Easy Caramel Covered Applesauce Cake, #The Cake Slice Bakers

As bits of Fuji and Granny Smith apples mingled with melting butter, brown sugar and spices, aromas of comfort and joy whispered from the oven. On the stovetop saucepan, bubbling brown sugar, butter and heavy cream sang a cheery tune. A wonderful kitchen symphony  -  thanks to another winning recipe selected by The Cake Slice Bakers. 

The Cake Slice Bakers are currently baking Applesauce Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze from Carole Walter's Great Cakes. The recipe calls for sweetened applesauce. To help with the family budget I stuck with the organic unsweetened applesauce in the fridge. I compensated with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. I also opted for sweeter Fuji apples rather than Granny Smith. Yes, this luscious spice cake contains both applesauce and fresh apple bits. While chopping the Fuji apples, I mused on the ironies of life.

Caramel made with brown sugar, butter and cream harmonizes
with the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in this applesauce cake. 

A northbound train ride from cosmopolitan Tokyo (where I grew up) will deliver you to Nagano; one of the largest apple producing regions in Japan. In and around Nagano train station, dozens of vendors sell dried apples (think dried fruits like apricots which are chewy but still soft.) Besides dried apples, candies, cookies and pies with apple are sold. Even traditional Japanese style sweets infused with apples are available for purchase. But, try finding a jar of applesauce. Apple jam? Yes. Applesauce? No. (Expect a lot of puzzled looks.) It is just one of those ironies in life. Despite all the successful marriages between Western style cooking and baking with indigenous Japanese produce, some items are simply not appealing to the Japanese palate. (It's like sushi. Many Westerners love sushi but won't go near octopus.) 

Caramel - the old fashioned Main Street flavor - plays well with
the Fuji and Granny Smith apples in the pecan-studded applesauce cake.

The Great Cakes applesauce spice cake probably would not appeal to the taste of a Japanese friend either. The cake is dense, moist, packed with nuts, apples and spices -  and heavier than the typical light, fluffy Japanese patisserie style gateaux. But, this towheaded American absolutely loved everything about the applesauce cake. Including the brown sugar glaze which is truly a caramel glaze. Not just a hint of caramel but a full blast of honest-to-goodness Main Street USA old-fashioned caramel! And when combined with the applesauce cake, well, let me say, you may just hear an angel or two sing.

A great tasting applesauce cake recipe with caramels, apples and pecans
from Carole Walter's Great Cakes cookbook.

To get the full how-to of the Applesauce Spice Cake & caramely Brown Sugar Glaze, you can purchase Great Cakes here.