Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour313 g
• baking powder — 2 tsp9 g
• baking soda — ¾ tsp3.4 g
• salt — ½ tsp3 g
• ground cinnamon — 2 tsp5 g
• ground nutmeg — ½ tsp1.3 g
• ground ginger0.25 tsp
• ground allspice — ¼ tsp0.6 g
• vegetable oil240 ml
• granulated sugar200 g
• brown sugar100 g
• unsweetened applesauce240 g
• large eggs — at room temperature4 ea
• vanilla extract — 1 tsp5 ml
• orange juice30 ml
• large apples — peeled and chopped; about 360 g3 ea
• unsalted butter — for the glaze56 g
• brown sugar — for the glaze200 g
• heavy cream120 ml
• salt — a pinch0.4 g
• powdered sugar — sifted60 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan.
2. Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and orange juice together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the chopped apples. It will seem like a lot of apples and that’s OK!
4. Spread the batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes, loosely tenting with foil around the 30-minute mark to prevent over-browning. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before topping or serving.
6. Make the glaze: Combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts, then stop stirring and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat to low, stir, and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted powdered sugar. Cool for at least 20 minutes to slightly thicken.
7. Spoon the glaze over the cake right before serving (the cake can still be warm). If the glaze thickens too much, microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.