APPLE-PECAN CARROT CAKE

Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake image

Southern Living Magazine recipe. This cake has Mascarpone Frosting piled on top and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce in between layers and salty-sweet spiced pecans scattered about. The photo alone looks good enough to eat.

Provided by Pat Duran

Time 1h5m

Number Of Ingredients 23

Previous Next

Ingredients

CAKE
2 1/3 c finely chopped lightly toasted pecans, divided
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp apple pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 c granulated sugar
3/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c dairy buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c peeled and grated granny smith apples
1 1/2 c grated carrots
APPLE CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE
1 c apple cider
1 c light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c butter
1/2 c whipping cream
MASCARPONE FROSTING
1 c mascarpone cheese
1/4 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350^. Butter well 2 parchment covered 9-inch cake pans. Sprinkle with 1 1/3 cups of toasted pecans. Shake pan to coat bottoms and sides of pans with the nuts.
2. Stir together the flour,soda,salt and apple pie spice. Stir eggs,sugar vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Fold in apples, carrots and remaining 1 cup of pecans. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick test comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove pans and cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Place 1 cake layer, pecan side down, on serving plate. Spread top of cake layer with 2/3 cup of the Cider Caramel Sauce; top with remaining cake layer, pecan side down. Spread Mascarpone Frosting over top of cake. Drizzle some of the caramel sauce over frosting, and swirl sauce into frosting. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any left over cake.
4. APPLE-CIDER-CARAMEL-SAUCE: (make this the day before) Cook cider in a 3 qt saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Refrigerate up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave at high 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.
5. MASCARPONE FROSTING: Stir mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl just until blended. Beat cream at low speed with mixer until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream mixture into mascarpone cheese..Use immediately.