By Rosie Hawthorne | Outer Banks Voice
Most of you probably have your Thanksgiving meal already planned – turkey with giblet gravy, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn pudding, stuffing, dinner rolls, that cranberry jellied blob with the can ribs still imprinted on it (Does anybody really like that stuff?), and whatever else you might put on the family table. As usual, I’m bypassing the meal and going straight to dessert.
This year, I’m foregoing the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies, but I’m still using the best parts of both. I’m taking the spices and the nuts and I’m going in a different direction – apple sauce spice cake with a caramel filling and a cream cheese frosting. The warmth of the spices, the sweet richness of the caramel, and the creamy, slight tang of the icing all combine to balance for a flavorful finish.
Notice this cake is made with oil, not butter. A butter-made cake might taste better than an oil-made cake, but in this case, what with all the spices, that flavor difference will be negligible. Using oil, however, has its advantages, which can be found in the improved texture of the cake. Oil, being lighter than butter, will produce a lighter cake. Oil-based cakes tend to bake up fluffier with a more even and more tender crumb. Also, the addition of applesauce in this cake increases the moisture, enhances the flavors, and keeps your cake fresher longer.
