Salted Caramel Apple Cake

A super moist caramel apple cake with a salted caramel cream cheese frosting, and topped with toasted walnuts! This salted caramel apple cake is a must make this Fall. 

Oh when I dreamt up this cake (yes I dream in cake people) I never could have dreamed it would be this good. Oh yes, I’m bragging. This salted caramel apple cake is knock your socks off good.

Let me break down how ridiculously good it is-  two layers of a fresh apple cake with brown sugar and apple pie spice, then covered in cream cheese frosting with homemade salted caramel sauce stirred in. Then yes, to be extra naughty more salted caramel drizzled over and toasted walnuts sprinkled over the top.

I’ve been on quite the apple kick lately with this apple walnut crostata, apple cider donut muffins, and these apple gooey bars. So I figured why stop there right? It was time for cake. This cake….

How To Make This Caramel Apple Cake

First start by pre-heating your oven to 350°F. And then spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour.

For a full tutorial on how to prepare your cake pans –> read this post. 

In a large bowl or your stand mixer, cream your butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then add in your room temperature eggs, one at a time. Then add in your vanilla and applesauce.

Stir in your properly measured flour, baking soda, spices and salt. And then your chopped apples. And then divide into your cake pans.

And then bake 40 to 45 minutes on middle rack of the oven until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. You want to then let the cakes cool 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. And then make sure to allow the cakes to cool on a cooling rack before assembling and frosting.

How To Make The Caramel Frosting

To make this easy caramel cream cheese frosting,  cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Make sure to start your mixer on low so you don’t have a powdered sugar blizzard in your kitchen!

Then add in the vanilla and caramel sauce and mix until combined. You can use a storebought caramel sauce or make your own homemade caramel sauce.

If you are not using it right away keep the frosting chilled until ready to use.

When ready to use the cake, use an offset spatula to spread a layer of frosting on top of the first layer. Top with the second layer of cake. And then spread frosting around the top and sides. Spread more caramel sauce on top and top with toasted chopped walnuts.

You can keep cake this covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

A few tips on making this salted caramel apple cake:

• Use parchment paper to line the bottom of your cake pan. You can simply trace the bottom of your cake pan onto parchment paper and cut out or buy parchment rounds. Spray the pan first, then place your parchment paper circle down and then spray again. Spraying first keeps the parchment paper in place! A little trick I picked up from working at a bakery 😉 You’re welcome.
• Use room temperature ingredients! This is absolutely necessary when it comes to baking. You can speed up the process of softening your butter by cutting it into small cubes and leaving on your counter for about 1 hour. For your eggs, you can bring them to room temperature quick by placing in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Measure your batter with a measuring cup  to evenly divide the batter between the two pans. I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup. You could eyeball it, but I like to ensure that each cake pan gets equal amounts of batter so they bake evenly. 
• Use a cake tester or a wooden toothpick to test if the cake is done.  Insert the cake tester into the center of the cake 5 minutes before the timer goes off to test if the cake is done. You should pull out a few crumbs, not moist cake batter. 

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To Make This Caramel Apple Cake You Will Need:

• 2 8×8 round cake pans (I use Fat Daddio’s because they have high walls and are very durable)
• Stand mixer or hand mixer (Both of mine are a Kitchenaid)
• Chef’s knife and cutting board for the apples
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Dry measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Cake Tester (or a toothpick works too!)
• Offset spatula

If you are making the caramel sauce from scratch you will also need:

• Candy thermometer
• Heavy duty saucepan

If you like this cake, then let me and leave me a comment! I love hearing from you all! And be sure to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram! If you make it, snap a photo and include the #bostongirlbakes so I can see it (or pin it!)

Happy baking everyone!

Salted Caramel Apple Cake

A caramel apple cake with caramel cream cheese frosting! Top with caramel sauce and chopped walnuts

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: cake

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ▢ 1 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup applesauce
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• ▢ 3 cups chopped peeled apples about 4 apples

For the frosting:

• ▢ 14 ounces butter softened
• ▢ 14 ounces cream cheese cold
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• ▢ 6 cups confectioner sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup caramel sauce
• ▢ additional caramel for drizzling
• ▢ 1/2 cup walnuts, optional toasted and chopped

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper and set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and applesauce. Stir in flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pan.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes on middle rack of the oven until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes longer.
• To prepare the frosting: in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add in the vanilla and caramel sauce and mix until combined. Keep the frosting chilled until ready to use. Use an offset spatula to spread a layer of frosting on top of the first layer. Top with the second layer of cake. Spread frosting around the top and sides. Spread more caramel sauce on top and top with toasted chopped walnuts.
• Keep cake covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Use parchment paper to line the bottom of your cake pan. 
• Use room temperature ingredients! You can speed up the process of softening your butter by cutting it into small cubes and leaving on your counter for about 1 hour. For your eggs, you can bring them to room temperature quick by placing in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Measure your batter with a measuring cup  to evenly divide the batter between the two pans. I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup. You could eyeball it, but I like to ensure that each cake pan gets equal amounts of batter so they bake evenly. 
• Use a cake tester or a wooden toothpick to test if the cake is done.  Insert the cake tester into the center of the cake 5 minutes before the timer goes off to test if the cake is done. You should pull out a few crumbs, not moist cake batter. 

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