Salted Caramel Apple Cake
This cake. Oh. My. Gosh.
I have had the page doggy-eared in Baked Explorations ever since I bought the book, which was something like four or five years ago. One of the downfalls of having a huge stash of cookbooks is that a lot of really great recipes can fall between the cracks. This was one of those unfortunate incidents, and am I ever glad that I dragged that book back out a couple of weeks ago. My fall cake eating will never be the same again. This is a very good thing.
Even though I adore baking, I don’t make layer cakes all that often just due to the time factor. They’re usually a little fussy and time-consuming, so I put this off for awhile, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised at how NOT very fussy or time-consuming it was. It certainly helps that you use the same thing to both fill and frost the cake!
This cake is incredibly dense and moist, thanks to the abundance of applesauce that is used as the “wet” ingredient. The cake itself is wonderfully spiced, then filled and frosted with an old-fashioned-style cooked buttercream that is spiked with my favorite salted caramel sauce. The frosting reminded me of the filling for one of my all-time favorite desserts – Ho-Ho Cake. Which is to say, it’s utterly fantastic. Since I believe that all caramel apples should be rolled in chopped peanuts, I sprinkled the top of the cake with peanuts. I love the extra salty kick it gave the cake.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Everyone who got to sample this cake was pretty much rendered speechless. My father-in-law already requested it for his birthday in February. My husband said it’s one of the five best cakes I have made… EVER.
So basically, you have to make this cake. There’s no way around it!
More Apple Cake Recipes:
If you make this salted caramel apple cake recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 cups (482 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
- 2½ cups (496 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups (904 ml) unsweetened applesauce
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream:
- 1½ cups (298 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (340 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (76 ml) heavy cream
- 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (109 ml) salted caramel sauce
To Garnish:
- Salted caramel sauce
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the pans, tapping out any excess.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low for an additional 30 seconds to combine.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and allow to cool completely.
- Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream: In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixtures comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and vanilla; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. (It might seem like it won’t get to the fluffy point, but stick with it, it’ll get there!) Add the salted caramel sauce and continue mixing until combined and fluffy. (If the frosting is too soft, put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then beat again until it reaches a fluffy consistency.)
- Assemble the Cake: If any of the cake layers have domed on top, trim the top off to create flat surfaces. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1¼ cups of the frosting on top. Add the next layer and top with 1¼ cups of the frosting. Add the third layer on top and spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, until firm. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Drizzle some additional salted caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Return to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made this for a family function yesterday. Just incredible. Next time I’ll likely make it in stages as it took all day, but just such a great outcome. Love, love, love this cake!
Feel hungry…
Will try this at home for my lovely husband :)
Thank you Michelle, for providing the link to your top 10 favorite cakes! They all look wonderful! Have a great day!
Hi Michelle! This cake looks perfect! I bet it is absolutely divine! You say this is one of the best five cakes you make. What are the other four best cakes? I look forward to your reply!
Hi Dana, Here is a post I did last year on my top 10 favorite cake recipes: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/top-10-list-favorite-cake-recipes/
Planning on making this tonight for a fundraiser! Just wondering how important it is to use whole milk, would using 1% be okay?
Hi Morgan, Since you are making this for a fundraiser and can’t afford to have a “re-do” I really recommend using the whole milk. I have not used a low fat milk and am not sure how the decreased fat might affect the final product.
For some reason, which I no longer remember, something happened in the middle of me saving this recipe from your site (which I always do for EVERY recipe I save into my own standardized format for my use for various reasons) into my own documents and cause me to not have all of the recipe. This was at many many months ago. I am SO glad I stumbled on it in my files again as it ended up in a VERY bizarre spot (I thinking my computer must have crashed at that point) which I think was somehow meant to be. So opening up the blog posting all over again I went back and read everything you wrote about your experience with this cake and I noticed the statement your husband made about this being one of your best five cakes you’ve ever made. What I would like to know………..what are the other four he feels are your best? I had a very BAD experience this past summer at our carnival in town with salt and caramel and its caused me to be very very wary of wanting to make ANYTHING anymore with this gourmet salt trend that’s big right now. I have a feeling at the carnival food stand, and this is what’s odd, is that this one has been coming there to the same place and I think the same ladies for years. For an adult in theirs 50s I am worst than almost any kid out there when it comes to both cotton candy and candy apples, always have been. I’m torn about 50/50 if given a choice between the two apples of caramel ones and candy ones. I almost ALWAYS prefer nuts 98% of the time so what I do is purchase about 3 or 4 apples in a selection of choices to eat over the next day or two till I walk back down to the carnival grounds in a day or two to get more carnival food. Of COURSE I would NEVER let a child in my care do such a crazy thing (actually as that fun aunt I probably would) but you know what, I’m FORCED due to factors beyond my control (if I don’t want to get nauseous and sick or to GREATLY increase my chances of getting cancer somewhere in the tummy area) to have to endure gluten free foods everywhere now in life. I’ve had to give up or tolerate a second-best in flavor/texture most of the time more foods I love than I could ever count right now. Cotton Candy and Caramel and Candy Apples are one of the FEW treats I can still have in their original state. I think I’m entitled. Besides, the apples ARE healthy for me, right? Anyway, just imagine my horror and tremendous disappointment when I came home one evening,after making my purchase I took a bite of this beautiful caramel apple and it was SO salty I nearly gagged. I literally almost cried. I had waited WEEKS to get these. I THINK someone tried their hand at doing the “salted caramel” trend, had NO idea what they were doing and completely ruined it. I was so upset I couldn’t even go back for the rest of the week.
But…..its not very often you give such overwhelmingly high praise for something as you have this cake AND based on your husband’s enjoyment of the cake AND the rest of your family I’m willing to trust YOU because I’ve been following your blog longer, for YEARS, than almost every other one in my very very long list. (and that’s saying something if you saw how many I get emails from). So you’ve convinced me to try and go in with an open mind and some open tastebuds to give a “salted caramel” item another try in life. But don’t forget, I STILL want to know what those other 4 cakes are that your husband considers your best. I’m VERY curious to know if they’re also on my list and the types that most people enjoy the most.
This cake is amazing! It was my second layer cake ever and it turned out exactly how I thought it would! I made it for our Christmas dinner and everyone were blown away! Thank you so so so much! Oh and the leftover caramel…was a VERY nice bonus. Thank you!
Can it be frozen prior to frosting?
Hi Jaynie, Yes, I think that would be fine!
Hi I am making this cake and using it for a tiered wedding cake. Do you think this icing is suitable for using when doing a two tier cake?
I have made this cake before and it is sensational.
Hi Nic, I don’t think that the frosting is stiff enough for stacking :(
I tried this cake and it was very good. I want to make it again in 2 or 3 days. Thanks
I wanted to love this cake, having read the reviews that wax rhapsodic about its many delights. I really did. All those reviews, plus the CCC’s stamp of approval couldn’t possibly be wrong. So I planned it for Christmas Day dessert.
Well, I have to say that for all the hype, I am left a bit puzzled. No denying, it had many virtues. The cake was sturdy, and not prone to breakage. It assembled tall and beautiful. Mime looked virtually identical to the pictures. The frosting was delicious, having been laced with the salted caramel from this website. It was creamy smooth, and not too sweet, went on like a dream. I’d make the frosting again, in a heartbeat.
The cake was moist… Too moist, as it turns out, for our taste. The texture was almost sodden. Whereas it was completely baked through, it almost felt like it wasn’t. Weird, I know, right? Could it have been the applesauce overload? I believe it probably was. Once you couple that with the 3 sticks of butter, it was just overly heavy for us. The taste was good, but not extraordinary. Aside from its impressive appearance, no one was blown away. Usually, anything I bake is inhaled. Here we are, almost a week later, and there is still a significant hunk left. Hate to be the lone voice swimming upstream on this one, but I was surprised to find it disappointing at best.
I was wondering how I could use actual apples in the recipe? My husband asked for an apple and caramel cake, similar to the one we had for our wedding and I’ve been trying to replicate the recipe. This seems very close but our cake had apple pieces throughout – so do you think I could use half a cup of oil and 3 cups of shredded apple would be an even substitute for the 4 cups of applesauce? I’d love to know your thoughts on this.
Hi Maryam, I have not tried to do those substitutions and am not sure how they would affect the cake. Let me know if you try them!
Hello!! I tried this cake and it was AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing it with all of us. I love everything about it. I want to make it again, but as mini-cupcakes this time. Is it ok to half the recipe?
Thank you so much. :)
Hi Aisha, So glad you enjoyed the cake! I haven’t halved this recipe, but I think it would work out okay.
Oh my gosh indeed, Michelle.. I halved the recipe and tried them out as mini cupcakes. They were amaaaaazing! Love love love this recipe! Thank you again :))
Unfortunately my icing curdled after beating it for so long because it wouldn’t go fluffy. Then when I tried to assemble the cake I think the layers were the tiniest bit still warm so the entire thing fell apart. It was seriously disappointing because everything tasted fantastic! But it was beyond help so it had to go in the bin :(
Do you need a paddle board what? Is there a substitute ? Im a rookie baker haha just want something different for thanksgiving. Thanks
Hi Rosie, I’m not sure what you’re referring to? Paddle board?
Wondering if I could usethe caramel sauce from a can of sweetened condensed milk instead?
Hi Erin, Dulce de leche should working okay in the frosting, but it will likely be too thick to pour over the top of the cake as I did in the photos.
Hmm…ok, thank you! I’m trying to find a good salted caramel frosting. I have never made real caramel before so I’m thinking dulce de Leche might be an easier way to go to try out your frosting. :) Or maybe I’ll get brave and try to make the real caramel sauce. ?
Hi! I found this recept a few days ago and I planning to make it for my daughter’s birthday, but I have no idea what the “unsweetened applesauce” is. I live in the Netherlands and we dont have it. Do you think I make this sauce by myself, is there a recept for? Thanks for your help.
Hi Nikolett, Unsweetened applesauce is simply applesauce (store-bought or homemade) that has no added sugar.
I love salted caramel and I love apple, never thought of putting them together but 100% going to try that! Really well made, lovely blog too.
I made a half batch of this recipe and baked it in a 9×13 pan. It took 33 minutes in my oven. The cake, including frosting was only 1 3/4 ” high but SO delicious and moist! I cut back the cinnamon, allspice and cloves because of personal preference. A drizzle of salted caramel sauce over the top. It is so tender and just wonderful!!! Thanks for posting.
I’ve made this cake before and LOVED it and I’d like to make it again, BUT for a smaller group- has anyone successfully halved this recipe? If so, how? I’m a bit of a dunce and would love specific instructions!!!
Side note- this is my favorite cake I’ve ever made. Ever. And I’ve made a decent number of cakes.
Wow! the cake looks yummy. I’d really appreciate a bite
I’m wanting to make an apple spiced cake with cream cheese frosting for my sons 1st birthday. Would this be good with cream cheese frosting? Is it too dense?
Hi Kristin, It is a very dense cake, which is why I think the lighter frosting pairs so well. I do think that cream cheese frosting is always fabulous, though. Go for it!
I love your salted caramel recipe, and when I saw this recipe in the Huffington Post, I knew I’d have to try it. I, too, will have to make my own applesauce, since Taiwan doesn’t seem to have it, but I found slow cooker recipes for it, looks simple.
hey, this looks great, but how do you make apple sauce if not somewhere you can buy it? (Or have any idea what it is…)Would it just be stewed apples? and if so cooking or desert apples and what consistency and would you sieve it?
Must figure out how to incorporate a little bourbon in there … making this one for sure!
Hi
This recipe sounds amazing! I’m planning to try it but want it to work as a wedding/celebration cake and would therefore need to ice it in fondant/sugarpaste. I was just wondering if you’d tried that? Also, I know you mention about keeping it wrapped or in an airtight container – I assume that it’ll be ok for a few days at room temp once it’s iced in fondant?
Thanks in advance,
Sinead
Hi Sinead, I have not tried covering this particular cake in fondant; if do, though, yes, it would be fine for a couple of days at room temperature. I think I would serve it within 2 days, though.
Hi! First of all, I LOVE your blog. I tried this recipe yesterday. The cake itself was to DIE for. Simply beautiful, delicious. Just perfect. The buttercream, however, gave me a bit of a headache. I let the milk,cream and sugar thicken 10 minutes and when I put them on the mixer, after about 2 minutes on high, they turned solid and started to crumble. I was left with a very coarse crumble. I then followed the recipe and it did turn somewhat fluffy, but it was very granulated. Still delicious, but I don’t know if it was the intended texture or not (I figured you’d have clarified if this were the case, so I’m leaning towards “I messed it up”). Did I let it dry out too much when thickening it? Is this normal?
Anyway, like I’ve said, LOVE your blog and this recipe is just too good to be true! Thanks in advance!
Hi – I am making this cake for a friends wedding but they want more of a caramel flavor. Do you think the clove and allspice could be reduced and caramel extract added to give it more of a caramel flavor?
I made this cake as a tester and they loved it there wasn’t a single slice left, just trying to see how to make it more caramel. Thanks in advance!
Hi Lynne, I’ve never used caramel extract, but your idea sounds like it could work.
Well, I made it, and my cakes are perfect. And that buttercream…where has that been all my life. Also, your salted caramel sauce recipe was perfect as well. I would marry you just from those two recipes alone, but alas, I am a man for men. Sorry ’bout it.
I made this cake today. Overall I’m happy with it, but a couple of comments.
1) I think the caramel sauce recipe needs to be slightly tweaked to guarantee success. While putting the sugar into the sauce pan dry and whisking it carefully *might* work, your margin for error is very high. I tried this method twice without success. The first time, the clumped bits of sugar didn’t melt into the liquid sugar before the temps got too high (even on low heat) and the second time, trying to avoid creating big clumps, I scorched the bottom before the sugars on top melted.
A much easier, and much more foolproof method involves using some water. Put 2/3 cup water in the bottom of the saucepan, dump the sugar into the center of the pan (allow it to mound in the center) and turn on the heat. The sugar will melt into the water and the entire mixture will come to a boil, with the sugar fully dissolved, while the sugar is still clear. Let it boil on a medium/high heat until 300 degrees or so, then lower the temps a bit (because at this point most of the water in the liquid will be boiled off and the temp will rise VERY quickly) and keep the heat on until it hits 350.
2) For the buttercream, it’s not necessary to let the mixture come to a boil. Put it on moderate heat, be sure to whisk frequently (or the bottom will scorch) and the mixture will thicken up properly without ever boiling.
3). I always dislike “trimming” cake layers. And it wasn’t really necessary here. Turn the layers out onto cooling racks upside down and leave them that way until completely cool. You will mostly flatten out any “dome” that may have formed. Place the bottom layer upside down on the serving dish. Frost. Place the top layer on upside down as well. This will give you a nice flat top. And “gaps” in between the layers can be filled in with frosting. When frosting the side and tops, it’s easy to get the top and sides to frost completely flat and square if you use a long, flat edged spatula designed for frosting. That flat top is key to keeping the caramel sauce spread on the top and not totally running down the sides and pooling at the bottom.
4) I recommend putting some thin strips of parchment on your serving plate and then placing your bottom layer on it. While frosting, the excess will fall onto the parchment, which is easily tugged out once the cake is frosted. Your serving plate will be clean around the edges. Then drizzle the (cooled) caramel.
Otherwise I think the recipe is fairly sound. I made mine with home-canned applesauce, and am looking forward to eating some tonight at the birthday party I made it for.
Thanks for publishing the recipe! I think I would definitely make it again.