This was my first adventure into baking with cake flour! I was very pleased with the final product, despite the fact that this is such a simple cake (I am not a vanilla and buttercream kind of girl) but I had to give this cider spice cake a try because it just sounded so heavenly. I think this would make the perfect fall birthday cake for your loved one, just add candles! 😉
Cider Syrup:
1 qt apple cider
Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
2 cups light brown sugar
6 eggs, divided (room temp)
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cider syrup, chilled
Cider Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
2 lbs confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cider syrup, chilled
6 tbsp half and half, divided
Cider syrup:
- Bring cider to a boil over medium-high heat, boil down for about 40 minutes and then let cool.
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Then butter and flour two round cake pans lined with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a second bowl, mix flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt.
- Then add the flour mix to the butter mix, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Then beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Stir in 1/4th of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the other 3/4th’s into the batter gently.
- Divide the batter between the 2 pans and cook for about 25 min (depending on your oven, make sure you do not over bake).
- Let cakes cool and remove from pans after about 10 minutes.
- Drizzle cider syrup on top of both cakes (couple teaspoons- don’t soak it) and let the cakes cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy and then add sugar, syrup and 4 tbsp of half and half.
- Beat in 2 more tbsp of half and half if proper consistency is not yet reached.
‘Assembly:
- Place 1 cake layer on plate, and cover the top of the layer in frosting.
- Add second layer on top and add the rest of the frosting on top and along the sides.
- Garnish with more cider syrup and nuts!
