Thanksgiving Cake with Caramel Sauce
After culinary school, I opened American Accent, a bakery/café in Brookline, Massachusetts, with my partner and friend, Stephanie Elkind. She’s an amazing baker and chef with impeccable taste, as proven by this recipe of hers. Whenever I make this cake, filled with apples, cranberries, walnuts, and aromatic spices, it elicits raves. It’s become a Thanksgiving tradition in my home. And it’s actually very easy to adapt the recipe to whatever you have on hand—use pears instead of apples, figs instead of dates, pecans instead of walnuts. You don’t even need a mixer, just two big bowls; and, if you have a scale, you won’t need measuring cups either. If you love the cake, move on to the Apple Walnut Muffins it inspired.
MAKES one very large, single layer 9-inch cake; serves 12 to 16
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE
3 cups (405g/14.3oz) all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the raisins
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (75g/2.6oz) raisins
3 eggs
1½ cups (312g/11oz) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (400g/14.2oz) granulated sugar
3 cups (405g/14.3oz) ½-inch-diced washed and unpeeled Granny Smith apples (about 3 medium apples)
1 cup (100g/3.5oz) fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped slightly in the food processor
½ cup (75g/2.6oz) diced dates
½ cup (60g/2.1oz) chopped walnuts (optional)
FOR THE GLAZE
6 tablespoons/¾ stick (85g/3oz) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons (75g/2.7oz) light brown sugar
6 tablespoons (75g/2.7oz) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (90g/3.2oz) heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup (240g/8.5oz) heavy cream
- MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium bowl whisk together 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. Toss the raisins with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Place the sugar in a very large bowl and whisk in the egg mixture until smooth and creamy. Slowly fold in the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl until no streaks of flour remain.
- Using the same bowl that the flour was in, toss together the raisins, apples, cranberries, dates, and walnuts (if using) until evenly mixed. Using a large spoon, add the fruit to the batter and mix until evenly distributed throughout.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. It can be difficult to know when this cake is done, as the cake creates a crust on the top while baking. You need to check the center with a cake tester several times. An extra 5 minutes in the oven to ensure the cake is done won’t hurt it.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack while preparing the glaze.
- MAKE THE GLAZE: In a medium saucepan, stir together the butter, both sugars, cream, and vanilla. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugars are completely dissolved.
- Pour ⅓ cup of the glaze over the warm cake. Place the rest of the glaze in a covered container and store in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve the cake.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan for at least 1 hour. Once completely cool, remove the cake from the pan by running a small paring knife around the edges of the pan, then release the sides of the springform. Gently and carefully pull the pan away. Place the cake on a serving plate or platter. Cover with plastic wrap.
- MAKE THE SAUCE: In a saucepan, combine the reserved glaze and cream and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and reduce until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
- To serve, present the cake at the table with the sauce on the side. To cut the cake, use a serrated knife, cutting with a sawing motion to get a nice clean slice. This is a very moist cake. You can store this cake, covered, in a cake saver for 3 to 4 days.