This fresh apple cake with caramel glaze is soft, warmly spiced, and packed with tender apples in every bite. The buttery brown sugar glaze poured over the top makes it an irresistible fall dessert.
I love to pair apples with caramel! Try my apple cider caramels, caramel apple monkey bread or these caramel apple pie bars , too!
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Key Takeaways: Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
- Easy from scratch. A simple batter with basic baking staples and no complicated cake layers or decorating.
- Made for an 8×8 pan. It makes 12 servings, so it’s a great size for a family dessert or small gathering.
- Best served warm. Pour the homemade caramel glaze over the cake right after baking and add vanilla ice cream for serving.
Why I Love This Recipe
Fresh apples make this cake especially perfect for fall, adding juicy chunks and plenty of cozy flavor to every slice. While the cake is still warm, the caramel sauce is poured over the top so it soaks in slightly, similar to my bread pudding with vanilla caramel sauce, but with a sweeter, seasonal caramel apple twist.
The cake itself has a soft, moist crumb like my apple cider donut cake, with tender baked apple pieces throughout. If you love that combination of warm spices and apples, my apple pie cupcakes are another fun fall favorite.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- All-purpose flour: Learn how to measure flour accurately so you don’t end up packing your measuring cup too full!
- Sugars: Granulated and brown sugar add sweet taste and moisture.
- Baking soda: A leavening agent to add lift and rise.
- Warm spices: Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add fragrant warm taste.
- Sea salt: Enhances the flavors in the cake.
- Vegetable oil: Gives the cake a tender crumb.
- Egg: You will need one large egg and one egg yolk.
- Vanilla extract: Adds another layer of flavor.
- Apples: I prefer Granny Smith apples as their tart flavor compliments the sweet apple cake.
- Buttery caramel glaze: Salted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla.
How to Make Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.
In stand mixer, cream oil, sugar, and brown sugar on a low speed. Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Combine wet ingredients with the dry on low speed until just combined.
Gently fold in the peeled and finely chopped apples into the mixture.
Pour cake batter into prepared 8-inch baking dish and spread out into an even layer. Bake 45 minutes at 325°F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cream to a boil. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon 1 minute, or until the sugars have melted down.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add caramel glaze to the warm apple cake and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Dairy free: To make the glaze dairy free just use a vegan butter and dairy free heavy cream.
- Line baking pan: Lining your cake pan with parchment paper makes it so easy for removing it from the pan!
- Nuts: Add a 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts to the batter with the apples.
- Sliced apples: Classic apple cakes are made with finely diced apples. If that is too chunky for you, try thinly slicing them with a mandoline.
- No peel: I love to use peeled apples, but if you don’t mind the texture, skip peeling your apples.
- Use another fruit: Pears are another great fall fruit that this cake would work with!
Optional Toppings
The caramel glaze gives this apple cake its signature caramel apple flavor, but you can absolutely serve it another way. For something simple, skip the glaze and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
- Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze or maple glaze.
- Frost the cooled cake with caramel cream cheese frosting or cinnamon buttercream for a richer dessert.
- Add a cinnamon sugar topping before baking for a sweet, lightly crisp finish.
- Serve warm slices with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze FAQs
Instead of an 8-inch square baking dish, you could use a 9×2 inch deep dish pie plate, 9×5 inch loaf pan or 2 8-inch pie plate. A smaller 8-cup bundt pan work.
If you double the ingredients you could try a 9×13 inch pan or tube pan. Baking time may vary if you use a different sized pan!
Your buttery caramel glaze may thicken as it sits. Just warm it up on the stove and it will thin as it gets warm then add drizzle of caramel sauce as directed.
While tart apples, like Granny Smith, are often used for baking you can use a mix of tart and sweet apples like honey crisp, pink lady or fuji if preferred!
After the cake has cooled, store at room temperature for up to 2 days or for longer storage place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days place.
It’s best to freeze this apple cake without the glaze. After step 5, cool completely, cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature and then add glaze.
More apple recipes to try include apple cider donut bundt cake, easy cinnamon apple muffins, easy apple dump cake and apple turnovers!
More Apple Recipes
Easy Apple Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8×8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Granny Smith apples , peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- dash of vanilla
For serving: Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Cake
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line in parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl mix 2/3 cup oil and 3/4 cup granulated and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Mix in 1 egg and 1 egg yolk at a time with a hand mixer. Then add 1 teaspoon vanilla and and mix until the batter is smooth. Slowly mix into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Fold in apples. Gently fold in 2 peeled and chopped apples. Pour the batter into the baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake. Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Glaze
- Caramel glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 2 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons cream to a boil. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon 1 minute, or until the sugars have melted down. Remove from heat and stir in dash of vanilla and then immediately pour evenly over the warm cake.
- Serve. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Olivia
This apple cake is such a warm and comforting dessert!! It’s so easy to make too and tastes incredible!
Kristyn
This cake leaves your house smelling so good!! It’s so moist, gooey, & delicious!!
Natasha
I made this cake and it’s wonderful! Love your recipes and this is one of the best that I’ve tried.