Apple Butter Spice Cake

If you happen to find yourself with leftover apple butter, here's a great way to use it up.  This cake is very moist and sweet with a praline-like layer inside, and it includes healthy wheat germ.  I baked mine in my favorite bundt pan, but it can also be baked in a 9x13 cake pan (directions below).

Apple Butter Spice Cake

Makes 1 bundt cake (or one 9x13 cake)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup apple butter

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup wheat germ or whole bran cereal

• 1 cup sour cream

Crumb Mixture (double for a 9x13 cake):

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)

• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

• pinch fine salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Prepare cake pan by spraying with Baker's Joy non-stick baking spray.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb mixture together; set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and white sugar together for a couple of minutes.

6. Add eggs and beat well.

7. Add apple butter, vanilla, and wheat germ; beat well.

8. Add 1/3 of the reserved flour mixture, mix to incorporate.

9. Add 1/2 of the sour cream, mix.

10. Add 1/3 flour mixture, mix.

11. Add remaining 1/2 of the sour cream, mix.

12. Finish with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.

13. Pour about 1/2 the batter into the prepared bundt pan.

14. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on and top with the remaining batter.

15. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

16. Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before removing from pan to finish cooling completely.

Notes

• To make a 9x13, double the ingredients for the crumb mixture. Pour half the batter into the pan, add half the crumb mixture, top with the remaining cake batter, and lastly, sprinkle the other half of the crumb mixture on top. Bake for a total of about 40 minutes.

• If using whole nutmeg, grate with a microplane grater.

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An Anniversary Giveaway!!!!!

Bouchon mol - ButterYum

Forgive me for being away so long - I've taken on some added responsibilities that have proven to be more time consuming that I had originally realized. I even managed to miss my blog's 1st anniversary, but it's not too late to celebrate, so I'm hosting a giveaway for this neat Williams-Sonoma Silicone Bouchon Mold which retails on their website for $30.

What the heck are Bouchon you ask? They're cute little chocolate cakes made famous by the renowned chef Thomas Keller - owner of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, and Ad Hoc Restaurants. WS used to sell a boxed mix for these Bouchon, but I don't see it on their site anymore. Thankfully there's a recipe printed on the bouchon box.

So I decided to try the recipe from the box, BUT I noticed a teeny-tiny detail which I thought might cause a problem. You see, the batter is supposed to fill the molds just below the rim, and the finished Bouchon are supposed to have flat tops, but the recipe included baking powder, which we all know makes things rise. I was worried the batter was going to overflow the molds - as you can see, I was right.

So I went on the internet and did a little research. Apparently there's another bouchon recipe out there, directly from the Bouchon Cookbook, and guess what, it didn't include baking powder.

Actually, not only did the recipe not include baking powder, it was completely different than the recipe from the bouchon box. So I gave it a go - they didn't over flow, but they didn't taste very sweet, and they were a bit on the dry side.

So back to the original recipe I went, but with a tweak or two.

My first tweak was to omit the baking powder from the recipe - that batch tuned out a lot better, but the tops weren't as flat as I hoped they would be (on the left).

The second tweak was to reduce the eggs in the recipe - that batch turned out perfectly flat on top with a wonderful brownie-like taste and texture (on the right).

My revised recipe is printed below, and I'll be sure the lucky winner gets a copy included with the mold. Whoever you are, have fun playing around with it... I'm already thinking of other ways to use it - cakes, jellos, ice creams... there are so many possibilities!

I piled 48 of them onto this platter and presented them to a group of hungry teens - this is what the platter looked like just 3 minutes later - they were obviously a huge hit!

Now for the giveaway:

One winner will randomly be picked from the comments left on this post. For multiple chances to win, simply mention this post (including a link to it) on your blog, twitter, facebook page, etc., and let me know in your comment how many chances you should get - honestly please!! A winner will be chosen next Thursday, March 25.

I look forward to picking a winner!

Items used to make this recipe:

• Bouchon Bakery https://amzn.to/2LILOfY

• silicone bouchon baking pans https://amzn.to/2LF0ixq

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Chocolate Bouchon

makes 12

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I use the good stuff)

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Confectioner's Sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place the bouchon mold on a sheet pan. Prepare mold with baking spray or shortening.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together gently until combined; set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk the sugar, egg, and vanilla together; set aside.

4. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together.

5. Add the egg mixture and melted chocolate mixture; combine.

6. Fill molds evenly (about 1/8-inch below the rim).

7. Bake for about 20 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when done.

8. Place mold on a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the bouchon out of the mold and cool completely.

Notes:  

• I like to chill my bouchon in the mold before removing.

• Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of fruit sauce, or pop them straight up.