Butter Rum Applesauce Cake

Cake:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (not Red Delicious—too mushy for baking)
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt

Glaze:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp rum extract
3 to 4 Tbsp half and half or milk

Preheat oven to 3500. Grease an 8-inch baking pan. For cake: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 2 to 2 ½ minutes, just until butter begins to brown. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, applesauce, apple, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in applesauce mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Prepare glaze: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, just until butter begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat; stir in confectioners’ sugar, rum extract, and half-and-half or milk until spreadable and smooth. Pour warm glaze over cake when it’s removed from oven. Let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm.