Thank goodness the weather has been in the 80s lately instead of 90s. Unfortunately, I’m pretty tired of sweating within 5 minutes of stepping foot outdoors. I hate to say it, but I’m so ready for sweater weather.
Both Nate and my favorite season is fall. We love the crisp air, beautiful leaves, earthy smells and cooler temperatures! Plus, I love wearing sweaters.
So it would only seem appropriate that to celebrate our 1 year dating anniversary on Friday, we had a Cider Cake.
This actually came about because we had this bottle of TJ’s Cranberry Cider laying around for a while, and with the cold weather long gone, Nate had no desire to drink it. He also said that he had had it before and didn’t love it.
I hate wasting things or throwing them out, so I figured the cider would have to get used in some other form that we’d both enjoy. I scoured the internet for recipes that use cider and found quite a few, but I wanted our anniversary dessert to be something special.
So when I came across a recipe for a 3 layer cake with cider cake, cider filling and cider frosting, I knew that had to be it. Luckily, altogether it used 3+ cups of cider, but unfortunately that still leaves me with over half the bottle.
Next up I’m thinking of cider roasted pears, and maybe a cider vinaigrette.
This cake is part of the #cakelove bloghop!
you can see it here.
October Cider Cake
Taken from Oxmoor House
Makes one 3-layer cake
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cider Filling (recipe below)
Creamy Cider Frosting (recipe below)
Chopped pecans (optional)
Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves; add to creamed mixture alternately with cider, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lemon juice.
Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove layers from pans, and cool completely in fridge.
Put a thin band of icing along the perimeter of each later, and then pool the Cider Filling inside. Put back in fridge to let it set completely or the filling will ooze out from the weight of the cake (trust me).
Spread top and sides with Creamy Cider Frosting. Garnish top of cake with pecans, if desired.
Cider Filling
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan; gradually stir in cider. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and butter; cool in fridge.
Creamy Cider Frosting
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon apple cider
1/4 teaspoon salt
About 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; cool. Gradually add sugar until spreading consistency; beat until smooth.
