Death By Chocolate Apple Cake

Chocolate cake recipes are a dime a dozen, and it's rare to find one that is actually worth the time and calories. Chocolate apple cakes are kind of an anomaly, so to help build up their street cred, we created this recipe! Here's what you're getting with this delicious dessert: 3 moist layers of apple cider cake, tons of chocolate frosting and white chocolate ganache, honey-glazed apple slices, and a mouthwatering topping that will put basic candy apples to shame. It's death by chocolate like you've never seen before!

Yield: 1 cake, 8 servings
Prep Time: 120 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty Level: Advanced

You'll Need:

For the apple cider cake:

  • 1½ sticks butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2⅔ cups flour
  • ⅔ cup apple cider
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 8-inch springfrom pan (3x)

For the chocolate frosting:

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1½ cups cocoa powder
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature

For the honey-glazed apple slices:

  • 1 red apple
  • 1 tbsp honey

For the white chocolate ganache:

  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz white chocolate chips

For the chocolate-coated apple wedges:

  • 1 red apple
  • 8 wooden skewers
  • tempered semi-sweet chocolate
  • crushed nuts
  • shredded coconut

Here's How:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vegetable oil until frothy. Gradually add in the eggs one by one and continue to beat the mixture until well-combined. Now add the flour, apple cider, baking powder, milk, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. Use a hand mixer to mix everything together once more and then divide the batter between 3 springform pans. Bake for about 25 minutes and then let the cakes cool completely.

2. For the chocolate frosting, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and combine with the softened butter. Stir in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and cream cheese and mix until the frosting is nice and smooth. For the honey apple filling, core the apple, cut it into eighths, and then cut those wedges into thin slices. Add the honey to a pan over low heat, briefly toss the apple slices in it, and then let them cool.

3. Spread chocolate frosting over the first cake layer and arrange half of the honey-glazed apple slices on top.

4. Place another layer of cake on top and cover it with chocolate frosting and the rest of the honey-glazed apple slices.

5. Place the last cake layer on top and coat the entire cake with the remaining chocolate frosting.

6. For the white chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream (be careful not to let it come to a boil) and pour it over the white chocolate chips. Mix with a spatula until combined, let it cool a bit, and then pour the white chocolate ganache over the cake so that it drips down the sides.

7. For the chocolate-coated apple wedges, peel and cut the apple into eighths. Temper the semi-sweet chocolate and prepare your breading station with the crushed nuts and shredded coconut. Stick the apple wedges on wooden skewers, dip them in the tempered chocolate until they are fully coated, and roll them through the crushed nuts and shredded coconut.

8. Arrange the chocolate-coated apple wedges on top of the cake.

Your friends and family are sure to praise you to the high heavens if you show up with this cake, because it's truly a dessert to remember!

Get the recipe for the Salted Caramel Apple Cake featured in the bonus video.

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