September - Southern Living's Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

September's cover, Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake, was the perfect way to move into fall -- apples being the gateway drug to the full-on pumpkin of October.  I made it on one of the first cool days of September that make those 100-degree days of summer seem like a thing of the far, far past.

Like August's pie, this did take about four hours, but again, it was worth it.  The spices in the cake, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg were a perfect blend.  I really like using allspice - it's like cardamom in that you can't quite nail down what it tastes like, but it can really change the flavor of what you use it in.  It's a little bit cinnamon, a little bit nutmeg, a little bit something you can't put your finger on.  If you want to read about what it really is click here.

The "cream cheese" part is a basic cream cheese filling.  Personally I think the cake would be just fine without it.  The recipe makes a LOT of filling.  You are supposed to make it stay in a ring around the bundt pan 1" from either side of the pan.  That's kind of impossible.  Maybe I'll make it again so I can get it "right."  While the filling is optional, the frosting is not.  It is a wonderful praline sauce that really brings everything together. 

This cake was a completely wonderful experience that lasted for a week.  Meaning that I pretty much ate one or two slices a day for a week.  It's a good thing calories escape when you slice cake.