Apple Spice Cake

Yields: One 8-inch, three layer cake

Ingredients

Cake:

300 g All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1/2 tsp Cloves, ground

1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground

300 g Apples, shredded about 3 (I used Honey Crisp, but a sweet apple will do such as Gala, Jazz, Golden etc)

300 g Sugar, brown

3 Eggs, large and room temp

200 mL Oil

60 mL Buttermilk, room temp

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Apple Ganache:

425 g Chocolate, white

1/4 cup Water

110 g Apple, Granny Smith (about 1 large)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1/4 tsp Cloves, ground

1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground

15 g Honey

30 g Sugar, brown

40 g Butter, unsalted and room temp

40 g Cream Cheese, room temp

Cinnamon Buttercream:

454 g Butter, Unsalted room temp

907 g Sugar, Powdered

1 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground

80 mL Heavy Cream, room temp

Method

Cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Grease and line the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
3. Combine the flour, cornstarch, spices baking soda and baking powder. Whisk well until well combined. Set aside.
4. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla and mix well. Set aside.
5. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the salt, sugar and oil on the highest speed for 5 minutes.
6. Scrape the bowl down and add the eggs one a time, ensuring to scrape the bowl in between additions.
7. Add the egg whites one a time, ensuring to scrape the bowl down in between additions
8. Add the shredded apple, all of the dry ingredient mixture and all the buttermilk until well combined.
9. Divide evenly into the three 8-inch round lined cake pans.
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
11. Once the cakes have cooled for 30 minutes, remove them from the cake pan and chill for 4 hours before frosting.

Ganache:

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave proof bowl and microwave in 30 second increments. Mix the white chocolate in between increments.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook the apples, water, spices and brown sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the apples are very tender.
3. Puree the apples until completely smooth.
4. Pour in the melted white chocolate and blend until smooth.
5. Add the butter and cream cheese and blend until lump free.
6. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Frosting:

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes.
2. Scrape the bowl down and cream for 2 more minutes.
3. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and cream for 1 minute.
4. Add the cinnamon and mix for 1 minute.

Assembly:

1. On the first layer, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake with the frosting. Add half of the ganache and spread evenly within the border.
2. Repeat for the second layer.
3. Add the last layer and frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
4. On top, do a criss-cross pattern for decor with a star tip.