Caramel Apple Layer Cake

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This Caramel Apple Layer Cake is made with layers of spiced cake that’s loaded with apples, a thick caramel filling and creamy caramel buttercream. It’s insanely scrumptious and excellent for fall!

Why You’ll Love this Caramel Apple Layer Cake

• Tender apple cake. The layers of this caramel apple layer cake are so moist and tender! The batter is made with oil (and butter), brown sugar, bitter cream and applesauce which all contribute to that tender, moist texture. SO good!
• Filled with apples. I actually wished the apple taste to shine, so I used a lot of apple chunks. You’ll get a style of apple in each chew of cake. Pure heaven! Plus, these huge items of apple add much more moisture to the cake!
• Tons of caramel taste. Caramel is the proper complement to apples and this cake has the proper layer of caramel. It’s thick, filled with taste and stays in place while you lower the cake. I additionally added it to the buttercream to present it a lift of caramel taste as effectively.
• Good for fall. I really like this cake within the fall (though I believe I may eat it anytime of the 12 months!). It’s not overly candy and has a pleasant mix of heat fall spices. It might be good for Thanksgiving, different fall gatherings and birthdays.

What You’ll Want

You’ll want quite a few elements for this cake. Try my suggestions that can assist you choose what you want. Scroll right down to the recipe card beneath for actual measurements.

Caramel Sauce

• Unsalted butter – You may use salted butter, if you happen to’d like a bit salty taste.
• Darkish brown sugar – Utilizing darkish brown sugar will give the caramel a deeper taste.
• Sweetened condensed milk and Heavy whipping cream – The mixture of the 2 kinds the bottom of the caramel sauce. I performed with them a bit and located an equal quantity of every to be greatest. Utilizing all heavy cream resulted in a thinner filling and utilizing all sweetened condensed milk made it too agency and gave it a distinct taste.
• Corn syrup – The corn syrup helps maintain the caramel filling from changing into grainy, significantly because it comes again to room temperature after cooling.

Apple Cake

• Flour – You should definitely measure it appropriately to keep away from dry or dense cake. You’ll need common all-purpose flour.
• Leavening – For the perfect rise and texture, you’ll want each baking powder and baking soda.
• Spices – Use floor cinnamon and floor nutmeg for additional fall taste.
• Salt – With out a little salt, your cake will probably be bland.
• Unsalted butter – When baking, I typically choose to make use of unsalted butter in order that I can management the quantity of salt within the batter extra exactly. In the event you don’t have unsalted butter, you should utilize salted butter, however you’ll need to omit the extra salt within the recipe. Convey the butter to room temperature earlier than utilizing it within the batter.
• Vegetable oil- Utilizing some oil, along with butter, provides to the moisture of the cake.
• Mild brown sugar – For sweetness, taste and added moisture.
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – This recipe makes use of 5 massive eggs. It’s vital to ensure you are utilizing massive eggs and never medium or additional massive.
• Bitter cream – Helps maintain the muffins moist and thicken the cake batter, in order that your apples don’t sink to the underside.
• Unsweetened applesauce – Boosts the apple taste and provides moisture to the batter. I like to recommend utilizing unsweetened applesauce to chop out pointless added sugars.
• Tough chopped apples – I wished the apple chunks to be outstanding within the muffins, so I chopped them into bigger bite-size items. You’ll need to use a agency, tart baking apple. I used Granny Smith apples however different baking varieties will even work.

Caramel Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – Needs to be at room temperature in order that it mixes simply. Don’t use salted butter for the frosting or it’s going to change into too salty.
• Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar offers the buttercream quantity and impacts the consistency. I have a tendency to make use of a great bit as a result of I like a thicker buttercream that I do know will keep in place and pipes effectively. Be at liberty to cut back it, if you happen to aren’t involved about that. You may as well simply scale back the general quantity of buttercream, if you happen to have a tendency to simply add a skinny layer of frosting to your muffins.
• Caramel sauce – You’ll use a portion of your home made caramel sauce to taste the buttercream.

Learn how to Make Caramel Apple Layer Cake

Don’t miss these step-by-step photographs and instructions. Scroll right down to the recipe card beneath for the detailed printable directions.

Make the Caramel Sauce

• Add elements to the pan. Soften the butter in a big saucepan, then add the brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and corn syrup. Warmth over medium warmth till sugar is dissolved.
• Warmth to correct temperature. Prepare dinner the caramel over medium-high warmth it involves a full boil and reaches 215°F, about 4 minutes.
• Cool. Pour right into a bowl and refrigerate till utterly cooled.

Make the Apple Cake Batter

• Put together to bake. Put together three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles within the backside and grease the edges. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
• Mix dry elements. Mix the dry elements and put aside.
• Cream and add eggs. Add the butter, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract to a big mixer bowl and beat collectively till mild in colour and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, mixing till principally mixed after every.

• Alternate dry and moist elements. Add half of the dry elements to the batter and blend till principally mixed. Add the bitter cream and applesauce and blend till effectively mixed. Add the remaining dry elements and blend till effectively mixed and clean.
• Fold in apples. Gently fold the chopped apples into the batter till effectively dispersed.

• Fill cake pans, bake. Divide the batter evenly between the muffins pans and bake for 25-Half-hour, or till a toothpick comes out clear.
• Cool. Take away the muffins from the oven and permit to chill for about 2-3 minutes, then take away to cooling racks to chill utterly.

Make the Buttercream

• Beat butter. Beat softened butter till clean.
• Add the opposite elements. Add half of the powdered sugar and blend till effectively mixed and clean. Add ¾ cup of ready caramel sauce and blend till effectively mixed and clean. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and blend till effectively mixed and clean.
• Whip buttercream. Beat the buttercream on excessive velocity for 3-4 minutes with the paddle attachment to whip some air into it and add quantity.

Construct the Cake

• Degree muffins. Use a serrated knife to take away the domes from the highest of every cake in order that they’re utterly flat. You possibly can take a look at my tips about how you can degree a cake.
• Layer the muffins. Place the primary cake on a serving plate. Unfold 1/2 a cup of buttercream on high of the cake. Pipe a dam of buttercream across the outer fringe of the cake, on high of the layer of buttercream you simply added. Fill the dam with about 1/2 a cup of caramel sauce and unfold evenly. Repeat with the second layer of cake, one other layer of frosting, a dam and caramel sauce. High the cake with the remaining cake layer and frost the skin of the cake.
• Adorn with caramel. Drip the remaining caramel sauce across the sides of the cake, then fill within the heart.

• Pipe border. Use the remaining buttercream to pipe a border across the high fringe of the cake. I used Ateco tip 847. I additionally sprinkled my border with nutmeg.
• Serve. The cake might be loved instantly after adorning it, however ought to be saved within the fridge if you happen to’ve made it upfront. Give it time to sit down at room temperature earlier than serving.

Ideas for Success

• Use a sweet thermometer. The caramel sauce must be thick sufficient to remain in place within the cake, however comfortable sufficient to drizzle. So watch out to not underneath or over prepare dinner it. The easiest way to make sure it seems completely is to make use of a sweet thermometer.
• Measure flour appropriately. Including the fallacious quantity of flour can actually impact the feel of the cake. In the event you add an excessive amount of flour, your cake will probably be dry. I extremely advocate utilizing a meals scale and weighing your flour to keep away from this. In the event you don’t have a meals scale, use the spoon and degree methodology.
• Don’t skimp on creaming time. When beating collectively the butter, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract, accomplish that till the combination is mild in colour and fluffy. This could take 2-3 minutes.
• Don’t over combine. Over mixing the cake batter after you add the flour will trigger the glutens within the flour to overdevelop. This gives you a troublesome, dense cake.
• Cool earlier than frosting. It’s important that you just enable the muffins to chill utterly earlier than stacking, filling, and frosting. If they’re too heat, the frosting will soften proper off the cake.
• Use a cake lifter. It may be tough to maneuver skinny layers of cake if you find yourself assembling the layered cake. Typically they will can crack within the technique of putting them on the cake. For assist transferring the skinny cake layers round, I discover a cake lifter to be useful.

Storage Info

• Within the fridge: Retailer the cake within the fridge in an air-tight container or cake provider. In the event you don’t have a cake provider, wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic and use toothpicks to prop it up in order that the wrap doesn’t spoil the buttercream and caramel. This cake is greatest loved cool however not chilly. Let the complete cake sit on the counter for Half-hour to an hour earlier than diving in. It’s greatest if eaten inside 3-4 days.
• Learn how to freeze: You may as well freeze this layer cake. I usually advocate freezing simply the cake layers previous to frosting and adorning. Wrap them effectively in clear plastic wrap and aluminum foil previous to freezing. Thaw the cake layers within the fridge earlier than frosting and adorning. You may as well freeze the complete cake. In that case, pop the totally frosted cake within the freezer for a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. You may as well slice the cake and wrap the person slices in clear wrap or place slices in an air-tight container. Retailer the cake within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cake within the fridge in a single day, earlier than serving.

Extra Caramel Apple Dessert Recipes

This recipe was up to date 9/3/2024. For the outdated model of the recipe, obtain the recipe PDF.

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Recipe

Caramel Apple Layer Cake

• 
  Writer: Lindsay
• 
  Prep Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• 
  Prepare dinner Time: 25 minutes
• 
  Complete Time: 2 hours
• 
  Yield: 12-14 slices
• 
  Class: Dessert
• 
  Methodology: Oven
• 
  Delicacies: American

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Description

This Caramel Apple Layer Cake is made with layers of spiced cake that’s loaded with apples, a thick caramel filling and creamy caramel buttercream. It’s insanely scrumptious and excellent for fall!

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Elements

Caramel Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (336g) packed darkish brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (180ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn syrup

Apple Cake

• 2 1/2 cups (325g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp floor cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp floor nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups (336g) packed mild brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 massive eggs, room temperature
• 6 tbsp (86g) bitter cream
• 1/4 cup (62g) unsweetened applesauce
• 4 cups (427g) roughly chopped Granny Smith apples (I used 3 massive apples)

Caramel Buttercream

• 2 1/2 cups (560g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 1/2 cups (978g) powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup – 1 cup caramel sauce (above)

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Directions

Make the Caramel Sauce

1. Soften the butter in a big saucepan. Add the brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and corn syrup and warmth over medium warmth, stirring continuously, till sugar is dissolved.
2. Flip the warmth as much as medium-high and warmth, whisking continuously, till it involves a full boil and reaches 215°F, about 4 minutes. When it reaches a full boil, it’s often proper about at 215°F. I like to recommend a sweet thermometer, to make certain. Take away from warmth and proceed whisking till it stops boiling.
3. Pour right into a bowl and refrigerate till no less than room temperature, or till utterly cooled.

Make the Cake Layers

1. Put together three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles within the backside and grease the edges. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium sized bowl and put aside.
3. Add the butter, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract to a big mixer bowl and beat collectively till mild in colour and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t skimp on the creaming time.
4. Add the eggs one by one, mixing till principally mixed after every. Scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted to make certain all elements are effectively included.
5. Add half of the dry elements to the batter and blend till principally mixed.
6. Add the bitter cream and applesauce and blend till effectively mixed.
7. Add the remaining dry elements and blend till effectively mixed and clean. Scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted to make certain all elements are effectively included. Don’t over combine the batter.
8. Gently fold the chopped apples into the batter till effectively dispersed.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the muffins pans and bake for 25-Half-hour, or till a toothpick comes out clear.
10. Take away the muffins from the oven and permit to chill for about 2-3 minutes, then take away to cooling racks to chill utterly.

Make the Buttercream

1. To make the buttercream, beat the butter till clean.
2. Add half of the powdered sugar and blend till effectively mixed and clean.
3. Add ¾ cup of the caramel sauce and blend till effectively mixed and clean.
4. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and blend till effectively mixed and clean. Add further caramel sauce, as wanted, to get the suitable consistency of frosting.
5. Beat the buttercream on excessive velocity for 3-4 minutes with the paddle attachment to whip some air into it and add quantity.

Construct the Cake

1. To place the cake collectively, use a big serrated knife to take away the domes from the highest of the muffins in order that they’re flat. These muffins don’t actually have a lot of a dome, however I like to ensure they’re utterly flat.
2. Place the primary cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake spherical.
3. Unfold about 1/2 a cup of buttercream evenly on high of the cake.
4. Pipe a dam of buttercream across the outer fringe of the cake, on high of the layer of buttercream you simply added. Fill the dam with about 1/2 a cup of caramel sauce and unfold evenly. After filling the dam, degree off any extra. You need the highest of the dam to be even with the caramel sauce.
5. Add the second layer of cake and one other layer of frosting, a dam and caramel sauce.
6. High the cake with the remaining layer and frost the skin of the cake. Discuss with my tutorial for frosting a clean cake, if wanted.
7. Use the remaining caramel sauce so as to add a drip to the edges of the cake and fill within the heart, if desired. It’s possible you’ll have to heat the sauce up only a bit, however don’t overheat it or it may well separate. I used a spoon to drizzle it across the edges.
8. Use the remaining buttercream to pipe a border across the high fringe of the cake. I used Ateco tip 847.
9. Retailer cake in an air-tight container or cake provider within the fridge. Serve cool, however probably not chilly. Cake is greatest if eaten inside 3-4 days.

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Notes

The caramel sauce recipe about 2 1/4 cups of caramel sauce.

Vitamin

• Serving Measurement: 1 Slice
• Energy: 1253
• Sugar: 127.2 g
• Sodium: 220.5 mg
• Fats: 73.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 148.2 g
• Protein: 7.2 g
• Ldl cholesterol: 237.9 mg