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Pumpkin Apple Slab Cake

This sheet cake is filled with stuffed apples and fall spices! The apples make it such a moist cake and we're topping it with spiced buttercream, perfect for fall and thanksgiving dinner!
Course: dessert
Cuisine: american
Keyword: Cake

Ingredients

Cake Batter:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 can 420g plain pumpkin puree (not fresh puree)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 6 apples I used honeycrisp
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup raisins

Buttercream:

Instructions

Bake the cake:

  • Combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and butter in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Add this to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
  • Peel and core the apples. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan. Place the apples into the pan in 2 rows.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and raisins. Divide them between the apples.
  • Spoon the cake batter around the apples.
  • Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Make the buttercream:

  • Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Then add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, beating with each addition.
  • Divide the buttercream into bowls to dye it. Place ½ cup of buttercream into a bowl and dye it a mossy green, using green food coloring and few drops of yellow and brown food coloring. Place it into a piping bag and cut a notch into the end, creating a DIY leaf piping tip.
  • Divide the remaining buttercream evenly into 6 bowls. Dye them the following:
  • Cream = leave as is (the spices in the buttercream will make it a warm, cream color)
  • Yellow = 3 drops yellow food coloring, one drop of orange food coloring
  • Orange = 2 orange food coloring, 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring
  • Red = 3 drops crimson food coloring, 1 drop yellow food coloring
  • Purple = 1 drop blue food coloring, 1 drop pink food coloring, 3 drops crimson food coloring
  • Brown = 3 drops brown food coloring, 1 drop crimson food coloring, 1 drop orange food coloring
  • Place the buttercream into piping bags fitted with Russian flower piping tips.

To decorate:

  • Keep the cake in the pan. It will be too moist and delicate to remove.
  • Gently score the surface of the cake with a knife to divide it into 6 sections. This will make it much easier to create stripes!
  • Pipe stripes of flowers in an ombre pattern. Alternatively, scatter the flowers all over the cake in no particular pattern. It all depends on your style!
  • Pipe leaves between the flowers. Then slice and enjoy! NOTE: Refrigerate if you are not eating the same day as you bake it. The apples will be very soft and can spoil when left at room temperature for too long. When ready to serve, simply bring it to room temperature beforehand.

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