Pound Cake Challenge Week 6: Caramel Apple Pound Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 cup white sugar
1 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1½ cups butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped Granny Smith apples
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Icing:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
¼ cup hot caramel topping, plus some for garnish
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional for garnish

Directions for Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease with butter and dust with flour or sugar a 10-inch tube pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine apples, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and cinnamon.
5. Spoon one-third of batter into prepared pan and half of the apples. Repeat layers. Top with remaining third of batter.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Top with Cream Cheese Icing.

Directions of Cream Cheese Icing:
1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat a medium-low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Beat in milk and caramel topping. Drizzle with additional caramel topping and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.