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I love fall flavors. Cinnamon, caramel, and apples are some of my favorites. This tender white cake with cinnamon icing and warm caramel apples is a symphony of flavors. Each component could be made from scratch but it is too labor intensive for busy cooks. Why not start with a cake mix and use jarred caramel sauce? They taste great and no one will know you took any shortcuts. Just be sure to hide all the evidence! Enjoy!

White Cake with Cinnamon Icing and Caramel Apples

One (18.25 ounce) white cake mix
¾ cup 2% milk
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon iodized salt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Icing (Recipe follows)
Caramel Apples (Recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans with solid vegetable shortening. Place a round of parchment paper in bottom of each pan. Grease parchment paper then dust entire pan with flour discarding any excess flour. Set aside.

Place cake mix, milk, cream, butter, salt, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed 1 minute, scrape down sides of pan, turn mixer on medium speed and mix 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth into an even layer with a spatula.

Bake 27-29 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and run a knife around edge of pans. Wait 10 minutes then invert pans on wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove parchment paper from cake layers. Frost cake with Cinnamon Icing and serve with warm Caramel Apples. Makes one 9-inch, 2-layer cake.

Cinnamon Icing

1 cup unsalted butter
1 (2 pound) package powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons 2% milk
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter on medium speed 4 minutes. Whisk powdered sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Decrease mixer speed to low. Gradually add powdered sugar mixture to butter. Add milk, cream and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again for several minutes until icing is smooth. Frost cake in between layers, on sides, and top.

Caramel Apples

3 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped apples (I use a mixture of Gala and Granny Smith)
14 ounces prepared caramel sauce (I use Hershey’s caramel topping in a jar)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat Add apples and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and discard juices. Cool completely. Stir caramel sauce into warm apples. Serve. Tip: Apples can be cooked in advance, refrigerated, and then reheated in microwave.

Published in The News and Neighbor on November 28, 2019.