Caramel Apple Pound Cake

For the pound cake:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Add room temperature cream cheese, shortening and butter to large mixing bowl and begin creaming until smooth. Slowly add sugar to the bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and mix until incorporated. Slow down the mixer to slower speed and add flour one cup at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Do not over beat at this point. Add vanilla extract to the bowl and mix.

Once everything is incorporated, pour cake batter into a greased and floured or baking spray coated bundt or tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. When it’s done, invert cake out of the pan onto a serving platter and allow to cool.

For the sauteed apples:
Melt butter and lemon juice in a saute pan over low heat. Once melted add sugar, mix and turn heat up to medium heat. Watch until butter and sugar mixture begins to turn a caramel brown color which takes up to 8 minutes (make sure you do not burn!). Add in the thinly sliced apples, cream, vanilla extract and rum and cook until apples are tender, roughly 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes until just warm. Pour over the top of the pound cake.

For Aunt Bev’s caramel icing:
Add butter, evaporated milk, vanilla and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until everything has melted together. Then lower the heat a bit and leave the pan over medium-low heat for 35-45 minutes until caramel begins to boil and thicken. Be careful to watch, adjusting heat temperature to not let it burn. When it’s done remove pan from heat and cool the icing for about 10 minutes to slightly thicken. Pour over cake and sauteed apples.

Enjoy! Happy baking!