The Perfect Chocolate Cake

Tags

cake, chocolate, dessert, homemade, icing, perfection

Luscious. Decadent. Moist. Sinful. Perfection on a plate.

It is not an exaggeration to say this is the most perfect cake I have ever had.

You simply MUST make it. Trust me.

The Perfect Chocolate Cake (from Diethood)

Cake:

• butter for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup brewed strong black coffee
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:

• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 stick butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter then flour two 9 inch round cake pans. In a mixer bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a pond in the middle and add in the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Combine the ingredients using the mixer, beating the ingredients on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The results will be a thin batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, being sure the batter is evenly dispersed. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pans onto wire cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, chop this chips into small pieces and add to a medium mixing bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, add the whipping cream and butter. Cook over medium heat until just at a boil. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Whisk until the ingredients are totally incorporated and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Remove from the fridge, stir, and place back in the fridge for another hour. Check the icing again. It should be at a spreadable consistency.

On a cake pan, place the first layer. Spread 1/4 to 1/3 of the frosting evenly over the first layer. Top with the second layer and frost the entire cake evenly. Serves 12.

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Apple Nut Coffee Cake

Tags

apple, cake, coffee, dessert, nut, pecan

This past weekend was cold and drippy. Freezing rain and 4 inches of snow blanketed our ground and did not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I comforted myself with a cup of coffee and a wedge of this delicious cake.

Apple Nut Coffee Cake (From Bunny’s Warm Oven)

Topping:

• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsalted  butter, chilled
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Batter:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round springform pan.

In a small bowl, combine the nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir well and set aside. Toss chopped pears in lemon juice and zest; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to mix well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, cut the cold butter into the flour with a fork until it makes a crumbly texture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix again. Scrape the sides with a spatula as needed. With the mixer running slowly, add 1/2 of the flour. When it is just mixed in, add the sour cream. When the sour cream is incorporated, add the rest of the flour and mix until just blended. Spread 2/3 of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the batter with the flour/butter filling. Add the apple mixture. Top with remaining cake batter and spread it over the apples. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over it all.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. Cool for 20 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the ring from the cake and allow to cool completely. You can serve it warm, though it will be more crumbly if you do. Serves 8.

Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake

Tags

cake, celebration, chocolate, crepe, dessert, hazelnut, holiday, pastry

Ok, I know that this recipe looks enormous. And it is. But the cake that you get at the end is totally worth the effort.  The delicacy of the layers and flavors combine together to make a stunning cake that will be sure to wow even the most picky holiday guest. It has a great chocolate, hazelnut flavor without being overly sweet. It is rich but not overwhelming. Overall, the perfect cake. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake (from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

Crepes:

• 9 tbsp unsalted butter (used for both crepes and pastry cream)
• 2 1/3 cups milk
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp melted butter or other neutral oil

Hazelnut Pastry Cream:

• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 3 1/3 cup whole milk
• 7 tbsp granulated sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• Butter reserved from the crepes

Candied Hazelnuts:

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• Pinch of salt
• Hazelnuts reserved from pastry cream above

Chocolate Draping:

• 6 oz (about a cup) semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp hazelnut liqueur

Make the crepe batter – In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it’s melted, reduce the heat to medium low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir the butter frequently, scraping up any buts from the bottom as you do. Do not take your eyes off the pot. It browns in less than a minute then quickly burns. Remove the butter from the heat once it turns frown and nutty smelling. Transfer it to a bowl and let cool to a lukewarm temperature.

In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, flour, salt, granulated sugar, and 6 tbsp of the cooled browned butter. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or up to 2 days.

Toast and skin hazelnuts – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet, and toast them for 10 minutes, rolling them around once or twice so they toast evenly. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn but let them get some color.

Let the hazelnuts cool. Roll them between your hands to remove the skins. Do this over a baking sheet or something similar so it will catch the husks.

Make the hazelnut pastry cream – In a food processor, grind 1 cup of the toasted hazelnuts (set aside the last 1/3 cup aside for decorating), confectioners’ sugar, liqueur, and salt together. It will at first make a ruckus, then will grind to a coarse chop followed by a powder. Keep running the machine until the powder begins to come together in damp-looking crumbs that combine in small clumps, and then stop. If you keep running the machine, it will turn into hazelnut butter.

In a saucepan, combine the hazelnut paste, milk, and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring a bit so it doesn’t scorch. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Stream a small spoonful of the hot milk into the egg yolk bowl while whisking. Repeat this a few times with additional spoonfuls of the hot milk. By the time you have done five or six additions, you’ll find that the egg yolk bowl is hot; this is how you know you have added enough. Now go in reverse, slowly pouring the warm egg yolk mixture back into the hot milk in the saucepan, whisking the whole time, until the two are combined. Return the saucepan to the stove and, continuing to whisk, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes; the mixture should thicken upon boiling, to a loose pudding consistency. Remove from the heat, and stir in the reserved 3 tablespoons of browned butter from the crepe better recipe. Transfer it to a bowl, press a piece of plastic against the top of the custard and chill in the fridge until fully chilled.

Make Crepes – Preheat a medium (9 inch) skillet or crepe pan over medium high heat. Once it’s heated, brush pan lightly with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the skillet, swirling it until it evenly coats the bottom, and cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is golden and the top is set, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip (look for the driest-looking and darkest edge, lift it gently with a spatula so that it gets a second to cool and use your fingers to help flip it over) and allow to cook for another 5 to 10 seconds. According to Deb, the first couple will probably not turn out and there is no need to worry. They are a cook’s snack and the rest will turn out ok once you hit your crepe making stride. Continue making the crepes, transferring the finished crepes to a paper towel covered plate to cool. Continue with the remaining batter. The batter yields 19 9-inch crepes; the pastry cream volume is enough for the 16 that will probably make it.

Assemble the cake – Lay the first crepe on your cake stand or plate. Spread with 1/4 cup pastry cream. Repeat with all the remaining crepes but the last one, which will act as the cake’s lid. Chill the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to coat it in chocolate.

Candy hazelnuts – Spread out a piece of parchment paper on your counter, and have a set of tweezers ready. In a small, heavy saucepan, cook sugar and water together over high heat until the sugar melts and begins to turn a pale beige color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the hazelnuts, rolling them around to coat. The caramel will look a shade darker while you do this, a light copper color. Once it has, remove the mixture from the heat. Remove the hazelnuts one by one with the tongs, spreading them out on the parchment so they don’t touch. Cool them until they fall right off the parchment.

Make the chocolate draping – Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and liqueur to a simmer in a small saucepan and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth. If this wasn’t enough heat to create a very thick but still (barely) pourable smooth mixture, put a little water in the sucepan that previously heated the cream, bring it to a simmer, place the bowl of chocolate and cream over it, and stir it until it thins and smooths out to desired consistency.

To finish – Remove the chilled crepe cake from the fridge. Pour chocolate mixture over the top, spread with your spatula to cover the top crepe, gently nudging the chocolate over the edges in a few places. Decorate the top with the candied hazelnuts. Set the cake in the fridge until needed. Makes 16 servings.

*Please note my apologies for the varying quality of the photos. I spent the holiday away from home so light was troublesome.*

Our Favorite Coconut Cake

Tags

cake, coconut, dessert, family, favorite, flaked, food, Southern

Nothing is more Southern than sitting on the porch with a big slice of coconut cake and glass of sweet tea. Come and get it, y’all.

Our Favorite Coconut Cake (an old Kraft recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box)

• 1 pkg (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
• 2-2/3 cups flaked coconut (7-oz pkg), divided
• 1 pkg (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 tub Cool Whip, thawed

Heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers, stirring 2/3 cup coconut into batter before pouring into prepared pans. Cool cakes in pans 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat pudding mix, sugar and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.

Stack cake layers on plate, filling layers with 1 cup pudding and 3/4 cup of the remaining coconut. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Press remaining coconut into pudding mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

King Cake – NOLA Series Part 2

Tags

bread, cake, dessert, king, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, NOLA, Southern, traditional, yeast

I was introduced to King Cake last year by my friend Lynne, a LA native. A yeast bread cake with a flavor similar to homemade cinnamon rolls, this dessert is best recognized by it’s beautiful coating of gold, green, and purple sugars. Hidden inside the delicious layers is the baby trinket. If you get the slice containing the baby, you are King or Queen of the day, obligating you to bring next year’s cake. For more history of the King Cake, see here.

This was my first attempt at the king cake. Next year, I’ll probably do a couple of things differently. I think I overworked the dough because it was denser than I had hoped. I also would use a thicker filling than the one used in this recipe. Overall though, this recipe was very tasty and my co-workers had no problem eating the whole thing.

For more recipes in this series, check out these links:

Barbecue Shrimp- NOLA Series Part 1

King Cake

The Dough: 

• 1/2 c warm water (110-115 degrees F.)
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tsp, divided
• 4½-5 ½ c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup lukewarm milk (110 degrees F.)
• 3 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 c plus 2 tbsp butter, melted then cooled
• 1 King Cake baby, coin, dried bean, or pecan

The Cream Cheese Filling:

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1-2 T flour
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:

• 1/2 lb powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• milk

Sugars: (sugars can be colored ahead of time and stored in an airtight container)

• ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided in thirds
• purple food coloring, or red and blue
• green food coloring
• yellow food coloring

In a small bowl, add warm water, yeast and 2 tsp of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes and allow to proof. The yeast will bubble and nearly double in size. Combine 4 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 c sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon zest. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and warm milk. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and butter, gradually combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. A soft ball will form. Place ball on a floured surface and incorporate more flour if needed. Knead until smooth and elastic. Brush the inside of a large bowl with 1 tbsp softened butter. Set dough in bowl and turn to coat with butter. Cover bowl and set aside for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in volume. While the dough is rising, combine the filling ingredients and mix until smooth. When dough is doubled in size, roll the dough out in a 30 inch x 9 inch rectangle on a well floured surface. The dough will be thin. Spread filling in a thin line down the 30” length of the dough, keeping the filling away from the edges. Fold the edge over the filling, then slowly roll the dough into a cylinder, like rolling a jelly roll. Place on baking sheet to form a ring, pinching ends together. Cover and set aside to rise again, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake cake on a rack placed in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool cake to room temperature on a wire rack. Hide the baby, bean, nut, or coin into the cake (through the bottom). For the icing, mix the powdered sugar and vanilla together. Add milk, a small amount at a time, until icing is smooth. Drizzle over cooled King Cake using a fork or your fingers. For the colored sugars, either mix in separate bowls or shake and knead in plastic bags. Add 3-4 drops of yellow food coloring to the sugar and mix to coat all of the sugar. Repeat with green food coloring. For purple, red and blue food coloring can be used but purple colored paste will give a richer color. Sprinkle the sugars over the King Cake while the icing is still wet. Sprinkle in alternating colors, purple, green, and yellow, in rows about 2-3 inches wide.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

cake, carrot, cream cheese, cupcakes, dessert, fall, food, frosting

While I was in Virginia on vacation, my aunt and I found the cutest cupcake decorating kits. I bought the Thanksgiving kit. I plan to make 12 cupcakes for my family and 12 to take to the in-law’s Thanksgiving. The cupcakes have to be just as wonderful as their decoration. This is the first of several cupcake recipes I will be trying in the coming months. I think this is going to be a fun/tasty experiment.

I took these with me to the in-laws this weekend; they were a hit. Next time I may add raisins. Or more walnuts. Or both. The best part- they just get moister by the day.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (from Simply Recipes)

The Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 pound of carrots, shredded (I used the pre-shredded kind and it worked just fine)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp of orange zest
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 2 tsps of baking powder
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 2 tsps of ground cardamom
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon

The Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Place the carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. Fold in the toasted walnuts until evenly incorporated.

Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350 degrees (or until a toothpick comes clean), being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a mixer bowl, combine frosting ingredients. Cream until well mixed. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Lemon Supreme Cake

Tags

apricot, cake, dessert, grandmothers, heirloom, lemon, memories

It is windy, chilly, and miserable outside today. It is the kind of day best spent snuggled up in bed with a good book. Instead of the bed, I was in my kitchen most of the day. I made a cheesecake (which will show up later this week) for a party on Saturday and this gorgeous lemon cake for home consumption.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother made this fairly frequently. Nothing was better than going to Grammy’s house for Sunday dinner and dessert. Memories like those make one long for the simpler days of childhood. Alas, those days are unattainable. Instead I will relish this cake and think of the “good old days”.

Lemon Supreme Cake

The Cake:

• 1 Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake
• 1 cup Kern’s apricot nectar (it comes in a can near the Hispanic foods)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar

The Icing:

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup apricot nectar

Mix together the cake mix, sugar, oil, and nectar until smooth. Add one egg at a time. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour. While the cake is baking, mix together the icing and pour over then hot cake.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Tags

cake, chocolate, dessert, frosting, gifts, icing, peanut butter, sweets, Valentine's Day

This is another great recipe from Confections of a Foodie Bride. I made them for my hubby for Valentine’s Day (as well as getting him a new bottle of his favorite cologne). I rarely love icing but this stuff is addicting. There was some left over that my co-workers and I enjoyed with graham crackers… MMMM! Your valentine will love this!

I love the Elvis curl on this cupcake!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing 

The Cake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup dutch process cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 egg

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 4 Tbsp butter, at room temp
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter

Line 15 cups of a muffin pan with cupcake papers. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer. Turn on low and add sour cream and oil. When completely mixed, add water in 1/4-cup increments until the batter is uniform. Add vanilla, vinegar, and the egg, mixing on medium until combined. The batter will be very runny. Ladle batter into the cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake for ~25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in a center cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes and then cool on wire rack completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter on high, until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Mix in salt and powdered sugar on low speed until just combined and then beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy. Add peanut butter and mix on high until completely combined. Ice and enjoy!

Pear Upside-Down Cake

Tags

cake, dessert, flowers, molasses, pastry, pear, sorghum, spring, sweets

It was in the 60s the last couple of days and I just had to get out. I went for a run and discovered the most amazing thing… Blooming crocuses and daffodils. The gorgeous flowers were such a bright spot. No matter how crummy my day is, flowers will always bring it back to a happy place. I am a little scared for them though. I just know a cold snap will come and they will die. If only real spring was closer.

Million Park is a great place to run, especially with this little field.

Mr. Honeybee is out to play…

Speaking of beautiful things, today’s recipe is a cake Rufus posted late last year and I have been longing for it ever since. Since pears are on sale this week at the grocery, I decided to make this cake (with a few minor variations). Boy was I glad I did. It was a snap to make and the presentation is lovely…

Pear Upside-Down Cake

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, plus one egg yolk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup sorghum
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch of cinnamon sugar

In a small bowl, toss pears with 1/4 cup sorghum, 1 tbsp lemon juice and cinnamon sugar. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter on medium high until light and creamy about a minute. Add in salt and brown sugar. Beat on medium high to incorporate. Beat in eggs one at a time, ending with the yolk and then the lemon juice. (Another minute or so.) Reduce the mixer speed and beat in flour and spices until incorporated. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment. Butter the sides of the pan and the parchment. Using a slotted spoon to drain off most of the excess juice, arrange pears on the bottom of the pan overlapping slightly in a circular pattern. Drop batter on top and smooth with a rubber spatula. It will be thick. Cook for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

apple, cake, cinnamon, cream cheese icing, dessert, fall

I saw this recipe in the fall and I had forgotten about it until today when I was attempting to clean out my bookmarks. I have so many fantastic recipes to try that it overwhelms me a little. So many recipes, so little time…

Ok, maybe that it a little dramatic. But it is clear to me that my full time job it getting in the way of my culinary creations. If only I could figure out a way to pay for things and never work! Maybe one day…

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(Gourmet Magazine October 2009)

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup pecans

Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in pecans. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan until completely cool.

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Slowly add confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of completely cooled cake.