Apples and caramel are always a perfect match. So, celebrate this apple season with a caramel apple cake. Made with fresh apples, a hint of spice, layered with caramel buttercream and drizzled with more delicious caramel sauce. Whether you make this for a celebration or festive dinner this apple cake with caramel sauce will have everyone talking about it for days.
Table of Content
Last week, I made this cake to celebrate the Jewish new year, Rosh Ha Shannah. Of course, at this holiday apple and honey always take a center stage. Every year, I always take my apple and honey Tarte Tartin because it's Ziv's favorite dessert. And, I always make my easy apple tart with Puff Pastry because it's my Rhea's favorite. And, of course, Aadi's favorite is the apple strudel.
So, guess what? This time, I decided to make one of my favorite desserts. My caramel apple cake. Sometimes, you just have to do it. Right? Now, you must forgive me for blowing my own trumpet here but OMG!! And, everyone was raving about this cake and I was so overwhelmed with their appreciation.
About this cake
To put it simply, it's absolute apple heaven. And, if you love apples, you will not be able to stop at just one slice (don't ask me how I know that). In fact, I think I put on a few extra pounds this week from all the apple and pumpkin desserts I made.
The cake, of course, is delicious on its own with delicious spiced apples. The applesauce adds so much more to the batter while the apples themselves stay soft and tender. The caramel buttercream I shared with you yesterday is made with real caramel sauce, which again I have shared with you previously. I made two consistencies of the caramel sauce in one recipe, one for the drip and the other for the buttercream so you have a wonderful thick firm caramel buttercream consistency.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Apples - You can use any apples you like to eat for this cake. The apple cook in the cake batter but still stay nice and tender. I have used golden delicious today but any apple you like to eat would work for this recipe.
- Applesauce - I prefer to use unsweetened applesauce to add more apple flavor to the cake but if you don't have apple flavor you may substitute it with more buttermilk.
- Brown sugar - The light brown sugar brings the added flavor of molasses to the cake which adds a nice hint of fall richness. I would not recommend dark brown sugar as the flavor of molasses will dominate the cake. If you don't have light brown sugar - you can use white sugar and add a tablespoon of molasses instead.
- Buttermilk - it takes five minutes to make homemade buttermilk (here's how) so there is no reason why you need to substitute.
- Vanilla - Always use a good quality vanilla extract as it makes a huge difference. It can be expensive but you can also make your own vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar.
- Spices - I think nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon are very fall flavors but you can also use pumpkin spice, or gingerbread spice mix instead.
Step by step instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Grease and line 3 x 6 inch round pans or 2 x 8 inch round pans.
- Mix the spices together and set aside.
Prepare apples
- Peel, core and chop apples into ½ inch pieces.
- Add half the mixed spice and 3 tablespoon flour (use from the measured flour).
- Combine well and set aside.
Prepare dry ingredients
- Combine together the flour with baking powder, baking soda, mixed spices, and salt.
- And, set aside.
Mix batter
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Followed by the vanilla and applesauce.
- Next, add the flour and buttermilk in three additions.
- Lastly, add the chopped apples - combine well but do not over mix.
Bake
- Divide the batter between the baking pans.
- Spread the top so it's an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then on a wire rack until cool completely.
Caramel sauce
- Place the sugar, lemon, and water in a deep light-colored pan (so you can see the color).
- With the heat on medium-low cook the sugar.
- Shake the pan as you need but do not use a spoon. It is important to keep the heat on medium-low so the sugar will caramelize not burn.
- Swirl the pan slowly guiding the heat distribution.
- The sugar should now start to color into a golden amber.
- One all the sugar is amber, add in the butter and whisk constantly.
- Followed by the cream (watch your hands and the mixer will rise when you add the butter and cream).
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan then pours into a glass jar or pot. As the mixture cools it will get thicker.
Caramel buttercream
- Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl.
- Using the paddle attachment – mix the butter until light and creamy.
- Next, add half a cup of caramel sauce – combine well.
- Add the remaining sauce – combine again.
- Lastly, the powdered sugar – combine well.
- Once all the ingredients have been added – whip for three minutes until the butterscotch is light and fluffy.
Assembly
- Level the apple cake layers if they have any dome.
- Layer them with caramel buttercream frosting in between as shown in the video.
- Frost the outside with more caramel buttercream - chilling in between steps as necessary.
- Lastly, use the caramel sauce to create the drip as shown in the video.
- To decorate - put any remaining frosting in a piping bag with a piping nozzle.
- Create some pattern on the top.
More recipes with apple
- Apple Pie Cake with Crumble Topping
- Cinnamon Caramel Apple Tart
- Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes with Caramel
- Easy Apple Strudel with Filo Pastry
- Apple Tarte Tatin
- Rustic Apple Tart with Puff Pastry
- see all recipes with apples or see all layer cakes
Frequently asked questions
If properly stored, this caramel apple cake will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.
Yes. Freeze it on a tray for a few hours then wrap well in cling/plastic wrap, followed by parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Thaw wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours so the condensation will stay on the papers, not the cake.
No, but you can use my Eggless Vanilla Cake. Add some tea to make it a chai late cake. Bake it in two 8 inch cake pans
If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this one, you can make this into a sheet cake – a ‘Caramel Apple Sheet Cake’. You can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted bundt pan for a ‘Caramel Apple Bundt Cake’. See my Moist Apple Pie Cake with Crumble Topping
This recipe can also be baked into 24 beautiful Apple cupcakes. See my Apple Blueberry Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting or Pumpkin Spices Apple Cupcakes with Caramel
There are so many other choices for frosting. Such as:
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream
French or German Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
I have over 30 plus frosting recipes on this blog. And I highly recommend checking them out.
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Printable Recipe
Caramel Apple Cake Recipe with Caramel Buttercream
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Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 8 oz (226 g) Butter unsalted (2 sticks) room temperture
- 1 ½ cup (330 g) Brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Applesauce unsweetened
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 3 cups (375 g) Apples chopped
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Caramel buttercream
- ½ cup (120 ml) Caramel sauce
- 1 lb (450 g) Unsalted butter (4 sticks) room temperature
- 1 cups (120 g) Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Caramel sauce - make your own
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Water
- ¼ teaspoon Lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) Butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 C/340 F
- Grease and line 3 x 6 inch round pans or 2 x 8 inch round pans.
- Mix the spices together and set aside.
Prepare apples
- Peel, core and chop apples into ½ inch pieces
- Add half the mixed spice and 3 tablespoon flour (use from the measured flour)
- Combine well and set aside.
- Combine together the flour with baking powder, baking soda, mixed spices, and salt
- set aside.
Cake
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add eggs one at a time
- Followed by the vanilla and applesauce
- Next, add the flour and buttermilk in three additions.
- Lastly, add the chopped apples – combine well but do not over mix.
- Divide the batter between the baking pans
- Spread the top so it’s an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then on a wire rack until cool completely.
Caramel sauce
- Place the sugar, lemon, and water in a deep light-colored pan (so you can see the color)
- With the heat on medium-low cook the sugar.
- Shake the pan as you need but do not use a spoon. It is important to keep the heat on medium-low so the sugar will caramelize not burn.
- Swirl the pan slowly guiding the heat distribution
- The sugar should now start to color into a golden amber.
- One all the sugar is amber, add in the butter and whisk constantly.
- Followed by the cream. (watch your hands and the mixer will rise when you add the butter and cream)
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan then pours into a glass jar or pot. As the mixture cools it will get thicker.
Caramel buttercream
- Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl.
- Using the paddle attachment – mix the butter until light and creamy.
- Next, add half a cup of caramel sauce – combine well.
- Add the remaining sauce – combine again.
- Lastly, the powdered sugar – combine well.
- Once all the ingredients have been added – whip for three minutes until the butterscotch is light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Level the apple cake layers if they have any dome.
- Layer them with caramel buttercream frosting in between as shown in the video
- Frost the outside with more caramel buttercream – chilling in between steps as necessary.
- Lastly, use the caramel sauce to create the drip as shown in the video.
- To decorate – put any remaining frosting in a piping bag with a piping nozzle
- Create some pattern on the top.
Recipe Notes
Tips for making this Caramel Apple Cake
- Any apple works with this recipe but granny smith or golden delicious hold their shape well.
- The caramel sauce can be made 3 to 4 days ahead.
- Make sure to whip the buttercream well so it holds its shape. If not the buttercream will be too soft.
- Grease and line the pans with parchment for easy release.
- Keep cakes moist by brushing the layers with simple syrup – simple syrup is a mixture of sugar and water boiled until the sugar is dissolved.
- Cool the cakes for a few hours before frosting or the frosting will melt on warm cakes
- Use cake strips to bake flat cakes.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Colette
Week 2 day five done
Colette
Week 2 day 3 done
Colette
Week 2 day 2 done. Mine came out a lot darker than yours looks in the photos. But it tastes good.
Kate
I made this recipe for thanksgiving and it was an absolute hit! The cake was lovely and moist and the apple chunks added such a nice touch to it. I added extra icing sugar to the frosting just because it was a bit too buttery for us but other than that the recipe was perfect. Lasted days without drying out! I will definitely make it again.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Kate. I am so happy you enjoyed this cake.
Lynn Giddens
I just want to clarify something on the recipe. In making the frosting you say to add half of the caramel sauce and then later on in it you say to add the other half. And then further down you say use caramel sauce for the drip. I'm assuming you reserve some of the original caramel sauce for the drip. Is that right? Or do I need to make more caramel sauce for the drip?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Lynn. You will need to make the caramel sauce first. This is almost a cup.
For the frosting use only 1/2 cup. Of that, you will add half firt (1/4 cup) and then half (1/4 cup) as mentioned in the recipe.
For the drip, you will use any remaining sauce you made.
I hope that makes sense. Please feel free to ask again.