To Make the Apple Filling:

1. Peel and core the apples. Then dice them into a medium dice and place in a medium saucepan.
2. Place flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, lemon juice, and water into the saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until there is a light boil. Then reduce the heat to low and allow to gently simmer and reduce. 
3. Once the sauce has reduced (thickened) and the apples are fork tender, remove from the heat. Add pure vanilla extract and rum (if using). Set aside until completely cool.

To Make the Cake:

1. Set your oven to a true 325°F. An oven thermometer will help you figure out whether your oven is truly at the set temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. With a sharp knife, carefully split the vanilla bean down the middle so that you can scrape the vanilla beans inside. Place the empty vanilla bean pod into the sour cream.
4. In a separate bowl (or deli cup), place the granulated sugar and vanilla beans. Massage the vanilla beans in the bowl (or shake the heck out of the deli cup) until the beans are nicely incorporated.
5. Place the butter into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the butter is completely smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure that the butter gets to an even consistency.
6. Add the infused granulated sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg until it’s fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
8. If using pure vanilla extract, add it here. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.
9. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until almost combined.
10. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the sour cream and dispose of the pod. Add all of the sour cream to the cake batter. Mix until almost combined.
11. Add the second half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until almost combined.
12. Use a stiff spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Then, fold the batter several times until it is smooth.
13. Prepare a 12- or 15-cup bundt pan as you normally would. I recommend butter and flour for this cake, but if you use baking spray, make sure to spread a good layer of the spray on all of the crevices of your pan with a pastry brush.
14. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Tap several times to help the batter move into the grooves of the bundt pan.
15. Create a moat in the center of the batter. Place the cooled apple pie filling in the center of the moat, making sure to avoid the sides of the pan as much as possible. (You won’t be able to do this completely and that is okay.)
16. Carefully pour the second half of the batter into the pan. Tap gently on the countertop once again, to remove any large air bubbles and to help the batter snuggle into the grooves of the bundt pan.
17. Bake at 325°F for 65-80 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 215°F in the center.
18. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack for ten minutes. After ten minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack and remove the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely on the cooling rack before doing the simple syrup and glaze.

To Make the Simple Syrup:

1. Place the granulated sugar, water, and fine sea salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
2. Allow to boil only until the solids fully dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the pure vanilla extract and apple liqueur (if using).
3. Allow to cool completely, then brush onto the completely cooled cake with a pastry brush.

To Make the Cinnamon Glaze:

1. Place the cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese until it is completely smooth. 
3. Place the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tbsp of whole milk into the mixing bowl. 
4. Using a small whisk, stir gently to combine. Stir until the confectioner’s sugar no longer collects moisture from the milk or the cream cheese. 
5. If necessary, add up to 1 ½ tbsp more of whole milk, but do it ½ tsp at a time.
6. The final glaze should be the consistency of thick honey, and should pour easily over the sides of the cake. Use a spoon, spouted measuring cup, or squeeze bottle to spread the glaze over the cake.
7. If desired, wait about ten minutes, then crumble pie crust (store-bought or leftover crust is perfectly fine!), graham crackers (honey or cinnamon), and cinnamon sugar over the top of the cake to finish.
8. Enjoy!