Fall Harvest Spice Cake

Celebrate harvest time with this tempting spice cake topped with sweet, creamy maple frosting and lots of nuts and fruits.

Yield

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

1	package (18-1/4 ounces) spice or carrot cake mix
1	cup water
3	eggs
1/3	cup vegetable oil
1/3	cup apple butter
	Maple Buttercream Frosting
2	cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4	cup chopped almonds
2	tablespoons chopped dried apricots
2	tablespoons chopped dried cranberries*
2	tablespoons raisins

*If dried cranberries are unavailable, use additional chopped dried apricots and raisins.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Combine cake mix, water, eggs, oil and apple butter in medium bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until blended; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove to from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Prepare Maple Buttercream Frosting.
Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; frost top with Maple Buttercream Frosting. Top with second cake layer; frost top and sides with frosting. Press walnuts onto side of cake.
Pipe chocolate onto cake for tree trunk. Combine almonds, apricots, cranberries and raisins. Sprinkle above and below trunk to make leaves.

Piping Chocolate

Place chocolate chips in a resealable plastic sandwich bag. Close bag tightly. Microwave on HIGH about 45 seconds; knead chocolate until it is melted. Repeat if necessary, microwaving 30 seconds at a time. Twist the top of the bag tightly against the chocolate. Snip a tiny tip (about 1/8 inch) off one corner of the bag. Hold the top of the bag tightly and pipe the chocolate through the opening.

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