Lairds Applejack Pound Cake Food

LAIRD'S APPLEJACK POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter & 2 cups sugar 'til light and fluffy.
• Add yolks one at a time, mixing well each time. Add flour alternately with vanilla and applejack in thirds, beating until smooth after each addition.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
• Beat remaining sugar into egg whites gradually. Gently fold egg yolk mixture into whites.
• Sprinkle nuts on bottom of well buttered 10" tube pan.
• Carefully turn batter into pan.
• Bake in 350 oven for approximately 1&1/2 hours.
• Cool completely and remove from pan.

APPLEJACK BUTTER PECAN BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the caramel sauce: This calls for close attention; don't wander off, but do use the time to measure out the ingredients for the cake. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water. Swirl together and bring to a boil over high heat, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming (or use a nonstick saucepan).
• Once it comes to a boil, cook over medium-high heat (do not stir, but it's OK to swirl the pan occasionally) until the mixture is bubbling at a slower pace and has turned a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, then gradually and carefully stir in the cream (it will splatter a bit). Add the applejack, butter, vanilla and salt, stirring until thoroughly combined and smooth. Taste and add more applejack and salt, if desired. You'll use 1/4 cup of this caramel sauce in the cake batter, and the rest for brushing on the cake after baking.
• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of a 9- or 10-inch Bundt-style pan, preferably nonstick, with nonstick cooking spray. If your pan is not nonstick, refrigerate the greased pan for 10 minutes, then grease it again to thoroughly coat.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the granulated sugar, butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the 1/4 cup caramel sauce and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, then the milk, then another third of the flour mixture, then the applejack, and finally the remaining flour mixture, mixing until well combined after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the pecans by hand just until evenly distributed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bang the filled pan on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the cake is well browned and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes; the steam will help with release. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Flip the cake (still in the pan) onto the rack and let cool another 5 to 10 minutes. The cake may drop out of the pan as it cools. If not, shake the pan to loosen it, running a knife around the edges.
• Meanwhile, warm the remaining caramel sauce. When the cake is turned out on the rack, brush sauce over the entire surface. Let it soak in, then repeat once or twice more until the cake is well coated. Let cool for 1 hour before serving; the caramel will become somewhat set and be much less sticky.

APPLE JACK STACK CAKE

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Put the apples, brown sugar, cider, and applejack in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the apples and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Set aside.
• For the cake:
• Position the racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla.
• In large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the molasses, beating until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Gradually add the buttermilk (the mixture will look curdled); add the flour mixture and mix until a soft dough forms-it should look like cookie dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, pat into a round, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, about 8 1/2 ounces each. On parchment paper, roll portions of dough into circles about 1/4 inch thick. Use an 8-inch cake pan as a guide to trim into uniform 8-inch circles. Bake one circle on each prepared sheet until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the circles to cooling racks and let cool completely. The cakes will harden and set as they cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Reroll scraps to form a seventh layer.
• Place the first layer on a serving plate and spread with 1/4 cup of the apple butter. Arrange one-sixth of the cooled cooked apples on top of apple butter and top with another layer of cake. Repeat with the remaining filling and cake layers, ending with a cake layer on top. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the layers soften, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• For the glaze:
• In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, reserved apple cider mixture, and the molasses. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes, then pour the glaze over the top of the cake. Slice and serve, or store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.