Crock Pot Apple Butter Pork Loin

Hey, ya'll! This week I'm back with a recipe that I've been meaning to share since Easter. This year, instead of a ham, I wanted to do something different. So I set about finding something that I could make special enough to only be made a few times a year for special occasions. Fail! This turned out so good, I doubt I'll be making it another way (besides barbecue, of course). Today, I'm sharing a Apple Butter Pork Loin recipe for the Crock Pot. I adapted it from a recipe that can be found here. I adapted it for the Crock Pot since we were going to be out most of the day. So glad I did! This was the most flavorful, juicy, and fork-tender pork loin I've ever had. Doubt this one will be an only-a-special-occasion recipe.

Apple Butter Pork Loin (Crock Pot)

(printable recipe)  

Ingredients:

1-4 pound pork loin

4 cups apple juice

1 cup apple butter

1 cup brown sugar

4 T water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 medium apple, cut into rings

Cut the pork loin as necessary to fit a large Crock Pot. 

Combine the brown sugar, apple butter, water, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl until smooth.

Pour combined mixture on top of pork loin.

Pour apple juice into the Crock Pot. Avoid pouring directly on the pork loin.

Place apple rings (or slices if you were in a hurry to leave like me!) on top of pork loin.

Since my pork loin was still slightly frozen, I cooked on high for 6 hours and then turned down to low for 4. However, if I had a completely thawed pork loin this big, I would have done low 8-10 hours. (Or until meat is tender)

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What you missed last week:

Cappuccino Muffins with Espresso Spread

Sharing with:

Party With My Peeps at How to Nest For Less

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is made around here only on Easter and if it's a special occasion where my husband requests it. This is a recipe I have used for the past few years that is so good, that I barely deviated from it (found here)...which is highly unusual for me. I'll share that with you, but more importantly, the Easter Bunny himself is something my grandmother always made during Easter. It's super simple, and the kids LOVE it! We always decorate with whatever Easter candies and whatnot we have lying around, so it doesn't require much work at all.


Best Carrot Cake
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

2 cups finely grated carrots (about 4 medium)

1 cup raisins

1 cup flaked coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2-4 T heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; stir into egg mixture.
4. Stir in pineapple, carrots, raisins, and coconuts just until mixed.
5. Pour into two greased and floured 8-inch rounds. 
6. For two rounds, bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
7. Cool on wire rack before frosting.

Since the cake is pretty easily put together, I didn't take any pictures of the process of making cake. Just a few tips with cakes that I always do. After I grease and flour, I line the bottom of my pan with parchment paper to ensure it never sticks. Before putting it in the oven, I hold the pan about six inches from the counter and drop it to release air bubbles. 

For the frosting:

Cube the butter and cream cheese. Beat with 2 T of heavy whipping cream and the vanilla until smooth.

Add confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time until all mixed in. Add the rest of the whipping cream, 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. You want it creamy, smooth, and it should have a shine to it.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

Once completely cooled, invert one of the rounds on a rack. 

Using the tip of a sharp knife or a toothpick, trace two curved lines on the round to resemble a baseball. (That oops is why we trace first :D)

Once you have your lines even, using a sharp knife, cut along those lines.

I was out of cakeboards, so on the counter I laid out a baking sheet with parchment paper extended out to accommodate the size of the bunny. First, lay down the other cake round that hasn't been cut. Then take the right and left pieces of the cake you cut and place them above the other cake as ears.

 Place the center cut piece at the bottom of it as the bow tie.

 Frost and decorate as desired.

Enjoy!!