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Caramel Apple Cake

The changing colors of the leaves usually means we can utilizing those familiar flavors of cinnamon and apples! And this Caramel Apple Cake does exactly that!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Author Amanda Rettke

Ingredients

Apple Cake

  • ⅔ cup (135g) brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups (300g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup (245g) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

Cinnamon Buttercream

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup (125g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 -2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • caramel, for drizzling

Instructions

Apple Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with either baking spray or line with parchment.

  2. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.

  3. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. (1-2 minutes) Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.

  4. Add vanilla extract. Once incorporated remove bowl from mixer.
  5. Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl then stir into creamed butter mixture by hand. Mix milk into batter until smooth.
  6. You should have about 6 cups of batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the batter (or 1/4 of your total batter) into one of the prepared cake pans; add 1/4 of the apples and 1/4 of the brown sugar mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter. Gently pour another 1 1/2 cups of batter over apple layer; top with another 1/4 of the apples and brown sugar mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter.
  7. Repeat this with remaining batter and brown sugar/apple mixture in other cake pan.

  8. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out MOSTLY clean, 25 to 35 minutes. (Do NOT overbake! Cake is done when the edges are golden brown and the cake has just slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan)

  9. When ready to assemble cake prepare Cinnamon Buttercream.

Cinnamon Buttercream

  1. Add butter, vanilla, cinnamon, confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon in heavy cream to stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. (You can also use a hand held mixer.) 
  2. Turn mixer on slow to incorporate all ingredients. If frosting seems too thick add remaining heavy cream. Turn mixer on high and mix for 1-2 minutes or until frosting is lighter and fluffier. (You want frosting to be a spreadable consistency.)

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Assembling Cake:

Place the first layer of cake on cake stand. Drizzle with up to 3 tablespoons of caramel. (Allow to soak in, about 1-2 minutes)
Cover with all of your cinnamon frosting. (Should be about 1 cup. This is a naked cake so feel free to push the frosting all the way to the edge so that it is visible when you place the next layer on top.)
Place the other layer of cake on top and drizzle with caramel. Allow caramel to spill over the sides if you would like. Cake should be served immediately. Serve extra caramel with each slice.

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.