Caramel Apple Cake

This Caramel Apple Cake that tastes every bit as beautiful as it looks! Moist and tender layers of apple cake, creamy salted caramel frosting, spiced apples and homemade caramel sauce make each slice a delicious balance of sweet and spice. It’s a beautiful dessert for fall celebrations, holiday gatherings, or any occasion that calls for a seriously delicious cake.

Looking for more delicious ways to celebrate the season? Try these favorites: Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting, Butter Pecan Bundt Cake and this Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake!

Caramel Apple Cake Recipe

This Caramel Apple Cake is a delicious celebration of three flavors that were clearly meant to be together: apples, cinnamon and caramel. The cake itself is packed with apple cinnamon flavor, then layered with creamy salted caramel frosting, tender spiced apples and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

Each element of this delicious apple cake is exceptional on it it’s own, but when combined, you have a stunning fall cake that is sure to be the hit of any party or holiday celebration! Every layer brings something delicious to the party and what could possibly be more perfect for fall?

I love a cake that gives you plenty to look forward to with every bite, and this one definitely delivers. The apple spice cake is delicious on its own, but once you add the caramel frosting, cinnamon-spiced apples and that extra caramel drizzle, it becomes something really special. It’s the kind of dessert that makes a beautiful centerpiece for a fall party or holiday celebration, and yes, going back for a second slice is completely understandable.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

If you love the combination of apples, cinnamon and caramel, this is the cake for you! It takes all those classic flavors and turns them into a beautiful layer cake that looks just as good as it tastes. Each element of this gorgeous cake is delicious on its own… apple spice cake, YUM… salted caramel frosting, double YUM… cinnamon spiced apples, YES PLEASE… more caramel sauce, OH MY! Here’s why we love it so much:

• Three delicious layers of flavor: Apple cinnamon cake, spiced apples and salted caramel frosting work together in every bite.
• Fresh apples throughout: Cooked spiced apples are folded right into the cake batter, then used again between the layers and on top.
• Homemade caramel sauce: The salted caramel sauce is used in the frosting and drizzled between the layers for even more caramel flavor.
• Perfect for special occasions: This caramel apple cake makes a beautiful dessert for fall parties, holiday gatherings, and celebrations.
• Make-ahead friendly: The cake layers and caramel sauce can be prepared a day ahead, making the final assembly much easier.

How To Make Caramel Apple Cake

This recipe really celebrates fresh fall apples! This amazing apple cake recipe has several components, so I recommend working through them one at a time. The caramel sauce and spiced apples come first, followed by the cake layers, frosting, and assembly. It may look like a project, but each step is straightforward, and you can spread the work over two days if that works better for you.

As always, you’ll find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Make the Salted Caramel Sauce

1. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large saucepan.
3. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles.
4. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches a light-medium honey color, watching closely because it darkens quickly.
5. Add the warm cream slowly and carefully, stirring until fully incorporated.
6. Finish with butter, salt, and vanilla, then cool until ready to use.

Prepare the Spiced Apples

1. Peel and dice 3 large or 4 medium firm, tart apples into about 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Cook the apples with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until the apples begin to soften but still have some texture.
4. Reserve the apples until you are ready to make the cake.

Bake the Apple Cinnamon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans by greasing and flouring the sides and lining the bottoms with parchment.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
4. Beat the butter until smooth, then slowly add the sugar and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
6. Blend in the vanilla and oil, followed by the sour cream.
7. Alternate adding half the milk and half the flour mixture, then repeat, mixing just until combined.
8. Fold 1 1/2 cups of the cooked spiced apples into the batter.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
10. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
11. Cool the cakes in their pans for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Once mostly cool, wrap well and place in the freezer to finish cooling and make assembly easier.

Make the Salted Caramel Frosting

1. Beat the butter until smooth.
2. Add the cream cheese and blend until completely smooth.
3. Mix in half of the powdered sugar, then add the cooled caramel sauce.
4. Finish with the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.
5. Chill the frosting briefly if it becomes too soft, then beat again before using.

Assemble the Cake

1. Level and split the cake layers as desired.
2. Spread or pipe a layer of caramel frosting over the first cake layer.
3. Add some of the spiced apples, pressing them gently into the frosting.
4. Drizzle caramel sauce over the apples and frosting.
5. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, frosting, apples, and caramel.
6. Finish with a generous topping of spiced apples.

Storage Information

This cake is a good choice for preparing in stages, especially when you’re planning a holiday meal or celebration. Because it contains cream cheese frosting and cooked apples, keep the assembled cake refrigerated.

• Make ahead: The cake layers and caramel sauce can both be prepared a day ahead, which makes assembling the cake much easier.
• Store cake layers: Wrap the cooled cake layers well in plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
• Store caramel sauce: Keep the caramel sauce covered in the refrigerator. Warm it slightly in the microwave before using so it becomes pourable again.
• Leftover caramel: Store extra caramel sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use it over ice cream, with fresh apples, or on another favorite dessert.
• Assemble when ready: For the best presentation, assemble and frost the cake once the layers are completely cool and the caramel sauce is ready to use.

Variations To Try

Small finishing touches are an easy way to make this cake your own. Keep the cake batter proportions the same and experiment with the toppings or presentation.

• Sprinkle chopped toasted pecans or walnuts over the top just before serving.
• Pair Granny Smith with another firm baking apple, such as Honeycrisp, for a combination of tart and sweet flavors.
• Add a small pinch of ground ginger to the spiced apples for a little extra warmth.
• Pass a small pitcher of the remaining caramel sauce so each slice can get an additional drizzle.

What apples are best for caramel apple cake?

Firm, tart apples such as Granny Smith work well for this recipe. They balance the sweetness of the frosting and caramel and retain some texture after cooking and baking.

Do I need to peel the apples?

Yes, peeling is recommended for this recipe. It gives the apple pieces a more consistent texture in both the cake and the filling.

Can I use store-bought caramel sauce?

Yes, a great time-saver for this recipe! A thick salted caramel sauce can be a shortcut, although the homemade version gives you the intended flavor and consistency. Avoid very thin caramel syrups, which can make the frosting too loose, and adjust the frosting’s added salt to taste.

Why is my caramel frosting too soft?

Caramel that is still warm or a warm kitchen can soften the butter and loosen the frosting. Refrigerate the frosting until it firms up slightly, then beat again before spreading or piping.

Do I have to split the cake layers?

No. The recipe makes three 8-inch layers that can be stacked as they are. Splitting is optional and creates more layers to fill, so spread the frosting and apples more thinly if you choose to do so.

Why are the cake layers placed in the freezer?

This helps keep them moist as they finish cooling and makes them easier to handle when stacking and frosting.

Can I use a different size cake pan?

The recipe was developed using three 8-inch cake pans. If you change the pan size, the baking time will likely need to be adjusted.

Trish’s Tips

• Choose firm apples: Granny Smith apples are a great choice because their tart flavor works beautifully with the sweet caramel and they hold some texture after cooking.
• Watch the caramel: The sugar mixture can go from light to dark quickly. Keep a close eye on it and remove it from the heat when it reaches a light-medium honey color.
• Let the caramel cool: Make sure the caramel sauce is no warmer than room temperature before adding it to the frosting. If it is too warm, the frosting can become soft.
• Don’t rush the cake batter: When beating the butter and sugar, give them enough time to become light and fluffy. Also, make sure to add the eggs one at a time and mix well between additions.
• Use the freezer to your advantage: Chilling the cake layers makes them easier to stack and frost. It is one of those little tricks that makes assembling a layer cake feel much less intimidating.
• Save that extra caramel: You will have leftover sauce, and that is absolutely intentional. Keep it in the fridge and find an excuse to drizzle it over ice cream or fresh apples.
• Slice with a clean knife: Wipe the blade between cuts for neater slices that show off the cake, frosting and apples.

More Delicious Apple Recipes

1. Apple Cinnamon Bread
2. Caramel Apple Cookies
3. Apple Crumble
4. Caramel Apple Cheesecake
5. Apple Crisp

Caramel Apple Cake

This Caramel Apple Cake that tastes every bit as beautiful as it looks! Moist and tender layers of apple cake, creamy salted caramel frosting, spiced apples and homemade caramel sauce make each slice a delicious balance of sweet and spice. It’s a beautiful dessert for fall celebrations, holiday gatherings, or any occasion that calls for a seriously delicious cake.

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 840 kcal

Ingredients

 

Salted Caramel Sauce

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt such as good quality sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spiced Apples

• 3 large apples or 4 medium. Firm/tart – such as Granny Smith
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Apple Cinnamon Cake

• 3 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated, or ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oil vegetable, canola or light olive oil
• ¼ cup sour cream regular, full fat
• 1 cup whole milk or 2%, but avoid lower fat
• 1 ½ cups spiced apples from recipe above

Salted Caramel Frosting

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks
• 4 ounces cream cheese 1/2 block
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce cooled, from recipe above
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

Caramel Sauce

•  Warm the heavy cream in a bowl in the microwave and then set aside.
  ½ cup heavy cream
•  In a large saucepan, add the sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir gently to incorporate the ingredients.
  1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, ¼ cup water
• Cook mixture over medium to medium-high heat, stirring gently, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.
• Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil undisturbed until it begins to darken in color.  You want the mixture to reach a honey color, but no darker. The syrup will change from light in color to dark very quickly, so it's important to watch closely and remove the pan from the heat as soon as it's light-medium honey color.
• Once removed from heat, carefully and slowly pour in the warm heavy cream (the mixture will hiss and bubble). Stir to full incorporate the cream.
  ½ cup heavy cream
• Add butter and salt and stir to combine. Add vanilla.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Allow sauce to cool a bit, then pour into a jar. Continue to cool, until ready to use.

Spiced Apples

• Peel apples and dice into small pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes).
  3 large apples
• Add apples, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt into a skillet and cook over medium-high heat.
  3 tablespoon brown sugar, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the apples begin to soften, but still have some texture. Remove from heat and set aside.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare three 8" cake pans by lightly greasing the sides of the pans and then dusting with flour, then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Whisk, then set aside.
  3 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. While mixing, slowly add sugar and continue to beat until the butter and sugar are well combined and the mixture is light and fluffy. Don't skimp on the mixing at this stage.
  ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• While mixing, add the eggs one at a time, blending at least 10-20 seconds between each additional egg. Mixing well to incorporate some air is important in this step.
  4 large eggs
• Add vanilla and oil, and blend well to combine.
  1 tablespoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup oil
• Add sour cream and blend.
  ¼ cup sour cream
• Reduce the mixer speed to low, and pour in about half of the milk, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat with milk and flour. Blend just until all ingredients are well combined. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, and stir (just a couple times) by hand just to make sure all ingredients are well blended.
  1 cup whole milk
• Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked spiced apples (from recipe above) to the bowl and use a large spatula to fold the apples into the batter. Stir just until evenly combined. (Reserve the remaining spiced apples for when the baked cake is being assembled)
  1 ½ cups spiced apples
• Divided batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 22-28 minutes, or until the cake has a slight dome and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
• Cool cakes in pans for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack (leave the parchment on the bottoms at this point). Once cakes are mostly cool, wrap well in plastic wrap and place cakes in the freezer. This will help keep them moist as they fully cool, and will make them easy to handle (stack and frost) when you're assembling the cake.

Caramel Frosting

• Cut cold butter into a few large pieces and then, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
  12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined and smooth.
  4 ounces cream cheese
• Add about half of the powdered sugar, then while the mixer is running, pour in the caramel sauce. The caramel sauce should be no warmer than room temperature. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Continue blending and add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
  2 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
• The frosting should be thick, creamy and fluffy. If by chance your kitchen is very warm, or the caramel sauce was too warm when you added it, place the bowl of frosting in the fridge to firm up, then beat once more before use.

Assemble Cake

• Level and split cake layers as desired (I left mine unsplit.)
• For easy assembly, add the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. This is optional.
• Begin with a layer of cake on the plate or cake stand of your choice.  Add a layer of frosting by piping a large spiral, then spread as needed with an offset spatula.  Alternatively, scoop a large dollop of frosting onto the cake layer, and spread as needed with an offset spatula.
• Add some of the spiced apples, using a spatula to press into the frosting just a bit. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce on top of the frosting.
• Repeat layers of cake, then frosting, apples, and caramel drizzle.
• On top of the cake, add a generous topping of apples. Serve with additional caramel sauce if desired.

Notes

Storage Information

This cake has several components, but the work can be broken up over 2 days. Feel free to bake the cake and make the caramel sauce a day in advance. Wrap the cake well (in plastic wrap, and/or a large ziplock bag, and keep in the freezer. Keep the caramel sauce covered in the fridge. If the caramel sauce is made ahead you will need to warm it just a bit in the microwave so it’s pour-able.

• Make ahead: The cake layers and caramel sauce can both be prepared a day ahead, which makes assembling the cake much easier.
• Store cake layers: Wrap the cooled cake layers well in plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
• Store caramel sauce: Keep the caramel sauce covered in the refrigerator. Warm it slightly in the microwave before using so it becomes pourable again.
• Leftover caramel: Store extra caramel sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use it over ice cream, with fresh apples, or on another favorite dessert.
• Assemble when ready: For the best presentation, assemble and frost the cake once the layers are completely cool and the caramel sauce is ready to use.

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Cake sizes – The cake pictured is a 8″ cake. I baked three 8″ pans of cake. If you’d like to make slightly different sized cake, you will likely need to adjust the baking time.

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Caramel Sauce – With the recipe listed, you will have leftover caramel sauce. This is a good thing! Store remaining sauce in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Microwave as needed to enjoy on ice cream, as an dip for fresh apples, or with or any dessert.

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Equipment Needed (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls |Electric Mixer (Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer)| Whisk | Cooling Rack | 8 Inch Cake Pans

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Please see post above for more information, recipe tips and frequently asked questions.

Nutrition

Calories: 840kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 8gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 613mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 3gSugar: 79gVitamin A: 1381IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 143mgIron: 2mg

Keyword apple cake, cake, caramel apple cake, caramel apple cake recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published October 29, 2019.