Caramel Apple Cake {With Homemade Caramel Sauce} - WellPlated.com (2024)

This Caramel Apple Cake is moist, tender, bursting with apple flavor, and made special thanks to a generous drizzle of homemade caramel sauce that’s baked right in.

Last week, I was debating which dessert to make for dinner at a friend’s, and though I’m smitten with this recipe for Fresh Apple Cake, it just didn’t feel right.

I craved something more decadent (like Flourless Chocolate Torte) but not so rich that guests couldn’t finish their entire piece.

My dream dinner party dessert would:

• Feel special and different, yet comforting and homey.
• Could be served warm with vanilla ice cream (because aren’t all of the best desserts served warm with vanilla ice cream?)
• And (most importantly), I wanted it to taste like fall.

This gooey caramel apple cake checks all the boxes!

Why I Love This Easy Apple Cake

This caramel apple cake is unbelievably soft and tender, outrageously gooey (like these Caramel Apple Bars), and every bite is spiced with sweet memories of apple picking, leaf jumping, and biting into sticky caramel apples. It’s truly the very best of fall, baked into a single pan.

The Ingredients

• Caramel Sauce. What makes this gooey caramel apple cake, well, gooey, is a generous pour of my homemade Apple Cider Caramel Sauce directly over the top of the batter before the cake bakes. The caramel flavor seeps into every forkful, and it makes the resulting texture of the cake a cross between a super moist sponge cake and a classic gooey butter cake. Heaven!

• Whole Wheat Flour. Made with whole wheat flour (like this Apple Bread), this cake is far from being dry and dense as you might expect. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
• Apples. I like to use a combo of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp to achieve a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
• Spices. A blend of cinnamon and nutmeg makes this caramel apple cake taste just like fall.
• Brown Sugar. Lightly sweetens the cake, while allowing the caramel to truly shine.
• Egg. Makes the cake rich, tender, and moist.
• Oil. Choose your favorite mild, neutral oil for this moist cake—canola, avocado, or coconut oil are all excellent options.
• Butter. Adds richness, flavor and amplifies the gooey factor.
• Pecans. To add a little texture, I folded toasted chopped pecans into the batter, then arranged a few whole pecans over the top. I love the way their toasty crunch contrasts with the smooth caramel andmoist cake. (If you love pecans try this Pecan Pie Cobbler.)

The Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter, coconut oil, egg, and milk until light and creamy. Fold in the apples and chopped pecans, then add the dry ingredients.
4. Transfer to the prepared baking pan, drizzle with caramel, and sprinkle with whole pecans.
5. Bake until golden at the edges and the sides begin to pull away from the pan.
6. Remove, let cool, then cut into squares. To serve, drizzle with additional caramel and top with vanilla ice cream, if desired. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Caramel apple cake may be stored at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. If refrigerated, let the cake come up to room temperature before serving. You may also microwave individual slices for 15-30 seconds to serve warm.

Recommended Tools

• Baking Pan. Ideal for making this cake.
• Corer. While not essential, it comes in handy if you want to speed up the process.

More Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes

• Apple Carrot Muffins
• Applesauce Muffins
• Hasselback Apples
• Vegan Apple Crisp