If you love caramel apples, then you’ll fall in love with this Apple Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting. Even if you’re not crazy about apples, this cake is too dreamy to pass up on!
My family and I went apple picking last weekend at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm. We absolutely loved it! And like always, had a bunch left over. Which is really the whole point. Cause I made apple butter, apple pie and a bunch of other delicious apple desserts. But, this Apple Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting takes the cake. Pun intended. It’s incredibly moist with cinnamon apple bits all throughout. And the FROSTING is the the dreamiest. SO SO GOOD!
Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt the butter on low heat. Once melted, add in in the brown sugar and warm heavy cream. Continuously stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and slightly thicken. Do not stir at this point. Remove from heat and to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Using a paddle attachment add in the cream cheese, vanilla, & powdered sugar. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
I can’t express enough how delicious this frosting is. There’s warm notes of caramel and a slight tanginess from the cream cheese. It’s the BEST.
The cake is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and so are the apples. I like to dice the apples very small so there’s plenty in every bite! This makes for the most moist texture. You have to make this! It’s the perfect time of year to bake with all the apples. This recipe also works great with any leftover apples that are on there last leg. I know you have some.
Apple Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan
Ingredients
Apple Sheet Cake
- 1 stick softened butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon divided
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3-4 apples (a variety) cored & peeled. & finely diced
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp cream warm
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Apple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, sugars and vanilla together until smooth. 3-5 minutes. Don’t skip this part. Add in the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down. Add in the buttermilk & flour mixture alternately, incorporating well with each addition.
- Add the remaining tsp of cinnamon to the diced apples and mix. Fold the apples into the batter using a spatula. Pour into a prepared pan 8 inch square pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the center is set. Allow the cake to cool before frosting. Slice and enjoy!
Frosting
- Melt the butter on low heat. Once melted, add in in the brown sugar and warm heavy cream. Continuously stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and slightly thicken. Do not stir at this point. Remove from heat and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Once it has slightly cooled, after a few minutes, add in the vanilla, cream cheese, powdered sugar & salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
