Apple Carrot Cake

 And then it was fall. And fall brings hankerings for warm and sweet treats. And I think that this weekend I made the most delicious dessert that I have ever baked-- apple carrot cake.

Let's break this down -- we are getting fruits and vegetables in a cake and we can frost it as a stylistic mess to resemble a fall caramel apple. Perfection.

Based on a recipe from Southern Living.

Here's what you'll need...

2 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
3/4 vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 peeled and grated Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
Apple Caramel Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting

Let's get started...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. 

2. Spread half of the pecans evenly in the bottom of each pan.

3. Sift together flour, apple pie spice, salt, baking soda, and sugar.

4. Beat together eggs, oil, butter milk, and vanilla.

5. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture. Fold in apples and carrots. Stir until well blended.

6. Pour batter evenly into pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Cool cakes completely. 

8. Place one cake layer, pecan side down, on a serving plate. Spread apple caramel frosting on first layer.

9. Place second layer, pecan side down, atop first layer. Spread cream cheese frosting and allow excess to ooze down sides of cake. Top with pecans or walnuts for decoration.

The total time to make the cake is about three and a half hours, but if you don't have the time to grate carrots and apples yourself, you can take some other elements from the recipe and add them to a cake mix process -- like lining your cake pans with pecans. Just like adding one ingredient to simple dinner recipes, there are great ways to add some extra flair dessert starters.

But in any case, go make this cake. Happy fall to you!