Old Fashioned Pear Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Food

AUTUMN SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans well with non-stick baking spray then lightly dust with flour and shake out excess.
• Wrap cake strips around pan if you have them (for a more level cake). Set pans aside.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 20 seconds, set aside.
• Pour brown sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Break up brown sugar with fingertips until no clumps remain.
• Pour in vegetable oil and applesauce, set mixer with paddle attachment and blend until well combined (occasionally stop and scrape bowl throughout mixing process).
• Mix in eggs and vanilla.
• Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then blend in buttermilk, then add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
• Divide mixture evenly among two prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 - 32 minutes.
• Allow to cool in pans about 5 - 10 minutes then run a knife around edges to ensure cake is loose and invert upside down onto a wire rack to cool.
• Cool completely then level tops of cakes as needed. Frost with cream cheese frosting, sprinkle pecans around edges if desired.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended***.

SUPER MOIST SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan. I always use this glass pan.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and other spices together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Whisk the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses (if using) together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the shredded apple until combined.
• Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up.
• In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

APPLE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Combine dry ingredients; stir into the fruit mixture. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in the milk and vanilla; frost cake. Store in the refrigerator.

MULLING-SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cakes: Coat two 9-inch round pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt; set aside.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs and orange zest, and beat on medium-high speed, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the molasses and baking soda. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil over high; pour it over the molasses and baking soda and whisk until combined. (The mixture will froth.)
• Beat in a third of the flour to the butter mixture on low until combined, then half the cider mixture. When it's blended, add half the remaining flour, all the remaining cider, then the rest of the flour, beating to blend after each addition. Batter will be runny.
• Divide the batter between the pans, swiveling the pans to level the batter, which will be scant. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, rotating halfway through. Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then unmold and transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool fully.
• Prepare the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix briefly. On low speed, add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. After all the sugar is incorporated, scrape the bowl, then beat the frosting on medium-high for 15 seconds.
• Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Top with 1 cup frosting, and spread it to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Top with a smattering of crystallized ginger bits, chocolate pearls or sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days) before serving.

OLD FASHIONED FROSTING

Steps:

• STEP ONE: sift the flour.
• Pour milk into a jar and add the sifted flour.
• Shake hard for 1-1/2 minutes.
• Pour into pan and stir CONSTANTLY over medium-medium high heat with a wire whisk paste will thicken as you cook, the thicker the better (it may boil, then you know it's just about done). Remove from heat and immediately cover paste with wax paper so the paper just slightly touches the top of the mixture.
• Make sure it is covered completely.
• Quickly put it in the refrigerator until cool (about 2 hours).
• STEP 2: Cream butter for a while before adding sugar.
• Add sugar and mix until it is no longer grainy.
• SLOWLY add the refrigerated paste, one spoonful at a time.
• Mix in vanilla.

PEAR CAKE WITH LEMON-HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in large bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add oil, eggs, milk and vanilla; whisk just until evenly moistened. Fold in pears and nuts; divide between pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.
• For frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in large bowl until fluffy. Add honey and beat until smooth. If frosting is very soft, chill until firm enough to spread.
• Cut around cakes; turn out of pans. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

PEAR CAKE WITH LEMON-HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 1 1/2 inch high sides.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in large bowl.
• Make well in center of flour mixture.
• Add oil, eggs, milk and vanilla; Whisk just until evenly moistened.
• Fold in pears and nuts and divide between pans; Bake cakes for about 45 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in large bowl until fluffy.
• Add honey and beat until smooth.
• If frosting is very soft, chill until firm enough to spread.
• Place 1 cake layer, flat side up on a platter.
• Spread 1 cup frosting on cake.
• Top with second layer with flat side down.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

OLD FASHIONED PEAR SPICE CAKE [WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING]

Steps:

• In the large bowl of an electric mixture, combine sugar, oil, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger salt and flour.
• Mix to blend; then beat at medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold pears and nuts into batter.
• Spread in an ungreased 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
• Bake in a 350 oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (50-55 minutes).
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, prepare Cream Cheese Frosting.
• For frosting:.
• Beat [butter, cream cheese and vanilla] until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting is of good spreading consistency.
• Spread frosting over cool cake.