…wipe the drool from your lips. I ain’t even done yet. This cake, this amazingly decadent and sweet-tooth satisfying cake is completely 100% whole wheat and contains no oil or butter…until you get to the frosting part, that is.
Now, pick up your jaw that just dropped.
It’s crazy, I know. This is a cake that could be referred to as a high fiber, low sugar, reduced fat cake. It’s not a diet cake or anything, I mean we’re still talkin’ brown sugar and butter here but I have taken away so many of the unnecessary, empty calories and left you with a truly authentic, whole-food cake that is a thousand times better for you than the average cake of this nature. And you won’t miss a thing.
Pinky swear.
*Brown Sugar Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
-Chop 4 cups of your favorite apple (I recommend something with some tartness if possible and for me, this amount was 4 medium apples.) Set aside.
-In a small mixing bowl combine 1 8 ounce brick of softened neufchatel cream cheese (I always use low fat b/c I prefer the taste), 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar and 1 large egg. Beat until smooth. Set aside.
-In a large mixing bowl mix together 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce, 1 cup light brown sugar and 3 large eggs. Beat until well blended. Set aside.
-In a medium bowl combine 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 rounded tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, and about 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Mix well.
-Slowly add your dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture until well combined. Stir in your chopped apples.
-Pour half of your batter into a greased and floured 10 inch fluted tube pan (or bundt). Pour your cream cheese mixture evenly over. Pour in the other half of your batter.
-Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for an hour, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted into the center.
-Allow to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, or until you can easily handle the pan without burning your hands.
-While your cake is baking, make your frosting (*recipe below)
-Carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
-Frost your cake by spooning the frosting over the top of the cake and allowing it to drizzle down the sides. It will pool at the bottom, but that’s ok. When you slice into it, you can scoop up that extra frosting for every serving.
-Serve warm or at room temperature.
-And…this wouldn’t be terrible with some freshly whipped cream… I’m just sayin’.
*Salted Caramel Frosting
-In a medium saucepan combine 1 stick unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar and 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
-Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup milk (or cream, half&half, etc.), a good splash of vanilla and about half that amount of almond extract.
-Allow to cool completely before using, you can even place it in the refrigerator to speed up the process. It isn’t ready to be used until it has thickened well, and is of a spreadable nature.
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