Applesauce Cake with Caramel Glaze

My life has been unexpectedly hectic and fast-moving lately. From percocet pie and the events that led to it, to a series of difficult, all-consuming decisions, to this wild and wonderful thing that my tarty partner in crime and I are doing, I had to call in the reserves, aka Mom, for a jaunty weekend visit that sped by in a 40-hour instant. I carried around scrap paper and pens like a security blanket while she was here so we could write down every idea about said decisions without missing a thing. In classic family fashion though, we spent most of her visit scarfing noodles, treating ourselves to excess, and falling asleep to SVU; I didn't record a single, frantic idea.

   

And as soon as she left, BAM! Life gave me a kick in the tights again, this time with joy for some great friends who are moving down to Texas, the anticipation of a new, very exciting collaborative art project, lots of lovely friends in town, and the galloping taste of this excellent cake, served up for a potluck and industrial music show* held at our house on Sunday night. The decisions still loom weightily and I miss my momma mightily, but all of these occasions and opportunities have led to some pretty cool stuff (including this feature on Refinery29, omg!), not to mention an exciting announcement or two to soon be revealed -- as soon as those damn decisions get made, anyway. In the meantime, I'm so glad I slowed down to make this cake, a cinnamon-apple dreamboat swathed in caramel glaze that comes together in no time; it's basically the rustic cake of my dreams in my all-time favorite cake shape. You'll love it!

*You guys, if you ever see that a DC band called Bereft is going to play, you have to see them. It's so loud, so head-shaky, and so the best.

Applesauce Cake

Adapted from Food52

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

2/3 cup safflower or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Glaze

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, or to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with both sugars on medium until smooth and light, about a minute. On low, mix in the applesauce, oil, and vanilla until smooth.

2.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, rap sharply on the counter to eliminate air bubbles, and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  [Original calls for 45, but mine was totally finished at 40; check yours earlier.] Cool the cake for ten minutes in the pan before turning it out and cooling completely on a cooling rack -- make sure the cake is not at all warm before you make the glaze.

3.  Put the butter in a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, cream, and salt, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. The recipe calls for boiling for one minute exactly and then removing from heat, but I went to two minutes plus a few seconds because I thought the glaze could use more caramel flavor. It ended up being totally fine and lovely this way.

4.  Leave the pan to cool for a couple of minutes, and  gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a thick, but pourable consistency (you will not likely need all of the sugar, but it's also okay to use more if need be). If the mixture seems too thick, add a splash of cream (or bourbon!) to thin it out a little. Immediately pour the glaze over the cake, moving slowly and evenly to cover as much surface area as possible. The glaze basically sets on contact, so any overlapping glaze or second layering will be visible; try to stick to one even layer. Serve it up! Covered, cake will keep for several days, with the flavor deepening the longer it's around.