Tempting Apple Desserts

Sinfully delicious? Nah. These fresh apple desserts are good to the core. No repentance required.

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Photo: Luca Trovato























Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lb.)
Cream Cheese Filling
Praline Frosting

Cream Cheese Filling
Beat 1 (8-oz.) package softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add 1 large egg, 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract; beat just until blended.

Praline Frosting
Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Cake Batter Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.

Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (2 hours). Pour freshly-made Praline Frosting over the cooled cake.

Related: 22 Luscious Desserts

Easy Skillet Apple Pie
Photo: Luca Trovato























Ingredients
2 lb. Granny Smith apples
2 lb. Braeburn apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Butter-pecan ice cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve with butter-pecan ice cream.

Related: 23 Fresh & Juicy Peach Recipes

Caramel-Apple Cheesecake
Photo: Luca Trovato























Ingredients
2 3/4 lb. large granny Smith apples (about 6 apples)
1 2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/4 cup apple jelly
Sweetened whipped cream

Preparation
Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss together apples and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apple mixture, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender and golden. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350º. Stir together cinnamon graham cracker crumbs and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and cool crust completely before filling (about 30 minutes).

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining 1 1/3 cups brown sugar at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared crust. Arrange apples over cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350º for 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Cook apple jelly and 1 tsp. water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until jelly is melted; brush over apples on top of cheesecake. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Related: Wickedly Delicious Chocolate Desserts

Mocha-Apple Cake with Browned Butter FrostingPhoto: Luca Trovato
























Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (about 2 lb.)
2 (2.6-oz.) milk chocolate candy bars, chopped
Browned Butter Frosting

Browned Butter Frosting
Cook 1 cup butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan immediately from heat. Pour butter in a bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar alternately with 1/4 cup milk, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Beat sugar and next 4 ingredients at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 5 minutes. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350º for 28 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Spread Browned Butter Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Related: All Your Cake-Baking Problems Solved!

Apple-Butterscotch Brownies
Photo: Luca Trovato























Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/2 lb.)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Stir together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients.

Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients; add to brown sugar mixture, and stir until blended. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour mixture into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan; spread in an even layer.

Bake at 350º for 35 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Cut into bars.

See 5 more delicious apples desserts!

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