Applesauce Spice Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramel Sauce

 Prepare ½ batch of Applesauce Spice Cake* baked in two 6-inch pans. Cool cakes and then split each to make a total of 4 cake layers. Prepare White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Prepare Salted Caramel; I recommend Trader Joe's 10 ounce jar of Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce; you will use about half of the jar. In Addition prepare some chopped walnuts or pecans to garnish sides of cake.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces white chocolate chips

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter, room temperature

Place white chocolate chips in a glass microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir until chocolate chips are all melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly until ready to use. Melted chocolate can be slightly warmer than room temperature when ready to use.

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly add melted white chocolate and mix together until very smooth.

To assemble the Cake

Place first cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with about ¼ cup of White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with next cake layer and repeat until cake is filled and stacked. Frost sides and top of cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, reserving some to decorate the top of cake if desired. Garnish sides of frosted cake with chopped nuts. Chill cake for about 20 minutes to allow frosting to firm up. Use about ½ cup of Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce to pour on the top of the cake, allowing some to drizzle down the sides. Place remaining frosting in a piping bag and pipe dallops around top of cake. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon for a finishing touch. Store this cake chilled, but set out for a couple hours at room temperature before serving.

Yields 8 regular or 12 small servings.

*For a larger cake, bake one batch of cake in two 8-inch pans. Double the batch of White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.