Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
- Marzipan:
- 1 8 oz. can almond paste
- 1 egg white
- 3 C. powdered sugar
- Red, yellow and green food colorings
- 1 18 1/4 oz. pkg. spice cake mix
- 1 1/4 C. apple cider
- 1/3 C. vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 C. coarsely chopped walnuts
- Whole cloves
- Apple Cider Filling:
- 1/3 C. sugar
- 3 Tbs. cornstarch
- 2/3 C. apple cider
- 1/2 C. apple butter
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 2 Tbs. butter or margarine
- Apple Cider Frosting:
- 1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened
- 1/4 C. apple cider
- 4 C. (about 1 pound) powdered sugar
Directions
To make marzipan, combine almond paste and egg white in small bowl. Add 2 C. powdered sugar; mix well. Knead in remaining 1 C. sugar until smooth and pliable. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to serve
Divide marzipan into thirds; place each part in separate small bowl. Tint 1 bowl of marzipan with red food coloring, another bowl with yellow food coloring and remaining bowl of marzipan with green food coloring; cover and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Combine cake mix, apple cider, oil and eggs in medium bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until blended; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean. Let cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
Prepare Apple Cider Filling by combining sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Stir in apple cider and apple butter; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and butter. Cool completely.
Prepare Apple Cider Frosting, by beating butter and apple cider in medium bowl until creamy and well blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; top with Apple Cider Filling. Top with second cake layer; frost top and side of cake with Apple Cider Frosting. Press nuts into frosting on side of cake. Form red and yellow Marzipan into apple shapes. Place cloves in tops of apples for stems. Roll out green Marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness; cut out leaf shapes as desired. Arrange on top and around side of cake.


