APPLESAUCE PECAN CAKE W/APPLEJACK COMPOTE & CREME

APPLESAUCE PECAN CAKE W/APPLEJACK COMPOTE & CREME image

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 28

Ingredients

Cake:
2 cups of applesauce
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspon ground allspice
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup of golden raisins
Compote:
1 cup dried apples *
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cups of applejack
*may use any dried fruits in any combinations
Creme Anglaise:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Steps:

Cake: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 10 inch tube pan or 2 mini bundt pans (each pan holds 6 mini-bundt cakes)with Baker's Secret or other floured cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl add soda to applesauce, stir and set aside. Cream sugar, butter and eggs in a food processor or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a separate bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture with applesauce mixture to the creamed mixture until thouroughly blended. Add toasted pecans and raisins. Pulse or mix only until pecans and raisins are incorporated into the mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake 1 1/2 hours for tube cake or 30-40 minutes for mini-bundt cakes. Use a cake tester for doneness. Remove cake(s) from oven and cool before removing from pan. Slice the tube cake or if using mini-bundt cakes, place one cake in the center of 12 dessert plates. Spoon approximately 1/4 -1/2 cup of applejack compote over the cake. Create a small pool of creme anglaise around the base of the cake. Creme Anglaise: Scald cream with the vanilla bean in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled slightly (about 10 minutes). Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale yellow in color. Whisk approximately 1/4 cup of hot cream into the yolk mixture; whisk the yolk mixture into the hot cream and cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly, until mixure coats a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and let cool fro 10 minutes. Whisk and pour into a storage bowl. Cover and let chill several hours before serving.