World Famous Recipes

Lemony Apple-Cider Caramel Cake

Serving: Serves: 16

Caramelized Apples:

2 cups apple cider

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/4 pounds crisp, tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Cake:

Fine bread crumbs, to coat pan

3 cups unbleached unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

One 8-ounce package Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon finely grated

Lemon Rind:

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup buttermilk

Glaze:

1/4 cup apple cider

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

1. Prepare Caramelized Apples: In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, bring

apple cider over high heat to a boil. Swirling pan occasionally,

cook until reduced to 1/2 cup — about 15 minutes. Watch carefully

near end of cooking process to avoid burning.

2. Stir in sugar; cook over medium-high heat until the sugar

dissolves and mixture boils. Continue cooking, stirring constantly,

until a thick syrup forms with a foamy deep-dark caramel color –

about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool 1 minute. Stir in

butter; add apples and mix well.

3. Return the pan to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until

apples are soft and sauce is thick and syrupy. Transfer mixture to a

bowl and cool completely (makes about 1 1/4 cups).

4. Prepare Cake: Place oven rack in bottom third of oven; heat to

325 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan well with vegetable-oil

cooking spray; dust evenly with fine bread crumbs and tap out excess

crumbs. Sift flour, soda, and salt together onto waxed paper; set

aside.

5. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, butter,

cream cheese, and lemon rind until very smooth and creamy, stopping

to scrape sides of bowl occasionally — about 5 minutes. Add eggs,

one at a time, beating after each addition until thoroughly

incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in lemon juice.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternately add the flour mixture in

three additions and the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and

ending with flour mixture. Beat only until batter is smooth,

stopping frequently to scrape bowl and beaters. Fold in cooled

caramelized apples. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

6. Bake until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean,

about 1 1/2 hours.

7. Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, combine cider, lemon juice,

granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir until sugar dissolves.

8. Remove cake from oven and let stand 5 minutes on wire rack.

Carefully invert the cake onto rack and remove pan. Set rack on a

baking sheet and immediately brush entire cake with Glaze. Keep

brushing until all Glaze has been used. Let cake cool completely.

9. Transfer cake to plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if

desired. Cut with a serrated knife and serve.

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