Apple Cider Cake

By brownbox

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 pkg spice cake mix
• 1 1/4 C. apple cider
• 1/3 C. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• Filling:
• 1/3 C. sugar
• 3 Tbs. cornstarch
• 2/3 C. apple cider
• 1/2 C. apple butter
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. butter
• Frosting:
• 1/2 C. butter
• 1/4 C. apple cider
• 4 C. powdered sugar
• 2 C. chopped walnuts

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour 2- 9" round baking pans.
2. Combine cake mix, 1 1/4 C. apple cider, oil and eggs in medium bowl. Beat with electric m ixr at low speed until blended; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tests with a toothpick. Let cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
3. For filling, combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Stir in 2/3 C. apple cider and apple butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and butter. Cool completely.
4. For frosting; beat butter and 1/4C. apple cider in medium bowl until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until smooth.
5. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread evenly with filling. Top with second cake layer; spread frosting on top and sides of cake. Press nuts into frosting on side of cake. Decorate with marzipan apples, if desired.

Marzipan Apples:
Combine 8oz. can of almond paste and 1 egg white in small bowl. Add 2 C. powdered sugar; mix well. Knead in remaining 1 C. powdered sugar until smooth and pliable. Divide into thirds; place each part in separate small bowl. Tint on part red; tint second part yellow; tint remaining part green; cover and set aside. Roll 1/2" balls of red and yellow into apple shapes. Place cloves in tops of apples for stems. Roll out green to 1/4" thickness; cut out leaf shapes as desired. Arrange on top and around sides of cake.