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The most delicious Caramel Apple Cake! Super soft and moist apple cake topped with a smooth caramel buttercream and homemade salted caramel sauce. This cake taste of fall, is super easier to make and perfect for any gathering.
This caramel apple cake recipe is for any caramel fans! This cake has am incredible soft and moist apple cake topped with a smooth caramel buttercream frosting and lots of homemade caramel sauce. This delicious salted caramel apple cake is perfect to serve for friends and family and bring to any party.
For more cake recipes, try Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies, Apple Crumble Cheesecake and Chai Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make: This cake is a no-fuss kind of cake. It is super simple and easy to make, and the assembling of this cake, takes no time
- Apple Cake: This is the most soft and moist apple cake, and is so easy to make. It requires no mixer, just a whisk and two bowls.
- Salted Caramel: The caramel is used in the buttercream and is loaded on top of it.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Sugars: The sugars helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
- Apples: I recommend using Gala, Honeycrisp or Fuji apples but you can also use any red apples.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and all spice is used in the cake.
- Butter: The butter is used for the buttercream. Bring it out and let it come to room temperature.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Caramel Apple Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need a 20x20 cm/8x8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 20x20 cm/ 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
STEP 1: In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another medium bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Grate the apples.
STEP 2: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and add the grated apples. Gently stir it all together, make sure there are no flour lumps left in the batter.
STEP 3: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake it for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the baking pan and let the cake cool down completely.
STEP 4: Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
STEP 5: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extra and caramel in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated.
STEP 6: Place the cake on a serving dish and add the buttercream on top of the cake and even it out. Add as much of the caramel drizzle as you’d like, and with a spoon or off-set spatula swirl it into the buttercream.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, replace it 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Yes, you can make both the cake, caramel and the buttercream the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Make the caramel and buttercream and cover it with plastic wrap so it touches each the surface of the caramel and buttercream or in an airtight container, and let it sit in the fridge. Take the caramel and buttercream out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before assembling to come to room temperature. Give the buttercream a good mix and assemble it as instructed in the recipe card.
I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store the frosted caramel apple cake in the fridge covered by plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before eating. It's best enjoyed within a few days.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Caramel Apple Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
SALTED CARAMEL (can be replaced with store-bought caramel)
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 25 g butter
- 100 g heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
APPLE CAKE
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 200 g apples grated
- 110 g vegetable oil room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 140 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- 100 g butter room temperature
- 165 g powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoon caramel
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
SALTED CARAMEL
- In a medium sized saucepan, add the granulated sugar and water and stir it together so all of the sugar is wet. Flatten it out into an even layer, so it melts evenly. Melt it over medium/high heat until golden brown. Once you can see it starts slightly brown, give it a stir once in a while so it all melts evenly.90 g granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon water
- Once the caramel is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heavy cream, a little at a time, stirring in each addition until incorporated. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered.25 g butter, 100 g heavy cream
- Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a shallow bowl, so it can cool down faster, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 30-60 minutes to become room temperature.Pinch of salt
APPLE CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 22x22 cm square baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Grate the apples and weigh it out. Set it aside.200 g apples
- In a large bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.240 g all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground all spice, 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g dark brown sugar
- In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.110 g vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 140 g sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and add the grated apples. Gently stir it all together, making sure there are no flour lumps left in the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let it cool down completely.
CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- Sift the powdered sugar and set it aside.165 g powdered sugar
- Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.100 g butter
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extra and caramel in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated.2-3 teaspoon caramel, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the buttercream a final mix for 1 minute on low speed.
ASSEMBLING
- Place the cake on a serving dish and add the buttercream on top of the cake and even it out. Add as much of the caramel as you’d like, and with a spoon or off-set spatula swirl it into the buttercream. If there is any caramel left over, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Angela W
So delicious, I will be making this again. The apple cake is super soft and fluffy, and so easy to make as a sheet cake. I had no sour cream or Greek yoghurt, so substituted with buttermilk made with milk and lemon juice. It still turned out perfect with a lovely soft crumb. I used store bought caramel this time (plan to make my own next time), and turned the frosting into a cream cheese one with half butter, half cream cheese and a little less icing sugar. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Melissa
Excellent recipe really easy to follow and the caramel elevates it. I would add (to make it fancier) a layer of tart poached cinnamon apples when I next bake and possibly make a 2 tier round cake with buttercream in the centre.
Jeanette Lund Skiøth
Hvordan og af hvad laves den glatte saltkaramel?
Julie Marie
Du kan se hele opskriften længere nede i opskriften. Du kan altid klikke "Spring til opskrift" lige under titlen 🙂
Fani
Hello,
I was wondering I want to make this recipe into a sheet cake using a 23 x 33 cm pan, Would doubling the recipe work for that?
Thank you!
Julie Marie
I would 1.5x the recipe to avoid it becoming too tall 🙂