Kater-Bug Cakes

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

16 oz Sweetened Applesauce

1 Cup Raisins

1 Cup Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cake pans with oil and flour.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves; set aside.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs; mix until well combined.  Add flour mixture and applesauce alternately to batter; mix well.  Stir in raisins and nuts.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Topping

2/3 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Butter

1 TB Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/2 tsp Ginger

1 to 2 large crisp apples. (Granny Smith, Pippin, Fuji–peeled, cored and sliced thinly)

Cake

1 White Cake Mix

3 Large Eggs

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper that completely covers the bottom of the pan, but does not overlap on the sides.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well mixed. Pour into the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced apples evenly in the bottom of the pan and set aside.

To make the cake, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and water in a large bowl and mix at medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Gently pour the batter over the apples in the pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Before it’s completely cool, remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Set a serving plate over the top of the cake and gently flip it over. Remove the bottom of the pan and slowly peel the parchment from the cake.

**If the cake is completely cool, it will make it more difficult to remove the paper from the cake without having the topping pulled off of the cake.