Semi-naked cake decorated with dried pear/orange slices & dehydrated flowers.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

320g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp all spice

½ tsp salt

370g light brown sugar

185g applesauce (unsweetened)

175ml vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence

250ml buttermilk

Cream cheese icing:

400g cream cheese, room temperature

100g butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence

420g icing sugar, sieved

METHOD

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Grease 2 or 3 x 22cm round cake tins, and light dust with flour.

(If you prefer 2 thicker cakes use two, if you prefer thinner cakes use three.)

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice, and salt.

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, applesauce and oil together until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.

Mix well, ensuring you scrape along the sides of the bowl too with a spatula.

Add half the flour mix to the batter and mix on a low speed. Add the buttermilk and mix. Finish with the remaining half of the flour mix. Ensure it is well combined.

Divide the batter between the two cake tins and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to sit in their pans for 10 minutes, then allow to finish cooling on cooling racks.

Icing:

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in an electric mixer.  Add the vanilla.

Add the icing sugar in 3 or 4 batches, ensuring its well combines before adding more.

Once the cake is completely cool you can begin icing. Spread a generous layer of icing between the two cakes, with a generous layer on top too. Lightly spread the icing around the outside to achieve a ‘semi-naked’ look.

Allow to set in the fridge.

Garnish with dried pear chips, dehydrated orange slices, and semi-dried flowers.