Caramel apple cake is perfectly spiced, moist and topped with a salted caramel frosting. With gluten-free option.
This caramel apple cake is about as easy as it gets. In my last post, I shared a recipe for mini pumpkin cheesecakes and talked about how I like to keep things simple, especially for Thanksgiving.
Layer cakes are beautiful, sure, but a layer cake is probably the last thing I want to make for Thanksgiving. I don’t know about you, but I can easily waste half an hour fussing with the frosting trying to make it look just perfect. And it never does! So today we’re bypassing all that with a good old 9×13 apple cake with caramel frosting.
This recipe calls for more oil and sugar than I’d usually use but it yields such an incredibly moist and delicious cake that I really don’t care about its nutritional value. ;)
You can either use all-purpose flour or a blend of gluten-free flours listed in the recipe for a gluten-free alternative. I’ve made both versions and none of my taste testers could tell a difference between the two!
For the frosting, I used the simple caramel frosting I first posted in my caramel apple cheesecake bars. I poured on the slightly warm caramel frosting just before serving, which resulted in the droopy appearance of the frosting. If you frost the entire cake and then cut into pieces, yours won’t look like that. The frosting hardens a bit in the refrigerator but once it comes to room temperature, it softens up again.
If you use the full 1/2 teaspoon salt, the frosting has this amazing salted caramel thing going on. If you don’t like your sweets salty, stick to 1/4 teaspoon salt. And if you’d rather top your cake off with caramel sauce, Jamie’s salted caramel sauce would be perfect, especially alongside some vanilla ice cream.
I hope you all have a happy and delicious Thanksgiving!
For more delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts, check out my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Streusel Bars and Gluten-Free Mini Caramel Pecan Tarts.
Caramel Apple Cake
Caramel apple cake is perfectly spiced, moist and topped with a salted caramel frosting. With gluten-free option.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend*
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup canola oil (or another mild tasting vegetable oil)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/3 cups peeled and diced apples (from about 3 1/2 medium apples)
* For the gluten-free flour blend:
- 1 cup (140 grams) rice flour
- 1/3 cup (51 grams) potato flour
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (20 grams) tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
For the caramel frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with a piece of parchment paper or alternatively spray the pan with baking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix just until well combined.
- Place the apples in a small bowl and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon over the apples. Stir to coat the apples in the cinnamon sugar. Fold the apples into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 33-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the frosting.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the brown sugar and whipping cream. Once the mixture starts bubbling, stop stirring.
- Let the mixture come to a full boil and boil for 1 minute without stirring. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Whisk until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated and no lumps of sugar remain.
- Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, if desired.
- Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting over the top and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 4 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Frances Murphy
Saturday 21st of November 2020
This is wonderful cake! My question is can it be frozen either before or after icing is put on it?
Jamie
Tuesday 24th of November 2020
I would freeze and then frost before serving. :)
Iris
Friday 18th of September 2020
This is amazing - incredibly moist and not too sweet. I made it with only a half cup of granulated sugar and a scant cup of brown sugar. I used 2 green apples and one reddish one (not sure their exact names; people started giving us too many apples). Instead of the frosting, I added in butterscotch chips. Everything else was the same. Next time, I’ll try using 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup applesauce. Thank you for the recipe!
Jamie
Monday 28th of September 2020
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake, Iris! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Kristi
Monday 25th of November 2019
This cake is amazing! I made it with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour. My husband has requested it again for Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jamie
Sunday 1st of December 2019
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake, Kristi! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Glenda
Wednesday 2nd of October 2019
Yummy, yummy cake. I substituted coconut oil for the oil and loved the result. I used a 9x13 pan and my cake didnt seemed to rise very much. It wasnt dense. Is that typical? My whole family devoured it.
Jamie
Sunday 6th of October 2019
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake, Glenda! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Ann E
Thursday 8th of November 2018
Hi Erin! I was wondering if you have frozen this cake unfrosted. Thank you for the time you have put into your delicious recipes.