Apple Cream Cheese Cake with Praline Icing
A moist spiced apple bundt cake with a hidden cream cheese swirl and rich praline frosting. Perfect for fall gatherings and special occasions.
1 hr 10 mins
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
Batter
Frosting
Equipment Needed
- 14-cup Bundt pan
- stand mixer
- hand-held electric mixer
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
Batter
Frosting
Equipment Needed
- 14-cup Bundt pan
- stand mixer
- hand-held electric mixer
Instructions
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
- 1
Beat cream cheese and butter
In medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together at medium speed with a hand-held electric mixer.
- 2
Add sugar
Add the sugar, and beat well to combine.
- 3
Mix remaining ingredients
Add the 2 tablespoons flour and remaining ingredients, and beat until mixture is light and creamy. Set bowl aside.
Make the Batter
- 1
Combine dry ingredients
Place flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and baking soda in bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Stir at low speed to combine.
- 2
Add wet ingredients
Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla to the bowl, and mix at medium speed until dry ingredients are just moistened.
- 3
Fold in apples and walnuts
Stir in the chopped apples and walnuts.
Assemble and Bake
- 1
Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2
Prepare pan
Grease and flour a 14-cup Bundt pan.
- 3
Layer first batter
Pour half of the apple batter into the pan, using a spatula to spread evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- 4
Add cream cheese layer
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan.
- 5
Top with remaining batter
Spread the remaining batter over the cream cheese mixture, making sure the batter extends all the way to the outer edges of the pan.
- 6
Bake
Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Be sure when testing to not insert the tester through the cream cheese filling, as this might make the cake appear uncooked.)
- 7
Cool
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
Make the Praline Frosting
- 1
Heat sugar mixture
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter and milk. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until mixture boils and sugar dissolves, about 90 seconds total.
- 2
Add vanilla
Stir in vanilla.
- 3
Mix in powdered sugar
Gradually stir in powdered sugar, mixing with a spoon until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- 4
Frost cake
Drizzle warm frosting over cooled cake. Top with remaining chopped walnuts, if desired.
Cook's Notes
For best results, use a combination of Gala and Granny Smith apples. The contrast of sweet and tart apples creates the perfect flavor balance.
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