High Altitude Rum Raisin Apple Butter Cake
A moist apple butter cake, made with brown sugar, spiced rum and raisins, and frosted with spiced vanilla buttercream.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 ½ cups apple butter
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup dark spiced rum
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins
Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder, optional
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream, only if needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, apple butter, oil, milk, rum, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, and whisk just until combined, then fold in the raisins.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the center oven rack for about 20-22 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt, spices and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Beat for 4-5 minutes on medium high speed until very light and fluffy. Only add the milk if needed for desired consistency.
- Fill, stack and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream.
- Note: If decorating the cake with fresh apple slices, as shown in the photos, wait until you're ready to serve the cake. Then cut the apples, lightly brush the apple slices with lemon juice and arrange on the cake with chopped walnuts and star anise. Remove all the decorations before cutting and serving the cake.
Notes
Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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