A caramel apple cake is a soft butter cake with apples cooked in caramel folded into the middle and laid on top, finished with a salted caramel drizzle. The apples are cooked first, so they turn golden and sweet instead of watery, and the crumb stays tender. Below you get the full recipe for a 9-inch (22 cm) cake, a guide to the best apples, a clear way to make the caramel without burning it, a make-ahead plan and the fixes for the problems that most often spoil an apple cake.
In brief:
- Use firm, tart apples and cook them in butter and sugar first.
- Make the caramel dry, in a pan, and take it off the heat at amber.
- Let the apples cool before they go into the batter.
- Bake about 45 minutes; the cake keeps well for a day.
- Contains wheat, eggs and milk; tell guests before serving.
In this article · 9 min read
Caramel is simply sugar heated until it breaks down and turns brown. According to Wikipedia, caramelization means heating sugar slowly to around 340 °F (170 °C), and as it heats the molecules break down and form compounds with a characteristic color and flavor (Wikipedia: Caramel). That is the whole idea of this cake: two small caramelizations, one in the apples and one in the sauce, which add the deep flavor and a cake made with plain sugar and butter cannot give you.
Caramel apple cake recipe: soft crumb, golden apples
This is a creamed butter cake, the same method as a pound cake with a little baking powder and milk added. It needs no mixer: a bowl, a whisk or wooden spoon and a 9-inch (22 cm) springform pan are enough. The apple layer is cooked separately so the cake does not turn heavy and wet.
Makes 8 to 10 slices in one 9-inch (22 cm) springform pan. Preparation: about 35 minutes. Baking: 40 to 45 minutes. Cooling: about 1 hour.
Caramelized apples
- 3 medium firm, tart apples (about 1 lb / 500 g), peeled, cored and cut into wedges about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Cake batter
- 10 tablespoons (150 g) soft butter, plus a little for the pan
- A generous 1/2 cup (120 g) sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 level teaspoons baking powder (about 8 g)
- A small pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk, at room temperature
Salted caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) salted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream, warmed
- A small pinch of salt, only if you use unsalted butter
Steps
- Heat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C), or 320 °F (160 °C) with a fan. Butter the pan and line the bottom with baking paper.
- For the apples, melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the apples and the sugar and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning now and then, until the wedges are golden at the edges and just tender. Stir in the cinnamon, then tip the apples onto a plate and let them cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Beat the soft butter and the sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then the vanilla.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold half into the batter, then the milk, then the rest, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
- Spread half of the batter in the pan. Scatter two-thirds of the cooled apples over it, then cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top. Arrange the remaining apples on top and press them in lightly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil after 30 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer pushed into the cake part (not into an apple) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- While it bakes, make the caramel. Put the sugar in a clean, dry, wide pan over medium heat. Do not stir; swirl the pan gently as the sugar melts and turns amber, about 6 to 8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, add the butter (it will bubble), then pour in the warm cream and stir until smooth. Add salt if needed.
- Let the cake rest 15 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edge and open the springform. Drizzle half of the caramel over the warm cake and serve the rest on the side.
Hot caramel can cause serious burns, so keep children away from the stove and add the butter and cream slowly, because the mixture bubbles up.
Which apples work best in a caramel apple cake
The apple decides whether you get distinct golden pieces or mush. Iowa State University Extension explains that the best baking apples balance sweet and tart flavors and have flesh that does not break down in the oven; it calls Granny Smith the go-to baking apple and notes that the crisp texture of Honeycrisp holds when it is baked or caramelized (Iowa State University Extension). The Daily Meal adds that Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Winesap and Rome also stand up well in cake, and that tart apples suit recipes with plenty of sugar (The Daily Meal).
| Apple | Texture after baking | Flavor | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granny Smith | Firm, keeps its shape | Very tart | The safe default; the caramel balances its acidity |
| Honeycrisp | Firm and juicy | Sweet-tart | Holds up well when caramelized |
| Pink Lady | Keeps a distinct shape | Sweet with a tart edge | Good in a mix with Granny Smith |
| Jonagold | Stays fairly firm | Mild, sweet-tart | A good everyday choice |
| Red Delicious, McIntosh | Soft, breaks down | Mild | Better for applesauce than for this cake |
A mix of two varieties gives the best result: one very tart for structure, one sweeter for flavor. Cut the wedges the same thickness so they cook evenly.
Making the caramel without burning it
Caramel goes from perfect to bitter in under a minute, so watch the color, not the clock. Wikipedia notes that sugar caramelizes at roughly 340 °F (170 °C), and the sauce is ready when it is a deep amber, like a copper coin. Beyond that it turns bitter.
- Use a light-colored pan. You can see the color change; in a dark pan it is hard to judge.
- Do not stir. Stirring can make the sugar crystallize. Swirl the pan instead.
- Warm the cream. Cold cream makes the caramel seize into a hard lump. If that happens, put the pan back on low heat and stir until it melts again.
- Stop early. The caramel keeps cooking in the hot pan, so take it off the heat when it is a shade lighter than you want.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Apples sink to the bottom | Warm, wet apples or thin batter | Cool the apples and drain any juice; keep a layer of batter under them |
| Soggy middle | Too much apple juice | Cook the apples until the pan is nearly dry |
| Top browns before the middle bakes | Oven too hot | Cover with foil after 30 minutes and check with a skewer |
| Bitter caramel | Cooked too long | Start again; stop at amber |
| Caramel hardens in the pan | Cold cream | Warm the cream and reheat gently, stirring |
| Dry cake | Overbaked | Start checking at 40 minutes |
Plan ahead and serve it well
The cake tastes best the day it is baked, but you can split the work. Cook the apples and make the caramel the day before and keep them in covered containers in the refrigerator; bring them to room temperature, and warm the caramel gently before you use it. Bake the cake, let it cool, and keep it covered. Because the sauce contains cream, the FDA advises putting perishable food in the refrigerator within two hours and keeping the refrigerator at 40 °F (4 °C) or below (FDA, in Spanish). Serve slices at room temperature with a spoonful of the sauce, or with plain yogurt or ice cream.
For variations, add a handful of toasted walnuts or pecans between the layers, replace the cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg, or use brown sugar in the apples. If you want a plainer cake, skip the sauce and dust the top with powdered sugar.
Where our book fits
If you like baking at home through the year, the next step is a book organized by occasion. Le Grand Livre des Gâteaux Maison by Zoe Patton is our baking book, and it is available in French only. It gathers 60 recipes, and apples appear in several of them: a salted-butter caramel cake with candied apples, an apple and cinnamon cake in the style of a grandmother, a "gâteau invisible" made with thin apple slices, an apple galette with a compote filling and a tatin flambéed with calvados. The recipes give baking time, portions, preparation time, a difficulty rating from one to five stars and an allergen list, with metric measures.
It is a book of classic, rich baking: it has no gluten-free, vegan or dairy-free recipes, and not every cake is quick, since several are rated three or four stars. Some recipes use alcohol, so check the ingredients if you bake for children.
When to ask a professional
A cake is a treat, not a medical topic, but allergies and diets matter. This recipe contains wheat, eggs and milk, and the caramel is made of sugar, butter and cream. If a guest has a diagnosed food allergy or celiac disease, ask them what is safe rather than guessing, and consider a separate dessert. If you have diabetes or follow a medical diet, talk to your doctor or a dietitian about how a sugary cake fits your plan.
Caramel apple cake: your questions
Can I use store-bought caramel sauce?
Yes. It is the simplest shortcut, and a jar of good caramel works for the drizzle. Warm it slightly so it pours. The homemade version has a deeper flavor, but the cake is still good without it.
Why did my apples sink?
Apples sink when they are warm and wet or when the batter is too thin. Cool the cooked apples, drain any juice and put a layer of batter under them. Lightly tossing the pieces in a spoonful of flour before layering also helps.
Can I bake it in a different pan?
A 9-inch (22 cm) round pan works, and so does an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan. In a square pan, check the cake at 35 minutes. A loaf pan needs a longer time, about 55 to 60 minutes, so cover it with foil if the top browns early.
Can I make it ahead?
You can bake it a day ahead and keep it covered. Keep the apples and caramel separate until you serve, or reheat the caramel gently just before. The cake is best within a day or two.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, without the sauce. Wrap the cooled cake well, freeze it, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Make the caramel fresh when you serve it.
What if I do not have fresh cream?
Whole milk works in the caramel, but the sauce will be thinner and less rich. Add it slowly and warm it first.
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension: best baking apples (Answerline, September 2016)
- The Daily Meal: The best apples for cake
- Wikipedia: Caramel
- FDA: Chill (refrigerate promptly), in Spanish
Also on this blog: the easy birthday cake recipe, another cake to bake step by step, Korean side dishes, and the Books Go home page.
