This salted caramel apple cake with fluffy buttercream is stacked with three spiced layers of fall vibes. Topped with juicy apples and crunchy pecans, it’s perfect for gatherings once the leaves start falling.
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Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Cake
This tender caramel apple cake with hints of vanilla will be at the top of your fall baking list this year.
- Perfect for fall: Nothing screams “fall” quite like sweet apples, warm spices, and salted caramel.
- Beginner-friendly: You can decorate this cake as simple or as fancy as you want.
- Great for prepping ahead: Beat the holiday cooking craze by baking the cake layers in advance so all you have to do later is stack them and decorate.
- Versatile: Switch to cream cheese frosting, make cupcakes, or cover the cake with orange and yellow sprinkles.
What You’ll Need
Applesauce and apple pie spice bring all the fruity, smokey, and earthy fall vibes this cake needs. Scroll to the caramel apple cake recipe card at the bottom of the post for a printable list.
For the Cake
- All-purpose flour: Avoid whole-wheat flour for this because it’ll make a very dense cake.
- Apple Pie Spice: Give my recipe a go or use your own blend.
- Baking soda: Sieve or break up any clumps with your fingers because sometimes they don’t dissolve in the batter.
- Salt: I prefer kosher salt. Avoid coarse sea salt for this.
- Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter. It must be room-temperature.
- Granulated sugar: Feel free to use light brown sugar.
- Eggs: They must be at room temperature so they mix into the batter seamlessly.
- Vanilla extract: Go for pure (brown) or clear extract.
- Sour cream: Unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt is a great swap.
- Applesauce: Sugar-free kinds are best. You can also make your own by blending 1 large, peeled apple with 1/4 cup water until smooth.
- Whole milk: 2% milk works too. Don’t use plant-based milk because it won’t add any richness or fat.
- Apples: Royal Gala, Fuji, Honey Gold, and Granny Smith are best for baking.
For the Caramel Frosting
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter.
- Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar is okay as well, but the frosting will be darker in color.
- Heavy cream: Half-and-half is a good swap.
- Vanilla extract: You can add 1/4 teaspoon caramel extract instead.
- Salt: Go for kosher salt so that the frosting isn’t grainy.
- Powdered sugar: This is also called “confectioners’ sugar”.
Optional Toppings
- Salted Caramel Sauce: Try my recipe or add your favorite!
- Pecans: Walnuts can be used too.
- Caramel Apples: Use whole or sliced ones.
Baker’s Tips & Variations
- Prep ahead: Bake and freeze the cake layers in advance. Thaw them whenever you’re ready to decorate and serve for an extra quick dessert.
- Watch the butter: If you want to know if the butter’s been whipped enough, look at its color. It should’ve gone from bright yellow to a pale, almost white shade. This applies for the buttercream and batter.
- Pick the right pans: Avoid making cakes in baking dishes or pans made of glass. They take way longer to heat up, meaning your cake will likely still be raw in the center when the timer goes off. Goods baked in glass pans also tend to have burnt bottoms. For best results, stick to non-stick cake pans.
- Swap the frosting: Use cream cheese, vanilla, or my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to decorate this cake for an easy variation of this caramel apple cake.
- Use the microwave: If you live in a very cold area, “room-temperature” butter might still be rock-hard. You need to microwave it in a bowl in 5-second increments until softened. You should be able to easily press your index finger into it but without it being completely melted.
- Make cupcakes: Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Pour batter into them until 3/4s full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and frost them once fully cooled. Place the toppings in serving bowls and let everyone decorate their own cupcake.
Decorating Ideas
Before you get started on any decorations, make sure to spread 1-2 cups frosting in between each cake layer and press down gently.
- Make it a naked cake: The top layer should be generously frosted. Also spread a thin layer of frosting all around the sides, almost like a crumb coat. Arrange the caramel apples on top and sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle with caramel sauce right before serving.
- Add sprinkles: Spread 4-5 cups frosting all over the cake until completely coated. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Gently press fall-themed sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles along the sides (but not the top) of the cake. Press pecans into the top layer of the caramel apple cake.
- Make it a drip cake: Pour 3/4-1 cup salted caramel sauce or Chocolate Sauce over the frosted cake. Use an offset spatula or knife to gently spread it all the way to the edges and let it drip off. Add the caramel apples and pecans on top.
- Add swirls: Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a 2D Wilton piping tip, or any large piping tip for rosettes and swirls. In a gentle circular motion, pipe small swirls all along the top edge of the cake to create a sort of frame. Place caramel apple wedges in between the swirls.
Proper Storage
Keep it away from direct heat and sunlight to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Counter: Place it in a cake dome for up to 2 days. This isn’t recommended for high-humidity areas.
- Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Set it on the counter for 10 minutes before digging in again so it comes down to room temperature.
- Freezer: Wrap it, whole or sliced, in plastic wrap twice. Transfer it to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 30 minutes.
More Fall Desserts To Try
Yield: 12 slices
Caramel Apple Cake
This fall-flavored caramel apple cake recipe with silky buttercream, caramel apples, and crunchy pecans is a dreamy autumn dessert.
Ingredients
Apple Spice Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, or 1 1/2 sticks
- 2 ⅛ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 oz applesauce
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup apples, peeled and shredded
Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, or 2 sticks
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
Optional Toppings
- salted caramel sauce
- chopped pecans
- caramel apples
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Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 300°F (135°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, sour cream and applesauce.
- Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Fold in the shredded apples.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add salt.
- Allow to bubble for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat immediately, stir in vanilla extract and allow to cool completely.
- Transfer the brown sugar mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low, add 3 cups powdered sugar, beat until well combined.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup more powdered sugar at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If your frosting gets too thick, you can add an additonal tablespoon or two of heavy cream, if needed.
- Turn the mixer speed up to medium and continue mixing until creamy and combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Frost cake and decorate as desired.
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Counter: Place it in a cake dome for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Transfer it to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 843kcal, Carbohydrates: 131g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 278mg, Potassium: 169mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 105g, Vitamin A: 1130IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 2mg
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I made this cake, without the apples on top, and it was SO good. I used 6-inch cake pans so I could make two cakes instead of one. Gave one to my friends at work and they all loved it!
This recipe is dreadfully disappointing! The cake had to cook for an hour and a half and the temps on my oven are accurate, and I followed the instructions exactly as stated. I was hoping that they would at least be full of flavor and everything I’d hoped for in an apple cake, but they are not. The texture is like a dense banana bread loaf and there is not even a hint of apple flavor detectable. There’s really no flavor – just sweetness. Moving on to the frosting – hoping it would salvage the disappointing cake. Unfortunately, the frosting is incredibly grainy and cannot be used because the texture is so off putting. It’s like a spoonful of wet sugar in your mouth. What a waste of my time, energy, and money. I don’t think I will ever trust thenovicechefblog again.
How do you support those apples on the cake? Do you use a base/stand, if so which one ( type/brand )?
The apples were just placed on top of the cake!
Recipes are super and easy
If I don’t have applesauce what can I use as a substitute?
I was wanting to make this recipe into cupcake. Is the recipe versatile enough to do this? I know some cakes are moist enough that after made into cupcakes they are hard to get out of the paper cups? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Hi Theresa! Yes, I would say the cake would work great as cupcakes. I haven’t tried it, but it’s good texture for cupcakes as well. Let me know if you try them!
Wow, such a gorgeous cake! Perfect Fall recipe!
I have been wanting to make all of your dream cakes for a while now! They look amazing! Definitely going to make this one or the pumpkin one this season. Did you use sweetened or unsweetened apple sauce in your cake?
I used unsweetened, but either are fine. Just use what you have on hand. 😉