Apple cake with caramel

Caramel Apple Cake

Soft and fluffy caramel apple cake studded with caramelized apples is the perfect autumn treat served with dulce de leche whipped cream.

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Flour. I used cake flour but all purpose can also be used.
• Sugar. I used white/granulated sugar but soft light brown sugar can be substituted.
• Eggs.
• Oil. A neutral oil like canola, sunflower or avocado is best.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Yogurt. Use any plain yogurt, I prefer using Greek yogurt.
• Milk. Any milk can be used.
• Salt.
• Apples.
• Butter.
• Cinnamon.
• Cream.
• Dulce de leche/Caramelized condensed milk.

How to make caramel apple cake

1. Make the caramelized apples: Peel and chop the apples into 1cm cubes. Melt the butter in a large pan set over medium-high then add the apples. Cook until the apples start to turn golden brown then sprinkle in the sugar and cinnamon. Cook until the apples are cooked through and caramelized. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Make the batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, oil and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the caramelized apples and any of the caramel in the pan.
3. Bake: Transfer the batter to a greased and line cake pan (I used a 20cm/7.8in square cake pan) and smooth the top. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before turning out.
4. Make the whipped cream and serve: Whip the cream with the dulce de leche until soft peaks form. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of the whipped cream.

Can I make this ahead?

The cake can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. The whipped cream will also last 2-3 if kept covered in the fridge. You might just need to rewhip it slightly before serving but the dulce de leche acts as a stabilizer so it won’t collapse completely.

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Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake

Caramel Apple Pecan Cake has layers of moist apple spice cake sprinkled with pecans, caramel frosting, cinnamon apples and caramel sauce drizzled over top! It’s the perfect way to kick off apple season and an easy dessert idea for Thanksgiving!

Table of Contents

So although I say that the hubs and I live in Atlanta, GA, the truth is we live a little north of the city. It’s an area most people haven’t heard of though, so Atlanta just makes more sense to say. But being a bit further north, we are a stone’s through away from the Georgia mountains. Within about an hour, we can get to some fun hiking and waterfalls, a few wineries and in the fall – lots of apple picking farms! There are tons of them around where you can go and pick your own apples – they even serve apple cider to sip on. 🙂 We are officially entering apple season with some places beginning to allow apple picking starting this week. Can you believe it’s that time of year already?

So to kick it off, I’m sharing this cake with so many of my fall favorites in it. Apples, spices, pecans and caramel. There are few things I love more than caramel and I use my favorite homemade caramel sauce over and over in recipes. I even recently added a video to show you just what each step of the process looks like, if you want to go check that out.

There are a few steps to making this cake, so let’s get started. 🙂

How to Make the Layers for this Caramel Cake

First of all, the cake layers. The cake starts with the traditional creaming method – and you want to be sure to not skimp on the creaming. It adds air to the batter than helps give the cake layers their fluffiness. I used a mix of apple butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to give the layers their flavor and it’s perfection! The apple butter adds great apple flavor and the spices give it extra love! The sour cream adds moisture that can’t be replaced – it’s the best. And there are some chopped pecans mixed in at the end that add a little crunch. Of course if you aren’t a pecan fan, you can leave them out.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce for this Cake

While the cakes are baking, you could make the caramel sauce. I’ve got the instructions included below, but it’s the same as this homemade caramel recipe so if you’d like to check out the video to make sure you’re doing it right, that’s the place to go. 🙂 The biggest thing to remember is to have your butter and heavy cream at room temperature – or even warmer. If they are too cool, it can cause the caramel to seize.

When the caramel sauce is made, set aside about 3/4 cup for putting over the top of the cake at the end. The remaining caramel will be used to make the caramel frosting. An important thing to remember when making the caramel frosting is that the temperature of your caramel sauce matters. If you make the frosting while the caramel is still warm, it’ll be a little softer and firm up as the frosting cools (so don’t make it too stiff when warm, or it’ll really be firm when it’s cooled). If you wait until it’s cooled, the frosting will be thicker to start. I usually just make the frosting when it’s warm since the caramel incorporates nicely, then let it cool. If it ends up a bit thick, you can always add a little more water or milk to thin it out.

How to Assemble Your Caramel Apple Cake

Once the cake layers and caramel frosting are ready, it’s time to layer them together. You want to be sure to remove the cake domes. There’s nothing worse than stacking a beautiful, tall cake and then having it split down the middle because of a dome in the center.

I like to use my offset spatula for adding the frosting so that I have good control and then spread from the center out to the edges so I can push the frosting just up to the edge of the cake. I made a video of the process of putting the cake together, so be sure to check that out below for some extra guidance.

How to Make the Brown Sugar Apple Topping

Once everything is stacked, it’s time to make the apples. I stacked my cake the night before and made the apples right before serving the cake so they were fresh and the caramel on top was freshly added (which is why the background of the video changes a bit).

The apples are cooked right on the stove and should only take about 15 minutes to cook. They are mixed with some butter, brown sugar and spices and are super tasty!

Pile those apples right on top of the cake, then use a spoon to drizzle the caramel down the sides. I used my offset spatula to finish spreading and adding caramel around the top edge of the cake, then finished it off with a little more caramel drizzle and some chopped pecans.

Imagine a big bite of moist apple spice cake with pecans, caramel frosting, warm cinnamon apples and more caramel sauce. Is your mouth watering yet? It totally should be because this cake is SO GOOD! I hope you love it as much as we did!

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Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake

• Author: Life, Love and Sugar
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes, plus cooling
• Yield: 12-14 Slices
• Category: Cake
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Description

Caramel Apple Pecan Cake has layers of moist apple spice cake sprinkled with pecans, caramel frosting, cinnamon apples and caramel sauce drizzled over top!

Ingredients

CAKE LAYERS

• 3/4 cup ( 168g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups ( 310g ) sugar
• 3/4 cup ( 173g ) sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups ( 325g ) all purpose flour
• 4 tsp ( 15g ) baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of allspice
• ½ tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (180ml) apple butter
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

CARAMEL SAUCE AND FROSTING

• 1 1/2 cups ( 310g ) sugar
• 9 tbsp ( 126g ) salted butter, cubed, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 4 cups ( 460g ) powdered sugar
• 2 – 3 tbsp (30-45ml) milk

CINNAMON APPLES

• 1 – 2 apples, chopped
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• sprinkle of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ( 14g ) butter

Chopped pecans, optional, for top of cake

Instructions

1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) .
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
3. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
4. Add egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the apple butter and milk in a small measuring cup.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the apple butter mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Stir in the pecans.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for about 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
8. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

WHILE CAKES BAKE AND COOL, MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE AND FROSTING:

9. Pour sugar into an even layer in a large saucepan.
10. Heat on medium-high heat, whisking the sugar until melted. The sugar will clump up first, but will eventually completely melt. This will take about 10 minutes.
11. Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and allow to cook until the sugar has turned to a little darker amber color. You may notice a nutty aroma. The change in color will happen quickly, so don’t let it go too long or get too dark or it’ll burn. Remove caramel from the heat.
12. Add butter and whisk until combined. The mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted and combined.
13. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the caramel and whisk until incorporated.
14. Cool at least 10-15 minutes before using. See notes in above post about frosting and caramel consistency.
15. Set aside about 3/4 cup of caramel sauce for using on top of the cake later. Transfer remaining caramel sauce (about 1 1/4 cups) to a mixing bowl.
16. Slowly add powdered sugar and milk and mix until smooth. You can add more or less milk to get the right consistency for the icing.

TO PUT THE CAKE TOGETHER:

17. When the cakes are cool, remove the domes of the cakes with a large serrated knife so they are flat.
18. Place the first layer of cake on cake stand. Top with 1/2 of the caramel frosting and spread into an even layer.
19. Add second layer of cake and add remaining caramel frosting. Spread frosting into an even layer.
20. Top cake with the remaining cake layer.
21. To make the cinnamon apples, add everything to a large pan, toss together, and cook over medium heat until apples are tender.
22. Pile apples onto the top of the cake.
23. Use a spoon to drizzle the remaining caramel sauce down the sides of the cake. If the caramel sauce has cooled too much, warm it up in the microwave a bit.
24. Use the end of an offset spatula to spread additional caramel around the top edge of the cake, then drizzle a little more caramel sauce over the apples.
25. Finish off the cake with a sprinkle of chopped pecans.
26. Cake is best served when apples are fresh, but can be refrigerated until ready to serve if needed.

Keywords: caramel cake recipe, apple cake recipe, apple dessert idea, caramel dessert, thanksgiving dessert idea

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Caramel Apple Crumble Cake

This Caramel Apple Crumble Cake features layers of moist and fluffy spiced cake made with lots of fresh shredded apples. Filled with a delicious homemade apple filling and covered in a luscious caramel cream cheese frosting and crunchy baked crumble, this cake is Autumn perfection!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

I know, I know, I’m still posting Fall recipes when there’s snow on the ground. To be fair, it’s technically not supposed to be Winter already. Winter is just a greedy brat who always shows up far too early and leaves far too late.

So as far as I’m concerned, it’s still Fall until December. So bring on the Autumn themed desserts!

Caramel Apple Crumble Cake

This cake is a Fall twist to my Perfect Carrot Cake recipe! Same cake recipe except it’s filled with shredded apples instead of shredded carrots, and I added some caramel to the cream cheese frosting (I’ve gotten quite obsessed with doing that now), then to bring it up a notch I added some homemade apple filling and baked crumble to the mix!

Apple Spice Cake Layers

To make the apple spice cake layers, start by shredding the apples. Peel and cut them into slices, then either shred them with a grater or in a food processor, which I find to be much easier.

Now that the apples are shredded, let’s make the batter! You only need 2 mixing bowls. Combine all of the dry ingredients in one bowl, then combine the wet ingredients in the second bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine, that’s right you don’t need a mixer! Fold in the shredded apples and it’s ready to bake!

I used equal parts of brown sugar and granulated sugar to not only sweeten the cake layers, but to make them nice and moist and deepen the flavour! We also add some apple sauce to make sure the cake isn’t too oily since the base is oil instead of the usual butter.

Bake the cake layers, then refrigerate them overnight while you prepare the apple filling.

Homemade Apple Filling

Yummy, yum! I love homemade apple filling so much, those soft spiced cinnamon apples wrapped in a brown sugar glaze are the best of the best.

The apple filling is super easy to make, the hardest part is dicing the apples. Well it’s the most tedious part for me, at least. But once that’s done, the rest is a breeze.

All you need to do is add all of the ingredients to a saucepan, stir, let it cook for a few minutes while stirring occasionally, then you’re done! Set it aside to cool completely, then move on.

Baked Crumble Topping

The crumble topping is also very easy. Just add all of the ingredients to a bowl, chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes then spread onto a baking sheet and bake, tossing around occasionally until it’s crispy. This crumble is gonna add so much great flavour and texture to this cake!

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

I don’t think there’s any frosting in the world that would pair better with this apple cake than a cream cheese frosting. A CARAMEL cream cheese frosting, to be exact because I have a huge obsession with combining apple and caramel.

This caramel cream cheese frosting is so smooth, creamy and velvety rich! You’ll certainly be licking your fork clean.

For the cream cheese frosting, you’ll need to start by making a batch of my Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce (or my regular Homemade Caramel Sauce) and letting it cool completely.

Beat some butter and cream cheese together, you’ll need 2 full packages along with 10 cups of powdered (icing) sugar. I know it seems like a lot, but it’s a cake! We gotta have enough frosting to fill and frost it beautifully! Mix in some of the caramel sauce and reserve the rest for decorating.

Assembling the Apple Crumble Cake

This cake is assembled just like my Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake and my other cakes that have a filling. I’ve seen maybe 2 or 3 people say that their cake slid off while assembling, well that’s because it needs to be assembled a certain way.

Don’t just spread on the frosting, spoon on the apple filling then place another layer on top. Start by spreading a layer of frosting onto the cake, then use a piping bag to pipe a thick rim around the edges of the cake. This will hold in the apple filling so it doesn’t spill out the sides. Spoon in the apple filling, sprinkle on some of the crumble, then place the next layer on top.

As for the final decoration, I had a million different ideas. I was gonna top it with swirls of caramel frosting and caramel dipped apple slices, but in the end, I decided to just do a simple spatula swirl design. Then drip the remaining caramel down the sides of the cake, you can even pour some in the middle if you’d like.

I was planning on pressing the remaining crumble onto the bottom, but I suck at doing that and didn’t wanna risk ruining the cakes design. So instead, I put a layer of crumble around the bottom and piled some bigger pieces around the top along with 3 apple slices. Very simple, yet gorgeous.

Loaded with warm, comforting Fall flavours and everything you love about apple crumble, this is the perfect dessert to finish off the season. Everyone will fall in love after the first bite!

Did you make this Caramel Apple Crumble Cake? Let me know how they turned out in the comments below! And don’t forget to leave a rating!

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Caramel Apple Crumble Cake

This Caramel Apple Crumble Cake features layers of moist and fluffy spiced cake made with lots of fresh shredded apples. Filled with a delicious homemade apple filling and covered in a luscious caramel cream cheese frosting and crunchy baked crumble, this cake is Autumn perfection!

Ingredients

Apple Spice Cake:

• 3 cups All purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Baking powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 and ¼ cup Vegetable oil (can substitute with canola oil, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil)
• 1 and ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 and ½ cups granulated Sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
• ⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 6 large Eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3 cups grated apples (3-4 large apples)

Apple Filling:

• 2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced into small pieces (I used Granny Smith and Honey Crisp)
• 1 and ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoon water

Crumble Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 (8 ounce) packages (16 oz.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 10 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ½ cup salted caramel sauce, cooled completely (recipe above)

Decoration:

• 2 cups crumble topping (recipe above)
• Extra Salted Caramel Sauce
• Sliced Apples (I used Granny Smith)

Instructions

For the Apple Spice Cake Layers:

1. Position oven rack to the middle. Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, and grease the sides. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a whisk or hand mixer), add the oil and both sugars. Mix on medium-high speed until combined.
4. Add the applesauce and sour cream and continue to mix until completely combined.
5. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Lower the speed to medium-low and mix in the eggs, one at a time until just combined. Mix in the vanilla.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in grated apples.
7. Divide batter equally between the three cake pans, a little over 2 and ½ cups per pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
8. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Apple Filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the diced apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, brown sugar and water.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until apples are softened, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour filling into a jar or an airtight container and allow to cool completely.

For the Crumble Topping:

1. Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Add melted butter and mix until lumps form. Mix in oats. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake for 8 minutes.
4. Using a metal spatula, stir and toss crumble. Rotate tray and continue to bake until crumble is dark golden brown, about 8 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

For the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until pale and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat on low speed after each cup until combined.
3. Once combined add salted caramel sauce and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
4. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 5-7 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy.

Assembly of the Caramel Apple Crumble Cake:

1. Use an offset spatula to place a dollop of frosting onto a cake board or serving platter that’s on a turntable. Place one cake layer on top and spread about 1 cup of the frosting on top of the first layer.
2. Scoop some frosting into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a rim around the edges of the cake and spoon on a cup of the apple filling and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle on ½ cup of the crumble. Repeat with all layers, placing the final layer upside down.
3. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
4. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost the entire cake with a thick layer of frosting.
5. Place a straight cake spatula or the back of a spoon flat onto the bottom side of the cake. Use one hand to turn the turntable, going around the cake while slowly moving up to create a swirl design. Repeat on the top of the cake.
6. Pour remaining caramel sauce into a disposable piping bag or a ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Drip the caramel off the edge of the cake.
7. Line some of the crumble around the top and bottom edges and garnish the centre with some apple slices. Slice and serve!

Notes

1. Make ahead: (1) Apple Cake Layers can be made ahead of time and double-wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 1 month. (2) Salted Caramel Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds until the caramel is smooth and pourable again. (3) Apple Filling can be stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (4) Crumble Topping can be stored in a container or in a ziplock bag and stored at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. (5) Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months. Before using — allow frosting to come to room temperature, then re-whip in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
2. Storage: Store cake in an airtight cake storage in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
3. 9×13 rectangular pan: the apple cake can be baked in a 9×13 inch pan. The baking time may be longer, just bake for the recommended 40 minutes and test by inserting a butter knife into the centre to see if it’s done. If not, keep testing every 2-5 minutes. Frosting recipe will need to be halved.

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Comments

May 24, 2021 at 4:57 pm

How long the crumble stay crunchy?

May 25, 2021 at 4:49 am

the baked crumble will not go soggy. It’ll always be crunchy.

November 05, 2020 at 9:09 pm

Does the crisp part stay crunchy overnight?

November 22, 2020 at 10:36 am

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Some may say I’m addicted to desserts, and they are absolutely right! Baking is my passion and has been ever since I was 6 years old, it just took about a decade for me to realize it. Now I am devoted to creating the BEST sweet and savoury recipes from my tiny little kitchen and sharing them with the world!

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