This easy Caramel Apple Cake is moist with crunchy and cozy cinnamon oat streusel topping. Serve it warm with a good drizzle of caramel and a scoop of ice cream for one of the most delicious Fall desserts or have it by itself at room temperature for an afternoon tea or coffee time.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this Apple Caramel Cake
- Easy: It is easy to make than an apple upside-down cake!
- Moist cake with crunchy topping: Don't you love baked goods with different textures?
- Comforting: Because it makes the perfect treat for Fall!
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: You can make it ahead and freeze the leftovers for up to a month.
- Budget-friendly: In the Autumn, apples cost less than in the rest of the year, and most of the ingredients are staples you may already have in your pantry.
Caramel Apple Cake Recipe
This recipe is made with baking staples and apples. It is straightforward: You only need to make the batter by mixing wet and dry ingredients and then layer the batter with thinly sliced apples.
The cake is then topped with an oat streusel and served with caramel sauce. Although we made our caramel from scratch, you may use a store-bought that you enjoy.
The result is simply phenomenal! You have a caramel apple cake that is cozy and tasty, making the perfect Fall treat for an afternoon tea or coffee time.
origin
I have been a subscriber of Southern Living magazine for years. When I saw all the apple dessert recipes in their September 2012 edition, I told myself that I had to make some of them.
Inspired by it, I created this scrumptious Caramel Apple Streusel Cake (Bolo de Maçã com Calda de Caramelo e Farofa Alemã).
A friend asked me several months ago to publish an apple cake recipe and I finally found one that really caught my eye: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake.
Although I love apples, in most of Brazil we don't have an abundance of desserts made from this fruit.
However, a few apple desserts can be found in Southern Brazil since this is a region whose cuisine was significantly influenced by German settlers, and whose cooler climate is more favorable for cultivating apple trees.
This cake reminded me so much of the Southern Brazilian coffee cakes I enjoyed in their Cafés Coloniais years ago.
The presence of the apples as well as the streusel seem very German to me (and Southern Brazilian too).
I love the contrast between the crunchiness of the streusel and the tenderness of the apples as well as the sweetness of the caramel and the tart apples. This is the PERFECT coffee cake!
NOTE: Café Colonial (lit. "colonial breakfast") traditionally consists of a full table overflowing with assorted bread and coffee cakes, butter, cheeses, jams, sausage, milk, hot cocoa, cookies, and honey, among other homemade delicacies. Thus, this meal can be enjoyed at any time of day and is typical of the cities in Southern Brazil colonized by German immigrants.
ingredients and Substitutions
To make this caramel apple cake recipe, you'll need:
For the Apple Cake:
- 1.1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature. About 2 sticks plus 1 ½ tbsps
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon honey (You may use homemade golden syrup or light treacle, or even maple syrup although it has a stronger flavor)
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (you may prefer almond extract instead)
- ½ cup whole milk (or half-and-half)
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour, sifted. SUBSTITUTE: For every cup of self-rising flour, use instead a mixture of one cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- 5 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (For a sweeter cake, use Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples. For a tart cake, use Granny Smith apples. For an apple that has both sweet and tart flavors, Honeycrisp is your best option)
Oat Streusel:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened or at room temp
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or apple pie spice), optional but recommended.
Caramel Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or, arrowroot though), or you can make this vegan caramel sauce if making a vegan cheesecake recipe!
How to Make Caramel Apple Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Then, grease and line with parchment paper a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. NOTE: Preferably, let the parchment paper overhang outside the pan to make it easy to unmold the baked cake.
2. Prepare the Cake: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Do NOT overmix! Then add the honey, vanilla, and milk, beating on low speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the sifted flour on low speed until just combined.
4. Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan though.
5. Add half of the apple slices, making a thin layer.
6. Spread over the remaining cake batter and then top with the remaining apple slices. Reserve!
7. Prepare the Streusel for the Caramel Apple Cake: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, butter, sugar, and spice together until they resemble big and small crumbs. TIP: Use your fingers to combine these ingredients!
8. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake, pressing down lightly.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 60 minutes. NOTE: It may take a bit longer than 60 minutes depending on your oven! NOTE: To prevent the top of your cake from browning too much in the oven, place a sheet of foil loosely over the top while baking.
10. Transfer the pan to a rack to partially cool, for about 30 minutes. Then, carefully unmold the cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Use the overhang paper to lift the cake and remove it from the pan.
11. Make the caramel: In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes bubbly and almost foamy.
12. Reduce the heat to medium-low (or to a simmer) and continue to stir often for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Stir well every time you use it!
13. Serve the cake: Serve it warm or cold with caramel sauce drizzled on top. If you want, serve it with ice cream though.
Tips for making Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
- Types of apples: You may use any sweet or tart apples or a combination of both. For a sweeter cake, use Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples. For a tart cake, use Granny Smith apples. As for an apple that has both sweet and tart flavors, Honeycrisp is your best option!
- Apple substitutes: Use any stone fruit of your choice or pears instead of apples. They must be sliced thinly.
- Crumble topping: For making great streusel topping, use rolled oats (not quick oats) and of course, butter at room temperature. Also make sure to use your fingers to make crumbles of different sizes, small and big.
- Browning: To prevent the top of your caramel apple cake from browning too much in the oven, place a sheet of foil loosely over the top while baking.
FAQS
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
It depends on how tart or sweet you want your cake to be. For a sweet cake, use Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples. For a tart cake, use Granny Smith apples (it will balance the sweetness of the caramel). As for an apple that has both sweet and tart flavors, Honeycrisp is the best option.
Can Caramel Apple Cake be Made Gluten Free?
I have not made this cake gluten-free. However, if you use gluten-free self-rising flour for the cake batter, as well as gluten-free all-purpose flour and certified gluten-free rolled oats for the streusel, it may work.
Can I use store-bought Caramel Sauce Instead of Homemade?
Yes, you can because the caramel is used in this recipe as a topping for the baked cake.
Is this Apple Streusel Cake Vegan?
No! But you may be able to swap regular ingredients for vegan ones easily ( use dairy-free butter and milk, flax eggs, vegan-friendly sugar, and coconut cream instead of heavy cream). For the ingredients and ratios, check out these baking substitutions though.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! Then, store it at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer, depending on how soon you intend to serve it.
How to Store
- Room Temperature: Store cake leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days though.
- Fridge: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days though.
- Freezer: Wrap well with parchment paper and store in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: You can reheat your caramel apple cake at 50% power in the microwave until warm.
Other Apple Dessert Recipes to Enjoy:
- Apple bar recipe
- Caramel apple cheesecake recipe
- Apple cider donuts
- Easy apple crisp recipe
- Apple crumble muffin recipe
- Apple skillet cake
- Caramel apple cider
- Easy apple pie
- Caramel apple cobbler
- Caramel apple hand pies
- Brazilian apple crumb cake
- French apple tart
PIN AND ENJOY!
Caramel Apple Cake
Equipment
- 1 mixer (hand or stand mixer)
- 1 oven
- 1 9-inch round cake pan
- 1 saucepan
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Apple Cake:
- 1.1 cups unsalted butter room temperature. About 2 sticks plus 1 ½ tablespoon
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon honey You may use homemade golden syrup or light treacle, or even maple syrup although it has a stronger flavor
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract you may prefer almond extract instead
- ½ cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour sifted. SUBSTITUTE: For every cup of self-rising flour, use instead a mixture of one cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- 5 apples peeled and thinly sliced (For a sweeter cake, use Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples. For a tart cake, use Granny Smith apples. For an apple that has both sweet and tart flavors, Honeycrisp is your best option)
For the Oat Streusel:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter softened or at room temp
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice (OPTIONAL) but recommended
For the Caramel Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream NOTE: If you prefer, use store-bought caramel sauce.
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Then, grease and line with parchment paper a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. NOTE: Preferably, let the parchment paper overhang outside the pan to make it easy to unmold the baked cake.
- Prepare the Cake: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Do NOT overmix! Then add the honey, vanilla, and milk, beating on low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the sifted flour on low speed until just combined. Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Add half of the apple slices, making a thin layer. Spread over the remaining cake batter and then top with the remaining apple slices. Reserve!
- Prepare the Streusel: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, butter, sugar, and spice together until they resemble big and small crumbs. TIP: Use your fingers to combine these ingredients!
- Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake, pressing down lightly.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 60 minutes. NOTE: It may take a bit longer than 60 minutes depending on your oven! NOTE: To prevent the top of your cake from browning too much in the oven, place a sheet of foil loosely over the top while baking.
- Transfer the pan to a rack to partially cool, for about 30 minutes. Then, carefully unmold the cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Use the overhang paper to lift the cake and remove it from the pan.
- Make the caramel: In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes bubbly and almost foamy.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (or to a simmer) and continue to stir often for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Stir well every time you use it!
- Serve the cake: Serve it warm or cold with caramel sauce drizzled on top. If you want, serve with ice cream.
Recipe Notes
- Room Temperature: Store cake leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- Fridge: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap well with parchment paper and store in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: You can reheat your caramel apple cake at 50% power in the microwave until warm.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on August 27, 2012.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
You are right Denise, your cake does remind me of those I've had in Germany, It sounds great.
Marcia says
This recipe is delicious!!! Just switched up a couple ingredients to make it vegan for my daughter, and no one knows otherwise. GREAT recipe!!
Denise Browning says
Marcia:
I am so glad that you made this cake and loved it. It's good to know that it could be easily adapted to become vegan. Thank you for taking time to stopping by. Have a great week!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Oh Denise!!! This caramel (yum!) apple streusel (yummm!) cake looks so good! As you see, I love streusel...and this totally made my mouth water! I didn't know that Brazil doesn't have too many fruit desserts. I thought warmer place = abundance of fruits, but I guess that's not the case. I'm not familiar with Southern cooking either. But this surely looks super delicious! I need to brush up my baking skills so that when I look at the baking recipes I won't be intimidated. At this point.... I'm a bit scared by unfamiliar processes. 😀 I wish you are my neighbor so I can just knock on your door when you open the oven door. Hehee!
Denise Browning says
Nami:
Thanks a lot!!!! In Brazil there are a lot of desserts made with our tasty fruits, but there is not a lot of made especifically with apples. Only in the southern area of my country, where is cold a few months of the year, we can find desserts tipically made with this fruit. These apple dessert recipes came from the German immigrants that went to live there. Yes, I wish you were also my neighboor too so we could cook together. You could teach me how to cook your mouth-watering Japanese food and I'd teach you about Brazilian food - with emphasis in baked desserts. :):):) I really think if you'd try to bake this cake you'd make a fantastic job!!!!! xx