apple spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

This cake . . . oh! This cake!!! It was really good. I don't know about you guys, but I love spice cake. A lot. This was moist and perfectly spicy. I will definitely make this again.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon all-spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 medium Gala or Fuji apples (peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease two 9" round pans. Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until light and smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat well until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix for just a minute (not combined) and then pour in applesauce. Beat until everything is combined. Stir in apples. Divide cake batter between the two pans and smooth out tops.

Bake cakes in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes (or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean - you don't want to overcook this cake). Cool on racks for about 15 minutes and then loosen edges with a knife. Invert cakes onto the racks to cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsley chopped (for garnish)

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon at the end, beating until smooth and creamy.

Using a long, serrated knife cut of the rounded tops of the cakes to make level. Frost cake and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top along with chopped walnuts.

lemon custard cake

Have I mentioned that my mother-in-law is an amazing cook? Sometimes it's really hard for me to realize that no matter how good of I cook I think I am (or I may be, for that matter) - some things will never taste as good to David unless his mother makes them.

Case in point:
1. Homemade bread
2. Raspberry Jam
3. Enchilada sauce
4. Sopa
5. Sourdough waffles

Anyway, it's OK though because I love food and she loves food and we talk about food a lot. It's a subject that we can talk about all day . . . and I like that. The last time I was in California at their house, she was looking through some recipes and mentioned a recipe that she thought I would like to make - Lemon Custard Cake. She was right - I did want to make it and I waited for the perfect opportunity to do just that - my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

Lemon Custard Cake
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine all above ingredients in a large bowl. With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg yolk mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly. Beat until very thick.

Sift in:
1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour

In a separate large bowl, combine the following ingredients:
8 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg white mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly.

Slowly add:
1 cup sugar

Beat until the mixture resembles stiff glossy peaks. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the flour/egg yolk mixture. Be very gentle with the batter (do not overmix!) Pour the batter into an ungreased Angel Food Cake pan. With a knife, carefully cut into the batter to remove air pockets. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and invert immediately. Let cool for at least 2 hours while inverted. Once completely cool, remove the cake by gently cutting around the sides of the pan. Remove the cake and cut into 3 equal layers (use toothpicks on all 4 sides to make even layers). Spread with chilled lemon custard filling (recipe follows) in between each layer. Dust with sifted powdered sugar before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve immediately.

Custard Filling
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup cold milk

Combine pudding mix with the cold milk. Follow box instructions for instant pudding. Let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until thick cream. Gently fold into pudding and chill.