Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

By NicoleS

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese Filling:
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Apple Cake Batter:
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
• Praline Frosting:
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended.
2. Prepare batter: Preheat oven to 350. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8-10 minutes or untiil toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.
3. Spoon 2/3rds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 4-cup Bundt pan. Spoon cream cheese filling over apple mixture leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl fillling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Sppon remaining apple mixture over cream cheese filling.
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (2 hours).
5. Prepare frosting: Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.