Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is back this month with a rustic cake perfect for Autumn…

Autumn is officially here!  It is time to bring out my spice jars and put a generous sprinkling of cinnamon on everything I bake! : )  I am so excited to bake with tons of apples and pumpkins this season.  What will I be baking with them?  Pies, pies, and more pies.  Even just thinking about it makes me squeal in excitement.

My favorite pie just so happens to be pumpkin pie.  I can eat it all day everyday!  Summer included!  The silky texture, the nuttiness of the pumpkin, and the marriage of spices always leave my heart smiling.  Not to mention, the pie leaves the whole house smelling divine.  What is your favorite pie?

Speaking of pumpkins, I will be providing a recipe and tutorial, as well as a ‘trick’, in making what may be one of the easiest pumpkin shaped cakes in the world!  Some of you may already know this ‘trick’ and I apologize if you do, but I found out recently via a random lady at the grocery store and cannot wait to share it with you!

So, what is the simple trick?  It is to use two bundt cakes stacked on top of one another!  Clever, right?  By the way, did I mention what type of cake we would be making?  Silly me!  We’ll be making a Pumpkin Bundt Cake filled with Chocolate Ganache!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake
This makes 1 cake. You will need 2.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven at 350F and butter a 10″ bundt pan.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale in color using the paddle attachment.
3. With the exemption of the eggs, in a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin and buttermilk) together.
4. In another bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients together.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar.
6. Divide the dry ingredients into thirds and wet ingredients into half, and incorporate into creamed mixture.  Starting and ending with the dry.
7. Pour batter into greased pan and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes. Or, until inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache
You need 1 batch. If you love chocolate, you can make 2.

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 ounces heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Bring cream to simmer in pot over stove.
2. Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for a minute.
3. Mix with spatula until smooth.
4. Add vanilla extract.
5. Let ganache sit on counter until it sets. (It should be soft, but not soupy– kind of like buttercream!)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
You need 1 batch.

6 egg whites (8 ounces)
1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water or your eggs will scramble!
2. Whisk until the egg whites feel warm to touch (110F) and no grain of sugar can be felt.
3. Pour egg mixture to a clean stand mixer bowl.
4. Using a whisk, beat on high until about room temperature.
5. When meringue is nice and fluffy, throw in pieces of butter a little at a time.
6. Whisk until nice and silky.

Whew!  Now that all is baked and made are you ready to compose the cake?  Wait, what was that?  You want to call it a day?  Well, that is completely fine too!  Wrap your cooled cakes in plastic wrap and stick them in the fridge.  Since the weather has cooled significantly, you may let your buttercream and ganache sit on your kitchen counter overnight.  Just make sure to re-whip your buttercream.  For those of you that want to continue, here we go!

Take your cooled bundt cakes and torte each in half.  It is important to torte them when they are completely cool or the layers will indeed shrink and not align.  Spread a very thin layer of ganache in between each layer. You want it to be thin so it does not over power the flavor of the cake.

For the stem, you may use a upside-down green flat-bottomed ice cream cone, or you may make a stem out of fondant or gumpaste. You can dry the stem out completely, or have it be partially firm so you can mold it on your cake. I chose to do a latter and put a paper cup (upside-down) in the cavity of the bundt so the bottom of the cup holds the stem up. I made the stem white, but colored it brown with a little bit of coffee extract.

Crumb coat your cake. (My buttercream was tinted a pale tan color. I used a few drops of coffee extract.) Your cake should now look like this:

Now to decorate your cake! You may choose to use whichever round tip your little heart desires!  What do you think? The picture needed some color so I used a pomegranate as a prop for some color.

Now that your hard work is done, enjoy a slice!

The pumpkin cake, chocolate ganache, and extremely light coffee buttercream, is indeed a unique flavor combination, but it’ll leave your taste buds happy. The pumpkin and spices will hit your taste buds first, followed by the ganache, and lastly, the coffee as you swallow. Okay, so maybe you didn’t need that much detail. ; )

Happy October and Autumn everyone!

	Miso Bakes Miso is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a talented pastry chef with a big passion for cakes. Read more about Miso on her bio page.

**** Winner Update: This giveaway is now closed.***  Our lucky winner is… Laurie Underwood who said “Ice Cream and alcohol – two of my favorite things!  What a wonderful combination!” on October 10th, 2011 at 9:50 pm.  Congratulations Laurie!  We hope you enjoy your Ice Cream Happy Hour book!  Cheers! ****

Okay, okay….  I know it’s not cake.  But if there is anything that naturally goes with cake, it’s ice cream.  And if there’s anything I love as much as cake, it’s ice cream.  Not to mention ice cream with a kick!  So today’s featured recipe {and giveaway!} is right up my alley.

“Ice Cream Happy Hour” is a clever new book with ice cream recipes based on classic cocktails… Coffee with Kahlúa, Chocolate Martini, and Strawberry Daiquiri.  These homemade frozen delights not only taste amazing, they also serve up a surprising kick – there’s a shot of alcohol in each cup!  Today we’re sharing the recipe for the Chocolate Martini Ice Cream AND one lucky Half Baked reader will win a copy of Ice Cream Happy Hour! Someone has bowls of intoxicatingly tasty ice cream in their future!

Chocolate Martini Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart

1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped, or dark chocolate chips
½ packet (½ tablespoon) gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup cold (refrigerated) chocolate liqueur
1/4 cup cold (refrigerated) vodka or vanilla vodka

1. Mix the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Continue heating until the mixture is steamy and makes a slight sizzling noise when you move the pan. This is called scalding.
2. While the milk mixture heats to scalding, whisk together the egg yolks
   in a medium bowl until they’re light in color and slightly fluffy. Whisk the egg yolks and temper
3. Gently stream about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously. This is called tempering. It’s important to whisk while streaming the hot milk. If you just pour in the hot milk and then whisk, you may get scrambled eggs.
4. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the rest of the milk mixture in the
   saucepan and stir continuously on low heat with a heatproof spatula or flat ended wooden spoon. Make sure you scrape the bottom evenly while you continuously stir.
   The custard is thick enough when you can draw a line on the back of the spoon with your finger and the line retains its shape. Note: If you have health concerns regarding eggs, you can check the temperature using an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the custard.
5. Melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl with a fine-mesh strainer on top. Pour the hot custard through the strainer into the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
6. Cover with plastic wrap so that it’s directly touching the entire surface of the custard and none of it is exposed to air. This prevents a skin from developing. Transfer the container to an ice bath and let it cool for about 30 minutes to stop the cooking process. Transfer the container to the refrigerator. Chill until the custard is completely cold, at least 8 hours.
7. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water. Pour the water into a small saucepan or microwave-safe container and evenly sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow to sit until the gelatin appears to have absorbed as much water as it can, about 2 minutes. This is called blooming. Gently warm over low heat and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved into the liquid, about 3 minutes.
8. Spike the custard with the cold chocolate liqueur, vodka, and gelatin mixture. Refrigerate the alcohol until completely cold. Do not speed up the process by putting it in the freezer, which may make the gelatin set up too much before it is added to the custard. Pour the gelatin into a medium bowl and whisk in the cold alcohol until combined. Do not attempt to skip this step by pouring the alcohol directly into the sauce pan or microwave-safe container with the gelatin. There might be enough residual heat to heat up the custard and prevent it from thickening in the ice cream maker. Pour the cold custard into a large bowl. Stream the alcohol and gelatin mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the custard and whisk until thoroughly blended.
9. Churn the ice cream for at least 20 minutes. Pour the cold custard immediately into the ice cream maker and churn for at least 20 minutes, or as directed. Due to the alcohol content, you may wish to churn it longer to get the desired thickness. If you don’t want to serve the ice cream immediately, or you want a firmer texture, transfer it to a freezer proof container and freeze for several hours before serving.

There’s no better way to start a Monday than to give away a fabulous prize!! It’s time for us to announce our lucky winner of the Confetti Cakes for Kids Book by Elisa Strauss! Drum roll please…..

Congrats Britt! Best wishes on your upcoming cake adventures!!  Looks like your twins will have some adorable cakes in the future!  Please contact me before Friday, October 14th to claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who entered! We’ll be back later today with another great giveaway to get the week started…

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, is getting into the Halloween spirit…

Happy Fall! I am super excited to welcome the cooler weather and kick off the fall baking season with some caramel apple inspired cupcakes! I don’t know about you, but this time of year I am craving all things with apple, cinnamon and caramel…apple cake, apple pie, and of course caramel apples! So if you don’t have any apples in your fruit basket right now, you are going to want to go grab some so you can make these Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream & Caramel Glaze! Not only are these cupcakes moist and delicious but they are super cute and absolutely perfect for Halloween!

This recipe is so simple that it can be made all in one bowl! So if you are pressed for time, but looking for the perfect fall dessert this is a must try recipe! These apple cupcakes can truly stand alone and be eaten without any icing on top. I have to admit I did steal one out of the pan immediately after it came out of the oven to sample. But trust me these cupcakes only get better by adding the Caramel Buttercream on top for some added sweetness! Now you could stop there and enjoy, but it’s Halloween season after all so let’s make these more of a little treat and top with some melted caramels and candy toppings! Add a wooden popsicle stick and you’ve got a true Caramel Apple Cupcake!

If you’re planning a Halloween party this year, I encourage you to make these cupcakes ahead of time and set up a caramel apple toppings bar so all your guests can decorate their own! Halloween sprinkles, chopped nuts, candy corns, or even crushed up candy bars all make the perfect toppings for these cupcakes! Perfect for kids and adults your party guests will have a blast customizing their own cupcake creations!

Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream & Caramel Glaze
(makes 24 cupcakes)

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups peeled, chopped apples (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Gala)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add all wet ingredients to dry ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla. Mix well with wire whisk until well blended.
4. Fold in chopped apples.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
6. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
8. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Caramel Buttercream.

For the icing:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. In saucepan over medium heat melt butter.
2. Stir in brown sugar and heavy cream and keep over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to mixing bowl.
4. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time and mix with electric mixer until incorporated.
5. Frost cupcakes using an offset spatula.

For the caramel glaze:
1 (14oz) bag Kraft Caramels
2/3 cup half-and-half

1. Microwave caramels and half-and-half on High 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute.
2. Allow caramel to cool for 1-2 minutes.
3. Dip top of frosted cupcakes into bowl of caramel.

For the garnish:
24 wooden popsicle sticks
sprinkles
candy corn
chopped pecans

1. Once cupcakes have been dipped in caramel, top with your favorite garnish before caramel sets.
2. Insert popsicle stick.

*Note: I recommend frosting all cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream first. Then melt your caramels and dip cupcakes one at a time immediately adding toppings to each before caramel sets. These cupcakes are kind of messy, so I recommend eating with a fork.

I hope you enjoy these Caramel Apple treats! Happy Halloween!

Lauren Kapeluck Lauren is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.

My family and I are on the move this week.  Literally moving across the country!  While we pack, load and spend way too many hours in a car over the next few days… some very talented ladies will stop in with guest posts!  Our friend Brittany over at Edible Details has created a frightfully fun Halloween tutorial for us today.  In a few simple steps, your ordinary cupcake will be mummified!  Another great way to spook up your Halloween treats that’s quick, easy and fun for all.  Check out these super cute, Pudgy Mummy Cupcakes!

Pudgy Mummy Cupcakes

Tools:
Cupcake & Icing
Piping Bag with Large Round Tip
White & Black Fondant
Rolling Pin
Knife

Instructions:

1. Using a thicker icing (about the consistency of Creamy Peanut butter) Pipe 2 “Dollops” of icing onto your cupcake. (This as is would be a great base to turn into some cute ghosts!)
2. Roll fondant out to about 8″ long and about the thickness of a toothpick.
3. Cut fondant into strips and wrap around your icing. Let the ends fall below the icing line and leave the little icing curl exposed at the top for added cuteness!  NOTE: Be sure to leave an open patch of icing in the middle for the mummy’s eyes.
4. For the Mummy Hands: Roll out 3/4″ long balls of fondant and cut 3-4 slits into the fondant to create fingers.
5. Press hands into the icing below the wraps.
6. Make two little beady eyes out of the black fondant and place on the exposed icing.

Your mummy is ready for the party!  A huge thank you to Brittany at Edible Details for creating such a fun tutorial for us!  Hope you enjoy her super cute, Pudgy Mummy Cupcakes this Halloween!  You can see more of Brittany’s edible fondant creations on the Edible Details Website and FaceBook Page.

With my daughter’s first birthday party so recently behind us, I’ve had first birthday mania on the brain for months now!  First birthdays are such a special celebration, marked by laughter, family and cake!  So it’s only fitting that today’s post is all about birthdays and cake, featuring a precious first birthday cake AND a giveaway!  A treat for everyone involved… I’m thrilled to share a cake created by one of my very favorite cake designers, you’re going to flip over this little guy, and someone will win a fab prize!  Sounds like the perfect way to start off a new week!

Today’s post features THE most adorable first birthday cake, created by the uber talented Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes.  Elisa created this cute and cuddly little owl for her daughter Sophie’s first birthday.  With it’s corduroy-like textures and amazing stitching details, this cake is oh-so-darling!  I’m guessing this is just the first of many extraordinary cakes for Miss Sophie… the perk of having an accomplished cake designer like Elisa as your mother!  And while the rest of us strive to create cakes as flawless as this one, today’s giveaway will put you one step closer to that goal!  That’s right, one lucky Half Baked reader will win a copy of Elisa’s book, Confetti Cakes for Kids! So many great design ideas and techniques to help you create THE most adorable cake for the special kiddos in your life.

Really, could Sophie’s first birthday owl be any cuter?  The little flowered wings, corduroy pocket, pint sized bow and coordinating smash cake… oh my goodness!  Not to mention those owl eyes, complete with flirty little lashes.  Looks like Elisa’s months of planning paid off with a picture-perfect cake creation.  Yes, that’s right.  Months!  A cake like this doesn’t happen overnight!  Elisa shares with us some insight as to her planning process:

“Perhaps it’s only my fellow cake designers who can understand the stress (I put on myself) for my daughter’s first birthday cake. In fact, my husband jokingly reminded me TWICE that he ordered a sheet cake, NOT a sculpted cake (a.k.a. cake that will take days to bake, sculpt and decorate) but OF COURSE I was not going to serve a sheet cake at my own daughter’s first birthday party.

So the stress actually started months ahead of time deciding on a design. I finally chose an owl because we affectionately coined the phrase for my daughter “owl eyes” for when she should be sleeping in her stroller but we see her bright large eyes looking back at us.”

Leave a Comment below telling us how you’d put this book to good use!  Earn an extra entry by doing any of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each of your entries.  Maximum of 4 entries per person.

• Sign up to follow Half Baked on Facebook
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• Sign up to follow Half Baked via RSS
• Post about this giveaway on your blog – include a link to this post
• Post about this giveaway on your Facebook – include a link to this post
• Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter – include a link to this post

Giveaway ends Sunday, October 9th at midnight CST. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday, October 10th . The winner must claim their prize before Friday, October 14th or a new winner will be selected. You must be 18 years old and either a U.S. or Canadian resident to enter. Maximum of 4 entries per person.  

Good luck everyone! Happy Monday!

One look at today’s cake and you’ll be enamored with its natural charm.  Layers of fresh apple cake take center stage in this rustic inside-out design.  Each tier has six layers of fresh apple cake with raisins, filled with cream cheese icing and stacked high.  Doesn’t that sound divine?  Resting on a wooden base and adorned with apples, this cake is so organic and earthy yet elegant.  A dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch.  Created by Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine and photographed by Natalie Bell, we absolutely adore this Rustic Fresh Apple & Raisin Wedding Cake!

Rustic inside-out designs with no exterior icing are becoming more and more popular.  They provide a great alternative to the traditional cake for minimalist brides and the icing-averse.  Their simple charm makes them a perfect option for outdoor events as well.   Plus, they naturally give off a great Autumn vibe!

I must admit…. every time I see one of these inside-out cakes, I wonder how it tastes.  The exterior icing of a cake helps to keep the inside moist.  How do you keep a cake like this from drying out?  Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine kindly shared her secret to keeping the cake moist and fresh!  She coats the cake itself with a clear-drying citrus glaze before torting and filling.  This protects the outside edge without changing the overall appearance.  Genius!  The perfect solution to ensure this style of cake tastes as good as it looks… everyone’s happy!

A huge thank you to Natalie Bell for sharing her lovely images with us and to Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine for sharing her inspiring Rustic Fresh Apple & Raisin Cake!

Vendors & Credits
Cake : Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine
Photography : Natalie Bell Photography
See the Full Wedding Here : Natalie’s Blog

Since we kicked off the Halloween season yesterday with a beWITCHing cupcake liner craft, I thought we’d continue on with the cupcake love.  Cupcakes are the perfect treat for children’s Halloween parties because they are pre-portioned and easy to serve {and clean up}!  Little ghosts and goblins love cupcakes, along with their parents.  Moms who don’t eat cake {gasp!} are often enticed by a cupcake.  While dads won’t hesitate to woof down two… three… ah, who’s counting really!  And after today’s post, you’ll have a super easy way to create wickedly cool cupcakes for your guests.

We are big fans of Brittany over at Edible Details and she has been busy in the kitchen creating the most frightfully fun Halloween cupcake toppers!  Honestly, they’re like little costumes for your cupcakes… such an easy way to transform any cupcake into a spooky treat!  Whether you start from scratch, break open a box or throw a dozen into your shopping cart, your cupcakes will look hauntingly good!  Take a peek at these edible Halloween Cupcake Toppers…

The black raven topper is so sleek and modern with its spooky silhouette.  And the witch’s hat with its curved tip and antique buckle could not be more charming!  And I’m really loving these black and white spider toppers below…

This next set has to be my favorite though… sassy colors, stripes and glitter!

Whether they adorn your homemade cupcakes or disguise some store bought goodies, these edible cupcake toppers will be the hit of the Halloween Bash!  A huge thanks to Brittany for sharing her Spook-tacular Halloween Cupcake Toppers with us!  You can see more of Brittany’s edible fondant creations on the Edible Details Website and FaceBook Page.

Quick Reference Links:
Website:  Edible Details
Be a Fan: Facebook Page

I generally have a rule about rushing the season… that is, I try not to.  But Halloween has been in the stores for so long now that it’s starting to go on clearance.  So today, I’m officially kicking off the Halloween season here on Half Baked!  And what better way to start things off than with a fun Halloween Cupcake Liner Craft?  If you’re a regular reader, you know we love a good cupcake liner craft!  And why not?  They’re adorable, easy and make great use of the extra cupcake liners we all have lying around.

Over the weekend, I got into the Halloween spirit and came up with a fun new tutorial for you.  In a few simple steps, you’ll brew up these bewitching Halloween cupcake toppers.  So break out your scissors, extra baking liners and let’s get started!  Perfect for Halloween treats and easy enough for the kids to craft… hope you enjoy my Cupcake Liner Witch Hats!

CUPCAKE LINER WITCH HATS
a DIY by Carrie Sellman

Tools:
Cupcake Liners
Mini Cupcake Liners
Double Sided Tape
Toothpicks
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Grab a regular sized cupcake liner.  Fold liner in half.  Fold in half again, creating a pie-like wedge.  Tape the two flaps together using double sided tape, so that you have one solid triangle.
2. Fold in half again.  Tape again.  Now you should have a tall skinny wedge that is 1/8 the size of your original circle.  If your liner is now a flat triangle due to folding, fluff it up with your finger so that it makes a cone.
3. Insert a toothpick into your cupcake and place your cone on top of the toothpick.  This is the body of your hat.  The toothpick will help your hat stay in place.
4. Grab a mini cupcake liner.  Cut a hole in the middle of the liner.  I found it easiest to do this by folding it in half and then cutting out a ‘C’ shape on the folded edge.  Open up liner and slightly flatten with your hand.  This will be the brim.
5. Slide the brim down over your cone to complete the hat.  Smush and crinkle to add character.  Bend the tip of the hat, if desired.

Whether they top off your delectable homemade cupcakes, spruce up some store bought sweets or provide a Halloween activity for the kiddos… I hope you enjoy these Cupcake Liner Witch Hats!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, on DIYnetwork.com, TLC’s Parentables and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.

Before we jump into today’s post, I must apologize for the lack of posts in the last week or so.  I’ve been a bad blogger!  Some of it’s related to our upcoming move to Southern Florida.  Some of it’s related to on-going projects, that while amazingly fun, are time consuming and not ready to share.  Whatever the case, you’ve been neglected my friends.  So to make up for it, I have a fabulous Fall recipe to share today!

Remember last week when I mentioned that we took my daughter apple picking for the first time?  She had a ball!  Each apple was placed into our sack via her little hands!  Then, what was mommy to do with all of those apples?!?

Well, today I’m sharing one of the goodies that came from those apples.  Four delicious fall flavors, layered in a tall shot glass.  In this one little mini dessert you get all of the best flavors of Autumn.  Cinnamon, caramel, cream cheese and of course, apples!  It starts with a layer of cream cheese icing, topped with a layer of cinnamon swirl cake, topped with apples that have been sauteed and lightly caramelized, followed by another layer of cream cheese icing and finished with a drizzle of caramel sauce. While this recipe is not for the faint of heart, it is decadently delicious. So delicious that I will post the full blown, multi-step recipe along with a quick and easy (although not quite as good) recipe. Either way you slice it, I hope you enjoy my Caramel Apple Cake Shooters.

Caramel Apple Cake Shooters
(makes 20 shooters)

For the Cinnamon Swirl Cake:

1. Start with your favorite basic white cake recipe.   If you don’t have a favorite recipe, try this one from Martha Stewart or even use a box mix. (Gasp! It’s okay to take a short cut because their are sooo many steps to these little treats.)
2. Pull out several tablespoons of batter and mix in tablespoon or more of cinnamon until the batter is a nice light brown color.
3. Pour white cake batter into pan(s).  Using a knife, swirl cinnamon batter through white cake batter.  Bake as directed for a 9-by-13-inch pan.
4. Once cooled, cut cake in half horizontally, creating two layers approximately one inch in height.  Using a cutter the same size as your shot glass (or one of the actual glasses) cut out circles of cake and set aside for layering.

For the Caramelized Apples

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 sticks of unsalted butter
4 cups petite diced apples  (Granny Smith or another firm variety)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of salt

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water, and bring to a boil.
2. Lower heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.  Continue cooking 7 to 10 minutes, swirling pan occasionally, until amber in color.
3. Add butter and stir until melted.
4. Add apples, cinnamon and salt.  Stir and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and apples are tender.  About 10 – 15 minutes of bubbling away.
5. Remove from heat.  (Spoon off just a little of the caramel sauce to reserve for the final drizzle.)  Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.

For the Cream Cheese Icing

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon, juice

Beat all ingredients with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Fill piping bag fitted with large round tip.

To Assemble

1. Pipe a small amount of cream cheese icing into shot glass, filling glass 1/4th of the way up.
2. Add a circle of cinnamon cake. Using a small rolling pin, clean finger or muddler, push cake down into glass until flush with icing.
3. Add 2 tsp of apple mixture.
4. Top with cream cheese icing until glass is full.
5. Drizzle with reserved caramel sauce, if desired.

Like I said, this recipe is not for the faint of heart!  But the results are delicious!  If you want to achieve a similar dessert without the time commitment, just simpify one or more steps along the way.  Swap out a layer or two with something pre-made.  Use store bought cake, icing or apple pie filling.  The end result will look just as impressive and will taste *almost* as good.  Besides, you do have a life to live outside the kitchen!

I hope you embrace the abundance of Autumn and try out my Caramel Apple Cake Shooters! Happy Friday everyone!!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, on DIYnetwork.com, TLC’s Parentables and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.