Filled Apple Pecan Cake

Photo: flickr user norwichnuts

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon rum extract (may use vanilla)

cup candied ginger, cut into ¼" dice (2 ounces)

2 Granny Smith apples

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

2 cups all-purpose flour (8 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecans

(Make before starting cake)

Preparation

Put cold cream cheese into bowl and soften in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, egg, and extract with wire whisk. Be sure this is smooth before adding the ginger. Add ginger and stir. Place the bowl in your freezer to chill while you assemble the cake. 20 minutes will help it to stiffen and spoon out easier.

Cake:Preheat oven to 325 F.. Grease and flour a 12 cup tube-type pan. Core apples and cut into wedges-about 12 per apple. Set aside.

Processor method:Place metal blade in workbowl. Add eggs and sugar. Run machine for 1 minute.

Pour in oil through feed tube while machine runs and run for 1 additional minute.

Add 1/2 of the apples. Chop by using 6 pulses. Add remaining apples and pulse 7 additional times.

Sift dry ingredients into workbowl. Put pecans on the top. Pulse 2 times, scrape sides and pulse 2 more times.

Mixer method:Cut apples up into a half inch dice. Set aside.

Put eggs, sugar and oil into bowl of mixer. Beat for 3 minutes.

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until all flour disappears. Coarsely chop nuts. Stir in apples and nuts by hand.

Both methods-to finish:Transfer batter to prepared pan. Remove chilled filling from freezer. Using 2 serving spoons, spoon dollops of filling in a ring around the tube pan. (Part the dough a little with spoons as you drop filling.) Make no additional effort to cover filling with the batter.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until top springs back when touched. Cool in pan, on a rack for 30 minutes. Turn out onto serving plate. Chill before serving. Top may be sprinkled with powdered sugar just before cutting.