I was wondering if it made sense to make an apple layer cake. I see a kazillion recipes for apple cakes, but they seem to all be the dense coffeecake type.
Anyone ever make a lighter cake, filled, then iced like a regular layer cake?
What if I made an enriched white cakemix cake - add apple pie spices and use cider as the liquid? Do you see any problems with that? Think it would be good?
Also, what about filling it with a thick, slightly chunky, spiced apple sauce... homemade, of course.
I'd be using a smbc.
The other part of the cake I'm working on is one she requested taste like pumpkin pie. I thought apple pie might compliment that.
Any advice or tips?
Thank you in advance.
peace, Maija
Heres what I did.
I used the wasc cake recipe. I subbed spice cake mixes, added 1 can of apple pie filling and 2 tablespoons of all spice to it.
I used apple cider for the liquid which I did reduce as the apple pie filling adds liquid.
I did not add the almond extract either.
I baked the cakes then torted and filled with spice apple sauce, also a homemade one. 
Then I brushed each cake with a cider infused with a spice apple and a little extra sugar so it was a thicker glaze consistency.
Then I frosted with the icing..I believe you were using smbc?
I also have an awesome tool I use for pumpkin spice cakes, I use the same wasc recipe, no almond extract but I use a spice cake mix and add 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice to batter and use heavy cream and a small can of pumpkin. Then I tort and fill the layers with pumpkin butter, which tastes identical to pumpkin pie...think a spiceier apple butter type filling. I get it in jars at local grocers, kroger here, but you can find it more stores. It's dicksons brand.
Most walmarts, targets and such sell it.
Then I frosted that with cream cheese icing but smbc would make it more pumpkin pie tasting and oh so delicious!
I used this recipe and it was wonderful. Had wonderful comments on it. I used the Crusting Cream Cheese Icing (recipe on this site) on it and did a basketweave on the sides and it worked great.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6827-Spice-Cake-Extender-with-Cream-Cheese-icing.html
Feel free to take any of my advice, but this is what I would do.
Start with a vanilla cake mix (I will assume you are used to working with enhanced mixes), add your extra apple pie spice approx 1-2 tsp. You could use a spice mix to start with but vanilla is such a clean flavor, I prefer to start with that rather than the spice. Add some spiced apple sauce as well to the batter. I would use the cake mix extender as well, but realize that your dough is going to be reeealy thick.
(cake mix extender recipe)
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1977-Cake-Mix-extender.html
For the filling: Take a couple of really good Granny Smith apples, peel and slice, toss in some brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, pinch of ginger, and pinch of cloves. Bake covered just until apples are tender. Drain juices into a cup. Once juices are cooled, brush over your torted cakes just before you fill, keeps them moist, and flavorful.
Take your drained apples, and mix them together with some caramel ice cream topping, not enough to make them soupy, but enough to give them a really good coat. Use a cinnamon flavored BC to dam your cake, and use the caramel apples as your filling. Cover the cake with your cinnamon BC.
You could dice up some apples and saute them with some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg and a little sugar (and I'd add a little spiced rum but that's just me 
) and let that cool and mix it into some cinnamon SMBC for an apple filling. A nice tart apple like a granny smith or even a cortland would be nice for that. You could also add the same mixture into a spice cake batter.. so long as you diced your apple small.. under 1/4 and inch they shouldn't sink in the batter That sounds really good actually. I love apple cake (the heavy coffee cake-type version).
Ooooh.. I like the caramel idea.. you could fold the apples in to a caramel SMBC. Oh wow.. I can feel a baking experiment brewing.
Wow, now I'm excited!
First off... jkalman, this is still the guitar cake I had smbc trouble with last night. Your advice was a life saver. Thanks again. I'm about to start the new batch.
This forum must be one of the most wonderful places in the cake decorating world! Ask and ye shall receive!
I didn't realize you could add applesauce to an existing "regular" cake recipe. 2sdae used a can apple pie filling but I don't buy that. So I'll make the "fine" applesauce. What amount should I use? Do I make any adjustments because of that? (like: less liquid as 2sdae mentioned?)
I've already dragged everything out to make the wasc recipe.
What a fanTABulous idea: the caramel ice cream topping mixed with the apples. It never occurred to me to mix them up, but I was wondering if it would be nice to drizzle some across the filling. I like your idea WAY better! Does baking those apples make them taste better than sauteing? I wonder if adding a bit of butter would be nice there?
I just got home from buying a jug of fresh cider and bag of Cortlands.
I simmered the simple syrup this morning with cinnamon stick in it. I'll add the baked apple juices to that! AWESOME!
As the other side of this cake is a pumpkin with pumpkin mousse, it crossed my mind to flavour the smbc with cinnamon. I'd rejected the idea. However... I'm now convinced that is exactly what I'll do. Cinnamon smbc will enhance both the pumpkin AND the apple! What would be the best way to add the cinnamon: to the egg whites and sugar as they heat? last with the colour? or maybe cinnamon oil instead? How much should I add to make it flavorful but not overwhelming?
Thank you all for your help and your patience.
I can make a mean pie, but this cake "business" is quite new to me. I keep warning people not to order from me, but they're telling me that whatever I turn out will be wonderful. BRAAAAAVE souls!
peace
I sauteed a large (a cortland) apple finely diced with some dark brown sugar, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt. I melted a little bit of butter (like 1/2 tbsp) in the pan and added everything to the pan and sauteed until the apples were soft and the juices had reduced to a syrup. OMG.. they are to die for. I added a little rum too, but vanilla extract would do more than fine.. or even vanilla seeds. If you added some diced onions and a little dash of cider or balsamic vinegar it'd make a great topping for pork too.. LOL
Now to make some SMBC.. if you wanted add cinnamon I'd do it after the meringue whips up. then add your butter. Then let it sit for a while to allow the flavors to deepen.
I am going to have to sautee up some more apples now.. OMG it's so good.
You could bake or saute, either works just as well honestly. Sometimes I through things in to bake while I am working on something else that way, I have 2 things going at once. I am a multitasker!
When I make my apple cake I substitute some of the sour cream and/or oil in the extender for applesauce, but its not a 1:1 ratio. I might take out 1/4 c. of the sour cream, and 1/4 of the oil, but add in 1 cup of the applesauce. It does make your batter really thick though.
Your combo sounds fabulous! I wish you all the luck in the world.
How much cinnamon jkalman?
Powder or oil?
I'll do my apples just like that then! However... I'll keep the rum for sipping my way through this difficult cake endeavour! Or wait... I just bought fresh cider... Hmmmm.. 
I'll think about the pork chops another day! LOL
peace
I do things to taste.. how much SMBC are you making??
I'd put it in until it tastes almost there.. the flavor will develop as it sits.. or you could add some of that caramel sundae topping to the SMBC and then toss the apples in.. that'd be really good too. I think that's what I am going to do. Since you'll have cinnamon in the batter I think the caramel would be REALLY good in the icing. 
I have to make some caramel now.. LOL.
Oh.. and I'd do ground cinnamon.
I recently made a Spicy Rum Buttercream that was so delicious. It is more like a merengue icing (SMBC, IMBC) but it uses whole eggs. It was divine if you like that sort of icing. I also like a cream cheese frosting as a filling in spice or apple or pumpkin....
I bought a can of apple pie filling the other day that is "Caramel Apple" I think I will add some to a yellow cake mix and use more for the filling. Not sure what all I will do to the frosting. Guess it will be one of my experiments. I also bought a can of Apple/Cranberry filling. Any ideas on that. Might just make a quick apple pie.
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