Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

I am a cookbook addict.  Admitting it is the first step to recovery.  However, all things considered, it is doubtful that I will ever stop collecting cookbooks.  My collection spans centuries and is comprised of books I have collected from various sources – my most treasured being those that previously belonged to my grandmothers and parents.  Some are vintage, some are flea market finds, and some are literally hot off the press.  I get so excited when a new baking book is released.  I am right there, credit card in hand, waiting patiently for the delivery to arrive in my mailbox. Few things bring me more enjoyment than cracking the spine of a new book.  Curled like a cat into the corner of the sofa, distractions fade and I loose myself completely while devouring recipe after recipe.

I recently spied a baking book that somehow had slipped past my watchful eyes.  I was on vacation, perusing one of those darling shops that line the tourist paths – the ones that you are drawn into because they are so cute and then you end up buying things you otherwise never knew you needed –  and anyway, there was a small rack of cookbooks.  “Yep, I have that one, and that one, and”…..then I glanced the title of a book I hadn’t heard of.  It was The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook.  I thought – hum, it must be a new book.  Nope, it was released a couple of years ago.  How had I missed this one?  Flipping through its pages brought great excitement.  Just the kind of recipes I love – homey, approachable, and with just enough flare to put them in their own category of “specialness”.  Recipes for everyday and recipes that deserve a special place at the table.

The SoNo Baking Company book is a compilation of recipes from John Barricelli’s SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in Norwalk, CT.  Prior to his Norwalk bakery, Mr. Barricelli owned the Cousin John Bakery and Cafe in Brooklyn for 10 years and had worked at several other  notable locations, including a stint at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  He culled from his years of experience and recipe development and filled this book with the best of the best – from the familiar, like Plum Crisp, Quiche Lorraine, Lemon Bars and Brownies, to selections that might push us into a more advanced direction with the likes of Croissant and the SoNo Chocolate Ganache Cake.   There is something for everyone.  His Caramel Bread Pudding looks ridiculous.  But, it was his recipe for Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting that came to mind when I needed a dessert for a potluck this past Saturday.  I was meeting with my Food Blogger LA friends and the theme of the potluck was Apples or Pears.  Perfect choice!  This cake is moist, chocked full of apples and nuts, and a snap to make.  The frosting is a bit more involved since it is a cooked buttercream – but give it a try- it turned out to be the perfect touch to an already wonderful cake.  A cream cheese frosting would also go well with this beauty, or just a sprinkling of powdered sugar would work as well.  The dried apples that adorn this cake were so simple and tell a tale of what’s to come.

I was not planning on blogging about this cake but it was such a hit that I decided you might also enjoy it.  Since I did not adapt the recipe in any way I chose not to share it on my blog, however, you can find it here, where it was printed with permission.

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