Just Because Cake Party - Apple Crisp Caramel Cake

Yesterday we had a "Just Because Cake Party" with some of our friends.  The star of the party was a cake I invented and it was a 4-Layer Apple Crisp Caramel Cake.  Everyone said it was wonderful.  Though I didn't come up with the recipe for each individual piece of the cake I did come up with the combination so this is my recipe.

4-Layer Apple Crisp Caramel Cake

Serves approximately 18-20 people

Skill level - Moderate Baking Skills Needed

Kitchen Mess Meter - HIGH

Yellow Cake – Makes 2 layers

To make a 4 layer cake make this 2 times.

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups white sugar

8 egg yolks

¾ cup milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 – 8 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks.

4.  Allow the layers to cool complete before using.

Caramel Filling – Buy original caramel topping in the jar (usually found near the ice cream toppings).

Apple Filling

Ingredients

6 medium apples – peeled, cored and sliced

½ cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup whole milk

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon sugar

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.

2.Place apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir spice mixture into apples until evenly distributed. Spoon into prepared dish. Pour milk evenly over apple mixture, place small slices of the butter on top of apples and sprinkle the apple mixture with the sugar.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until soft and bubbly. Allow the mixture to cool completely before using.

Caramel Frosting – This will just cover the tops and sides of a 4-layer cake.  You might want to make 2x as much if you want to decorate with it.

This is the last thing you make as you want to use it the same day you assemble the cake.

Ingredients

½ cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons milk

3 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in the brown sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the milk, stirring all the while.

2. Return to heat and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm (approximately 20 to 25 minutes). Stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth and cool enough to spread. You might need to add a few drops of milk if frosting gets too stiff.

Crumb Topping

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 35o degrees F

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly.

Place in a greased 8 inch pan

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown (you will have left over)

Cake Assembly

1.Cut all layers to have a flat top

2.Place the first layer right side up on a cake board

3.Pipe the frosting around the upper edge to keep the apples from mixing with the frosting on the outside

4.Place a thin layer of apples on the layer

5.Place the second layer of the first face down

6.Use a fork to poke hole in the layer to allow the caramel frosting to go into the cake

7.Pipe the frosting around the upper edge

8.Pour the warm caramel over the cake making a thin layer

9.Place the third layer upside down over the second layer

10.Repeat steps 3 and 4

11.Place the last layer on the cake

12.Frost the cake

13.Crush up the crumb topping into small chunks

14.Place Crushed topping on the cake

15.Drizzle the topping with Caramel 

Serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Amazing 3 Layer Fudge Brownie Cake Recipe

Serves about 26 thin slices.   Make the cake the day before you plan to use it.

Step 1 Making the Layers - You will need to do this for each layer of the cake (if you want 3 layers you make this 3 times):

·      1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter cubed into 1Tbsp cubes

·      4 (1oz) squares unsweetened chocolate

·      2 cups white sugar

·      2 eggs beaten

·      1 cup all-purpose flower

·      1 tsp. vanilla extract

·      ½ tsp. salt

Instructions:  You can triple the above amounts and do it all at once or make one set at a time.  If you do it all at once it will be harder to mix up and make sure it is all mixed together.

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9” round cake pan (or as many  pans as you plan to make layers) some softened butter works well and make sure to cover every inch so the brownie comes out of the pan with no problem.

2.     Chop the chocolate into smaller chunks to allow the chocolate to melt faster.

3.     In a saucepan over very low heat, melt the butter (mix constantly).

4.     Add the chocolate and melt on very low heat being sure to mix constantly.

5.     Stir in the sugar.

6.     Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly so the eggs do not cook when they are added.

7.     Add the beaten eggs into the mixture one at a time being sure to mix well after each, then stir in the vanilla.

8.     In a separate bowl combine the flower and salt making sure to stir to fully combine.

9.     Stir in the flower into the chocolate mixture a cup at a time.

10. Add the brownie mixture to your pan being sure smooth it out so there is an even layer (if making all 3 layers at once divide the batter evenly among the cake pans)

11. Bake in the oven 35 minutes.  The Brownie layer is done when you insert a tooth pick and it comes out clean (keep in mind you do not want it to over cook as it needs to be fudgy).

12. Cool the pans on a wire rack before taking out the brownie.

13. To take out flip the pan over onto the wire rack.  If it was greased well and the brownie was allowed to cool in the pan it should come right not

Step 2 Making the Frosting – This will cover the sides and top of the 3 layer cake.

·      4 (1oz) squares unsweetened chocolate

·      1 pkg. (16oz) powder sugar

·      ½ cup (1 stick) butter softened

·      2 tsp. vanilla

·      1/3 cup whole milk

Instructions:

1.     Chop the chocolate into smaller chunks to allow it to melt faster.

2.     Add the chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1-1/2 min., stopping to stir every 30 sec. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

3.     Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 min.

4.     Add the sugar, butter and vanilla and combined.

5.     Gradually add the milk, beating constantly with a mixer on low speed until well blended.

Cover and leave the frosting at room temperature to make it easier to work with.

STOP – Do not continue on until the brownie layers are completely cooled and the frosting is completed

Step 3 Making Prepping the Cake

1.     Turn one of the brownie layers upside down on a cake plate or round cake board (for plain cake board cover with aluminum foil).

2.     Add about a half of cup of frosting to a piping bag.

3.     Pipe a line of frosting around the top outside of the cake.  This will make a well to add the Ganache filling to making sure it doesn’t spill out the sides.

Step 4 Making the Chocolate Ganache Filling – This will cover the sides and top of the 3 layer cake.

·      9 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

·      1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1.     Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

2.     Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil over the pot.

3.     Pour the heated cream over the chocolate, whisk until smooth.

4.     Allow the ganache to cool slightly before using.

Step 5 Putting the cake together

1.     Pour some of the ganache filling onto your first layer of the cake and spread evenly out to the edges being sure to stop at the frosting line  you added.

2.     Put the next layer of the cake upside down over the first layer.

3.     Pipe another frosting line around the outside layer of the second layer.

4.     Repeat adding the ganache filling and spreading out.

5.     Add the third and final layer of the brownie mixture upside down over  the second layer.

6.     Frost the cake and add any decorations.

TIP:  When cutting be sure to use a large sharpened knife as you will be cutting through 3 layers of brownie. 

DO NOT put the cake in the fridge it will get way to hard to be able to cut.