I really love to cook – to bake – to create.
And, I have a chosen few in my life who really like to eat.
So, any excuse I can get (or make) to feed those food lovers, I’ll take!
This time, it was simply an expressed idea. And, he said, “well, I really like to eat.”
Okay, Wes. Eat your heart out: Cacao Cinnamon Spice Bundt Layer Cake!

Cacao Cinnamon Spice Bundt Layer Cake

Cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or another flavorless oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cacao Cinnamon Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup raw cacao nibs
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raw honey

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8″ Bundt cake pan.
In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In another medium bowl whisk eggs, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined for about a minute. Add oil and whisk until combined. Add applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and mix as little as possible, just until combined and smooth.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and honey. Process until super smooth (there will still be pieces of cacao nibs, which is good for crunch).

Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Spread the Cacao Cinnamon Cream over the top of that layer, and then top with the remaining batter. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

Serve room temperature…or a little warm with some vanilla bean or chocolate ice cream!