Caramel Apple Cake

Soft and fluffy, easy caramel apple cake studded with caramelized apples is the perfect autumn treat served with dulce de leche whipped cream.

Ingredients needed

• Flour. I used cake flour but all purpose flour can also be used.
• Sugar. I used white/granulated sugar but soft light brown sugar can be substituted.
• Eggs. 
• Oil. A neutral oil like canola, sunflower or avocado is best.
• Baking powder. 
• Baking soda. 
• Yogurt. Use any plain yogurt, I prefer using Greek yogurt.
• Milk. I used whole milk but any milk can be used.
• Salt. 
• Apples. I used Granny Smith apples as I love their tartness but any kind of apples will work. Honeycrisp, Gala and Fuji are also good options.
• Butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter works perfectly too.
• Cinnamon. Other spices like nutmeg, cloves and all spice are also delicious with apples.
• Cream. 
• Dulce de leche/Caramelized condensed milk.
• Serving suggestions: This cake is a delicious dessert served with the caramel whipped cream but it’s also fantastic served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

How to make caramel apple cake

1. Make the caramelized apples: Peel and chop the apples into 1cm cubes. Melt the butter in a large pan set over medium heat then add the apples. Cook until the apples start to turn golden brown then sprinkle in the sugar and cinnamon. Cook until the apples are cooked through and caramelized. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Make the batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, oil and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and mix until just combined. (You can make the batter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment as well.) Fold in the caramelized apples and any of the caramel in the pan.
3. Bake: Transfer the batter to a greased and line cake pan (I used a 20cm/7.8in square cake pan) and smooth the top. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before turning out.
4. Make the whipped cream and serve: Whip the cream with the dulce de leche until soft peaks form. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of the whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce (optional).

Can I make this ahead?

This caramel apple cake recipe can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. The whipped cream will also last 2-3 if kept covered in the fridge. You might just need to rewhip it slightly before serving but the dulce de leche acts as a stabilizer so it won’t collapse completely.

Apple recipes

1. Easy cinnamon apple hand pies
2. Apple tarte tatin
3. Apple fritters with masala sugar