Christmas Cake with Caramelized-Apple Cream Cheese Frosting


It is this time of year, when the fragrant spices are very popular in my kitchen. There are certain types of spices that I use only at Christmas time. I feel that I ignore them for the rest of the year, but this is something I am not forcing myself on doing, it just happens...

I reach for the cinnamon from time to time (rarely) in a non-seasonal time, but definitely it is the queen of the spices at Christmas time. The nutmeg is present in my savoury cuisine through the year, but I do not touch the cloves and the cardamom in any other time of the year, but for Christmas. In this cake, all these spices meet together and really bloom the taste. 

It is an easy and fast desert, baked in a bundt cake form and topped with a light cream cheese frosting. The apple caramel sauce makes it extraordinary and certainly delivers the warm and cosy sense of Christmas.


for the cake:

225 g unsalted butter at room temperature
380 g custard sugar

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

60 g cocoa powder
150 ml cold water

250 g plain yogurt 
1/2 tsp baking soda

250 g flour
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
4 g salt
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of clover
a pinch of cardamom 
a pinch of four peppers 


prepare the cake:

1. Prepare the cocoa mixture: In a bowl. scale the cocoa and stir in the cold water to a paste consistency.
2. Prepare the yogurt: Scale the yogurt and add the baking soda. Stir well. Leave aside until needed.
3. Prepare the dry ingredients: Scale the flour in a medium bowl. Add all the spices. Stir well.
4. In a bowl of a self-standing mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until mayonnaise consistency is reached.
5. Add eggs one by one, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla.
6. Add the cocoa mixture.
7. Mix in half of the yogurt mixture. Fold in half of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the yogurt. Gently fold in the rest of the flour. Mix to homogenize well. 
8. Bake in the bundt form at 180°C, until a toothpick check comes out clean (about half an hour).
9. Leave in the pan to cool for 20 min.
10. Turn the cooled cake over a wired rack to cool.


for the frosting:

half a cup of caramelized apple sauce 
200 g cream cheese at room temperature

prepare the frosting:

1. Beat the cream cheese until light.
2. While mixing, incorporate half of the caramel sauce. Add the rest and beat to homogenize.
3. Leave at the refrigerator to cool and prepare for piping.

tailoring the cake:

1. Place the cooled cake in a serving plate.
2. Sift icing sugar on top.
3. Pipe the cream cheese as desired. I used St. Honoré piping tip.
4. Garnish with pomegranate. 


Serve chilled.
Store in a cool place.

Have a sweet day,
♥ IN


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