Chipotle Apple Pecan Cake with Spicy Caramel Glaze

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cups coconut or vegetable oil
• 3/4 cups applesauce
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups sweet–tart apples (peeled, cored, and diced)
• 1 cup pecans (toasted and chopped)

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1/4 cup sweet butter
• 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1/2 tablespoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly coat 10–inch fluted tube or bundt pan with cooking spray; lightly sprinkle with flour. Set aside. In a bowl combine the 3 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, chipotle, ginger, white pepper, salt, and cloves; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl beat oil, applesauce, and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and flour mixture. Stir in apples and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 60-90 minutes (until wooden skewer inserted near center comes out clean). Follow carefully, as baking times will vary greatly. Mine was done in 1 hour; original recipe called for 90 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by combining the sugar, butter, whipping cream, chipotle and cinnamon in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let stand until thickened (mine was good to go after half an hour). Drizzle over warm cake.
5. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; invert on a rack. Place rack over a plate. Drizzle warm cake with the glaze. Scrape up the glaze drips from the plate with a rubber spatula and add back to any unused glaze. Keep the glaze for re–warming and drizzling on top of individual cake servings (or even ice cream).