Apple Butter Caramel Cake
 
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup apple butter
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup finely chopped pecans
  • Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
  • ⅓ cup hot caramel sauce*, room temperature
  • Garnish: chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour; line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together apple butter, oil, eggs, and buttermilk until well blended. Add apple butter mixture to flour mixture, whisking until just combined. Fold in pecans. Divide batter into prepared pans.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. Spread 2 cups Cream Cheese Frosting on one layer. Drizzle caramel-over frosting. Freeze until caramel is set, about 10 minutes. Top with remaining cake layer; gently spread 2½ cups Cream Cheese Frosting on top.
  6. Garnish with pecans, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/apple-butter-caramel-cake/