Halloween Spice Cake

Ingredients:
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1/2 c. Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. apple butter or apple sauce
1/2c. apple cider or juice

Frosting:
1 c. icing sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider or juice
food colour gels

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 10-inch bundt pan by greasing with butter or 1 tsp. of olive oil, then dust with 1 Tbsp. of flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spice and salt, set aside.

Using a mixer, add the eggs, zest and oil to the bowl with the paddle attachment. Beat on med - high speed about 1 minute until well blended and fluffy. Lower speed and add in sugar slowly, continuing to beat until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add in vanilla and apple butter, mix on low speed to combine for another minute.

With mixture running on low speed slowly add half the flour mixture, then add the apple juice, then the remaining flour, stopping when everything is combined, but do not overmix.

Pour batter into bundt pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs sticking to it - perfectly clean equals a dry cake. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan. Cool on a baking rack for 5 minutes and then turn the cake out onto a rack over a sheet pan. Let the cake cool completely.

For the frosting mix together the apple cider with icing sugar, then divide into small bowls. Add 1 -2  drops of food coloring gel and stir to combine. Pour slowly over the cake and let it cool then set aside before cutting. Store at room temperature, covered in an airtight container for up to a week.