Apple-Ginger Cake

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1-1/4 c. sugar
1 c. apple butter
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. peeled and chopped Honeycrisp apple
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
2 T. apple brandy or apple cider

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; coat paper with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, in 3 additions. Beat 2 minutes. Fold in chopped apple. Divide between prepared pans.

Bake 27-30 minutes, until cake springs back when pressed lightly. Cool 10 minutes. Turn onto a cooling rack, remove wax paper, and cool completely.

Beat 8 oz. cream cheese with butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Place one cake layer on a plate and frost the top with half the frosting. Add second layer and frost just the top with the remaining frosting. Just before serving, toss the slice apple with the brandy or cider; top cake with a pile of apple slices in the center of the cake.

Makes 1 cake.

Adapted from Family Circle magazine, Sept. 2016, p. 77.