Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
The whole trick to a cake that stays moist the next morning — not just hot from the oven — is the oil. A neutral oil instead of creamed butter gives the crumb a soft, almost pudding-like tenderness that butter alone can't manage, and it means you can fold in a full three cups of diced apples without the cake turning dense. Use a baking-apple mix: tart Granny Smith for structure, plus a sweet-tart Honeycrisp (or Braeburn) for juice, so the fruit keeps a little bite instead of dissolving into sauce — steer clear of McIntosh and Red Delicious, which collapse and water down the batter. The salted caramel is a quick stovetop sauce — sugar cooked to deep amber, then finished with butter, cream, and a generous pinch of flaky salt — and that salt is doing real work: it pulls the sweetness back just enough that the sauce reads as toffee, not candy. Serve the cake warm with the caramel poured over so it sinks into the crumb, and you've got the dessert everyone drifted toward once pumpkin started to feel like a habit. A spoonful of maple syrup in the batter nudges it straight into apple-maple-caramel territory. For more of that energy, try our Miso Caramel Apple Crisp and Apple Cider Caramel Pecan Galette.
Dessert · American, Fall, Apple, Baking • 1 hr 10 min
Nutrition (per serving)420Calories·20gFat·58gCarbs·4gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (about 3 medium) firm baking apples (a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), peeled and diced ½-inch
- For the salted caramel:
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
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Steps
- Heat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on two long sides for easy lifting) and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and apples: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the diced apples. The batter will be thick and chunky.
- Bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs and the top springs back when pressed, 40 to 50 minutes (an instant-read thermometer in the center should read 200°F to 205°F). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the caramel: Pour the sugar into an even layer in a heavy medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook without stirring — swirl the pan gently if it browns unevenly — until the sugar melts and turns deep amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time (it will foam), then slowly whisk in the cream until smooth. Whisk in the salt. If the caramel seizes or lumps, return it to low heat and whisk until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Keep warm.
- Serve: Cut the warm cake into squares and pour the warm caramel over the top, or serve the caramel in a small pitcher alongside so everyone can pour their own. Finish with a few extra flakes of sea salt just before serving.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
The cake and the caramel can each be made ahead. Bake the cake, cool it completely, and keep it covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. The caramel keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To serve, rewarm the cake (loosely covered with foil) in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, and gently reheat the caramel on the stove or in the microwave until pourable.
Storage
Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days — the oil keeps the crumb moist. Reheat individual squares in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to bring back the warm-cake effect. The caramel keeps refrigerated for up to 1 week and thickens when cold, so rewarm gently and thin with a splash of cream if needed. Freeze the cooled, unsauced cake tightly wrapped for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before rewarming.
Substitutions
For the apples, a 50/50 mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp is ideal; Braeburn, Jonagold, or Pink Lady all work too. Avoid McIntosh and Red Delicious, which turn to mush. For a maple caramel, whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup into the finished sauce — or swap in a splash of apple brandy or bourbon for an adult finish. To make it dairy-free, use a good store-bought dairy-free salted caramel and replace the buttermilk with 1 cup oat milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. For a gluten-free cake, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. No buttermilk? Use 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 square (of 15)
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
