Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

2 1/3 cups finely chopped lightly toasted pecans, divided

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons apple pie spice  *

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups peeled and grated granny smith apples

1 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider caramel sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cup of toasted pecans into 2 buttered shiny 9 inch round cake pans.  Stir together flour, soda and spice in a small bowl and set aside. Stir together eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add flour mixture stir until just blended.  Fold in apples, carrots and remaining pecans.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove cake from pans and allow to cool on the wire racks, completely.

Place one cake layer, pecan side down on serving plate.  Spread top of the cake layer with 2/3 cup of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce; top with remaining cake layer, pecan side down. Spread Mascarpone Frosting (recipe below) over top of cake. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce over frosting and swirl into frosting.  I took a 2/3 cup of whole pecans toasted them and coated them with the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and placed on top of the cake.

* If you are unable to find the apple pie spice like me you can use 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground cardamon.

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

Southern Living Magazine - September 2013 issue page 98

1 cup apple cider

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whipping cream

Over medium heat cook cider in a 3 quart saucepan stirring often for 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in brown sugar, butter and whipping cream.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.  Refrigerate for up to one week.

Mascarpone Frosting

Southern Living Magazine - September 2013 issue page page 100

1 8 oz container mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 cup whipping cream

Whisk together mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until just blended.  Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold into mascarpone mixture.