cake

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Generously coat interior of pan with nonstick spray with flour.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, and butter. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet. Batter may be lumpy.
• Use the now-empty bowl from the dry ingredients to hold 3 cups of the batter. Stir in the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla, mixing until this portion of batter is one color.
• To the other portion of batter, add the cinnamon and stir to spread throughout.
• Add spoonfuls of each batter to the pan in an alternating pattern. Smooth out the top, but don’t swirl a knife through.
• Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Before serving, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the top. Store covered at room temperature. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.

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Make crust

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8 square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the flour and salt. Continue to beat until the mixture is somewhat crumbly; if you squeeze a clump, it should hold together.
• Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan. Press down into an even layer. Use a fork to dock it all over.
• Bake crust until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
• Increase oven temperature to 350. Set aside crust to cool while filling is prepared.

Make filling

• Place the apples and lemon juice in a big bowl and stir to coat.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the spice and stir.
• Carefully add the apples to the skillet and stir to coat. Continue to stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle sugar evenly over the apples. Cook and continue to stir occasionally for 6 to 10 minutes. The apples will likely release a lot of liquid. If this evaporates down to become a mere sticky mixture, great. If not, use a slotted spoon to drain-off the apples and set them aside in another dish to cool while the topping is prepared.
• (What to do with that leftover liquid, if you have some? You can simmer it down to create a thick syrup to use on the bars or on something like ice cream, or drink it straight. Seems tragic to let it go to waste!)

Make topping

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and pie spice. Mash in the butter until crumbly.

Assemble and bake

• Transfer the cooked and cooled apples to top the crust, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle the topping over the apples.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is light golden brown. A fork stabbed into the top should confirm the apples are tender.
• Cool bars at room temperature, then move to fridge to chill before cutting. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice.
• Store bars at room temperature or in the fridge in a sealed container. They can also be individually wrapped and frozen.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Generously coat a large bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
• In a large bowl, combine everything except for the chocolate chips. Mix for 2 minutes, then scrape the bottom of the bowl, then mix for another 3 minutes. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Add batter to prepared bundt pan. Level out to make even. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test in cake.
• Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then use mitts to carefully tip cake onto a baking rack. Cool completely.
• If desired, dust confectioners’ sugar on top prior to serving. Store in sealed container at room temp or in fridge. Cake can be cut into slices and frozen for up to a month.

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• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat the interior of a 10-cup bundt cake with baking spray with flour.
• Beat butter and almond paste together until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by the extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to mix in everything.
• In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet alternatively with the half & half/milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl again, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, leveling out the top.
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. A thermometer plunged into the cake should read over 205 degrees.
• Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely, speeding in fridge, if desired.
• For the glaze, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, almond extract, and half & half, adding more sugar or liquid as needed to reach a good thick, oozy consistency. Dollop onto the cake so that it dribbles down the sides. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
• Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature. Cake can also be individually sliced and frozen for later.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Thoroughly coat the interior of a 10-cup bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
• In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and sugars. Add the eggs, cider, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
• Dice up the apple into small pieces. This can also be done with a box grater.
• Mix half of dry mixture into the butter mixture. until just combined. Fold in apples along with any juice. Mix in remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, and make sure there are no white streaks.
• Scoop 2 cups of the batter into another bowl. Stir in the caramel sauce until the batter is fully incorporated and darker.
• Use two spring-loaded scoops or large serving spoons to dollop alternating lumps of the two batters into the prepared pan. Once all of the batter is inside lay out a folded kitchen towel and firmly tap the pan on it several times to help the dough settle and release air bubbles.
• Bake cake for an 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes; the middle needs to pass the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
• For glaze, if the caramel sauce is cold or stiff, measure it into a microwave-safe bowl and briefly and carefully zap in microwave to loosen. Mix in the vanilla.
• Place cake on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle caramel over top. If desired, sprinkle pecan pieces on top.
• Serve at room temperature; store for up to three days, covered. Leftover cake can be individually wrapped and frozen for later.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Coat the inside of a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
• In a big bowl, beat butter, white sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time.
• In another bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• In another small bowl, stir together cider, milk, and apple cider vinegar.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with cider blend, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition. Fold in apple pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan and even out.
• Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 12 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool for about 30 minutes more.
• In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and water until smooth. Brush mixture all over surface of cake, working quickly to keep moist.
• Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cake to coat. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

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