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Caramel Apple Cake
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Caramel Apple Pie Cake
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 
When you can't decide if you want cake or pie, you make both in the form of a cake!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cake recipe, caramel cake recipe
Author: Jackie
Ingredients
Cake
  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
  • 5 large eggs
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apple Filling
  • 3 cups chopped apples
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup apple juice or water
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons water
Caramel Sauce
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Caramel Frosting
  • 1 ⅔ cups 3 sticks + 3 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
  • 5 ¼ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons caramel sauce room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the cake-

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round pans or four 6-inch round pans with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of your mixer (or beaters), cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly in between.
  5. Stir in vanilla extract.
  6. Reducing your mixer speed to low, alternate adding flour mixer and buttermilk until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Evenly fill cake pans half full with batter.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes for 9-inch pans and 22-25 minutes for 6-inch pans, or until a knife is inserted and when removed is clean.
  9. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
To make the apple filling-
  1. In a large bowl, toss chopped apples with lemon juice.
  2. In a large pan set on medium heat, melt your butter.
  3. Add apples and sauté for about 3 minutes while stirring.
  4. Pour in sugars, apple juice, cinnamon, and salt and allow to simmer until apples are soft on medium-low heat, about 10 minutes.
  5. Whisk together 2 tablespoons water with corn starch to create a paste.
  6. Add cornstarch paste to apple mixture and stir until thick.
  7. Once the filling is nice and thick, remove from heat and bring to room temperature.
To make the caramel sauce-
  1. Heat brown sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk gently for about 5-7 minutes until it has thickened.
  2. Once sauce has thickened, stir in vanilla and remove from heat.
  3. Cool for 5 minutes then pour into jar to cool completely.
To make the frosting-
  1. Cream butter, vanilla, and caramel sauce until smooth.
  2. Add ½ of the powdered sugar and mix.
  3. Add remaining powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk; mix until incorporated.
  4. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 4 minutes.
  5. If frosting is still too thick, add additional tablespoon of milk and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
Assembly-
  1. If needed, remove domes of cakes using a sharp serrated knife.
  2. Place first layer on cake board or serving platter.
  3. Spread ½ cup of frosting over layer and top with cooled apple pie filling.

  4. Place second layer on top of apple filling. Repeat with third layer. 

  5. Frost the outside of the cake completely.
  6. Chill cake for 1 hour before adding the caramel drizzle.
  7. Garnish cake with caramel dipped apples, if desired.
  8. Serve immediately or refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving and up to 2 days.