Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
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Simple moist Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting. A sheet cake recipe loaded with fresh fall apples and slathered with warm caramelized goodness!
Why We Love This Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting Recipe
Apple season is upon us and that means we are making all things apple over here! And we all know that nothing goes better together than apples and caramel. That is why this Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting is my absolute favorite fall dessert!
My Spiced Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting is a classic ultra-moist sheet cake recipe made with tart apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It can be enjoyed on its own, or slathered with a silky luxurious salted caramel frosting, for caramel apple appeal. It would go great with a cup of coffee in the morning or for an afternoon pick-me-up!
The salted caramel frosting adds a little something special to the mix, and I highly recommend going through the extra effort to make it. It is made with homemade caramel (which is super easy to make), and mixed with butter and powdered sugar for a sweet and absolutely decadent frosting!
Ingredients You Need
For the Spiced Apple Cake:
- Cake flour – This creates a light airy cake texture.
- Baking powder and baking soda – For lift!
- Salt – All baked goods need a little salt.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg – To create a rustic cinnamon-apple flavor.
- Unsalted butter – For richness.
- Granulated sugar – To add sweetness.
- Eggs – For binding and lift
- Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor.
- Whole milk – To create a tender texture.
- Green apple – I like to use granny smith apples for their firm texture and perky flavor.
For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
- Brown sugar and water – To create the caramel.
- Heavy cream – To give the caramel a creamy texture.
- Vanilla extract – For a deep well-rounded flavor.
- Salt – To create the salted caramel taste.
- Unsalted butter – To thicken the frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Beat into the mixture to create a fluffy texture.
How to Make This Apple Cake Recipe
For the Apple Sheet Cake
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside. Prep the dry ingredients by mixing the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
- Cream the Butter & Sugar: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk until the batter is smooth. Then scrape the bowl again and fold in the apples by hand.
- Bake: Scoop the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth out the top and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
For the Salted Caramel Frosting
- Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: While the cake is baking, place the brown sugar and water in a large, deep skillet. You want to have a large heating surface, so I would avoid using a small saucepan. Turn on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir and allow the liquid to bubble for approximately 5 minutes, until the sugar syrup is very dark. Remove the pan from the burner and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool to room temperature. You cannot add the caramel to the butter to make the frosting while it is warm!
- Make the Frosting: Once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Then, add in the caramel. Beat again to combine. Then scrape the bowl and slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Frost the Cake: Scoop the frosting on top of the completely cooled apple cake and spread it over the top. Cut into 24 pieces, serve, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- For an apple layer cake, you can cook the cake in two cake rounds and use the caramel buttercream in the middle and on the top!
- For a gluten-free apple cake, use a gluten-free replacement flour that has a 1 to 1 ratio, like King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour!
- Throw in some nuts! For added texture, you can throw in some chopped walnuts to this apple cake!
- Salted caramel frosting is delicious on this easy apple cake, but you can keep it simple with a powdered sugar glaze or vanilla buttercream!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of apples are good for baking?Some of the best apples for baking are Granny smith apples, honeycrisp, or golden delicious. You want to avoid red delicious apples because they typically turn mushy when baking! Pick apples that are firm and tart.
Can I make a vanilla frosting instead of caramel frosting?Definitely! If you want a frosting but don’t want to go through making homemade caramel, you can make a simple vanilla frosting or cream cheese frosting. Frosting is easy to whip up with a stick or two of butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a bit of heavy cream!
How should I store leftover apple cake with salted caramel frosting?Store any leftover apple cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Get The Full (Printable) Caramel Apple Cake Recipe + Video Below!
More Amazing Fall Cake Recipes
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Buttermilk Frosting
- Apple Spiced Coffee Cake
- Chocolate Mint Texas Sheet Cake
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte Cake
- Best Gooey Butter Cake
- Kahlua Coffe Cake
- Nutty Cardamom Bundt Cake
Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting Recipe + Video
Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting – A simple moist Apple Spice Cake (sheet cake recipe) topped with rich creamy salted caramel frosting.
Servings: 24 slices
Ingredients
For the Apple Cake:
- 3 cups cake flour, or 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour + 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup diced green apple, from 2 large peeled Granny Smiths
For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Apple Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape the bowl and slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla. Alternate add the flour mixture and milk until the batter is smooth. Then scrape the bowl again and stir in the apple by hand.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth out the top and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
- While the cake is baking, place the brown sugar and water in a large deep skillet. (You want to have a large heating surface.) Turn on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir and allow the liquid to bubbly for approximately 5 minutes, until the sugar syrup is very dark. Remove the pan from the burner and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool to room temperature. (If you add it to the butter while it's warm, it will melt the butter and ruin the frosting.)
- Once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Then add in the caramel. Beat again to combine. Then scrape the bowl and slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Scoop the frosting on top of the completely cooled cake and spread over the top. Cut into 24 pieces and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Store any leftover apple cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 268mg, Potassium: 82mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 680IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 0.3mg
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What a delicious and cozy cake for fall! My family couldn’t get over how good the frosting was! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’ve only had apple cake with cream cheese frosting and wanted to try something different. This didn’t disappoint! The frosting does take a bit longer to make, but it is oh so good! I want to try it on pumpkin cake next!
I got the itch to do some fall baking last weekend and I came upon this apple cake recipe when trying to decide what to make. I’m so glad I did! The cake was sweet and moist and the frosting was the perfect complement. Thanks for a new fall favorite!
Could I make this the day before and store in the refrigerator?
Hi there,
Absolutely! I suggest taking it out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving, so it’s nice and soft. :)
I’m tempted to add a smidgeon of good maple syrup? To the cake or the icing tho? Any suggestions?
This 🍰 cake is fool proof to make and will insure that you dazzle the toughest critics .
We loved it!!! So light and amazing frosting!
This was the perfect fall dessert! So easy to make and everyone loved it!
This is one of my favorite cakes! I make it at least two times a year if not more. The frosting is magical.
I am drooling. This apple cake sounds and looks amazing.
Such a great fall treat! Everyone at my house was impressed!
DELICIOUS! Great for fall!
This is such a perfect fall treat! We loved it!
This was so creamy and moist and full of flavor. The perfect fall apple cake. We loved it so much and can’t wait to make it again!
This is the absolute perfect cake for fall! Just delicious!
this sounds like my DREAM! thank you for sharing!