare praline frosting.
Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute (set a timer).
Remove pan from heat and add vanilla extract, then powdered sugar. Whisk together until fully combined. If needed, pour frosting through a fine strainer to remove any powdered sugar lumps. Cool frosting slightly (about 5 minutes) until it has begun to thicken slightly, but is still easily pourable. Pour over cake, as desired. Garnish with pecans, if desired.