“Today will be my THIRD time making this cake this week!”
This recipe creates a moist and flavorful apple cake with a rich caramel topping. The combination of spices and sweet caramel makes it a perfect dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients:
Cake:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Butter, Room Temperature | ½ cup |
| Sugar | 1 ⅔ cups |
| Eggs | 2 |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 ½ teaspoons |
| Flour | 1 ½ cups |
| Baking Soda | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Cinnamon | 1 ½ teaspoons |
| Nutmeg | ½ teaspoon |
| Apples, Diced & Peeled | 3 cups (~2 large) |
| Pecans or Walnuts, Chopped (Optional) | ¼ cup |
Caramel:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Brown Sugar | 1 ⅓ cups |
| Half & Half | 2 tablespoons |
| Butter | 4 tablespoons |
Instructions:
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Sift dry ingredients: In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in apples and nuts: Fold in the diced apples and chopped nuts (if using).
- Bake the cake: Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Prepare the caramel: When the cake has been baking for 30 minutes, start preparing the caramel. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the brown sugar, half & half, and butter. Stir often until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. There’s no need to bring it to a full boil.
- Add caramel to cake: Remove the cake from the oven and pour the caramel over the top.
- Finish baking: Return the cake to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the caramel is cracking and the cake is cooked through in the center.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
