Description
This Caramel Apple Cake is a moist and tender vanilla brown sugar cake packed with tart cinnamon-spiced apples and topped with a delicious salted caramel drizzle. Perfect for Fall, it combines the sweet and tangy flavors of fresh apples with warm cinnamon and buttery caramel in an easy-to-make 8×8-inch pan cake that serves 9.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (for apples)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (for topping)
- 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar (for topping)
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (145g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup (160ml) full fat plain yogurt
Fruit
- 3 cups (300g) chopped tart apples (about 3 medium, cored and peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes)
Other
- About 2 tablespoons caramel sauce (for drizzling over apples and at the end)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side to easily lift out the cake later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to blend evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing until the mixture is creamy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Yogurt: Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the full fat yogurt, then add the remaining flour mixture. Fold gently until just combined, leaving a few streaks of flour.
- Prepare Apples: Toss 3 cups of chopped tart apples with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Add 2 cups of these cinnamon-spiced apples into the batter and fold them in gently.
- Assemble Cake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of cinnamon-spiced apples over the top. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce evenly over the apples.
- Add Topping: Combine 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture over the top of the cake for a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour. Before serving, drizzle additional caramel sauce over the top for extra sweetness and visual appeal.
Notes
- This cake is super soft, moist, and bursting with the flavors of vanilla brown sugar and tart cinnamon apples complemented by a salted caramel drizzle.
- Using tart apples adds a delicious tangy contrast that balances the sweetness of the caramel.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter after adding flour to keep the cake tender.
- Allowing the cake to cool completely before drizzling caramel helps maintain the texture and prevents caramel from melting too much.
- Perfect for Fall gatherings or cozy dessert nights.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/9th of cake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
