This caramel apple cake captures everything I love about fall: a tender, spice-scented cake studded with apples, a nutty browned-butter frosting and a ribbon of rich caramel. It’s an easy snack cake that’s ideal for sharing or keeping all to yourself.
Growing up in rural Oregon, fall meant ripe apples, plums and apricots — and the baking that followed. From crisps to simple snack cakes, the season always brought cozy treats. Of all my apple bakes, this caramel apple cake might be my favorite.
What sets it apart:
- Moist spice cake flecked with apple
- Deep, nutty browned butter frosting
- A generous swirl of caramel
Ingredients
Below are tips and the reasoning behind a few key ingredients. The complete ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Apple cake
- Milk: Whole milk works well, but 2% (or even 1%) is fine. Avoid skim for best texture.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture, a subtle tang and helps create a tender crumb.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both are used so the batter rises nicely while preserving some of the sour cream’s tang.
- Brown sugar: Contributes moisture and caramel-like depth that complements the caramel topping.
- Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg: Classic fall spices that give the cake warm flavor.
- Oil: Keeps the cake moist and yields an even, lasting crumb; I prefer it to butter in this recipe.
- Apple: Choose a firm, slightly sweet apple such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn so the slices hold up during baking.
Frosting
- Butter: Use a good-quality unsalted butter and brown it carefully for a deep, nutty flavor. Cool before making the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Gives sweetness and a smooth, silky frosting texture.
- Milk: A few tablespoons thin the frosting to the right spreadable consistency; avoid skim milk.
Working ahead
The cake: Bake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2–3 days or freeze up to three months. Thaw overnight or frost from frozen.
Browned butter: Make ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1–2 weeks.
Frosting: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze for up to three months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
Prefer to watch the process?
How to make this caramel apple cake
First, prepare the apple.
Peel, quarter and thinly slice the apple to about ¼” thickness. Slight browning is fine since the apple will bake.
Second, make the batter.
Beat the eggs with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients separately and add them to the egg mixture in two additions, alternating with the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into an 8″x8″ pan, arrange the apple slices on top, and bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes.
Third, make the frosting.
Melt the butter in a light-colored pan over medium-low heat and cook until it develops brown flecks and a nutty aroma. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Beat the cooled browned butter with powdered sugar until smooth, adding 2–3 tablespoons of milk if needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
Finally, assemble the cake.
Cool the cake completely, remove it from the pan, and spread the browned butter frosting into an even layer. Drizzle with caramel sauce and use a spatula or spoon to create a pretty swirl.
Expert tips
- Testing for doneness: Pull the cake when a toothpick comes out with no raw batter and a few cooked crumbs attached — this prevents overbaking.
- Doneness of browned butter: Browned butter is ready when it has brown flecks and smells nutty.
- Salvaging overcooked browned butter: If it gets too dark, strain to remove burnt bits and preserve the flavor.
More cake sizes
Want a different size? Try these adjustments:
- 9″ round pan: Bake in a 9″ round (a springform makes removal easier); bake 40–45 minutes — no need to scale the recipe.
- Sheet cake: Double the recipe and bake in a 9″x13″ pan at 350°F, adding 5–15 minutes to the bake time as needed.
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2–3 days for best texture and flavor.
More fall cakes
Here are a few more seasonal favorites to try alongside this cake:
- Sweet Potato Cake
- Krydderkake (Norwegian Spice Cake)
- Easy Pumpkin Baked Alaska
- Pecan Upside Down Cake
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and share how it went in the comments — reader feedback helps improve these posts.
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Recipe
Caramel Apple Snack Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
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5 from 1 review
This caramel apple cake is a moist spice cake dotted with apples, topped with nutty browned butter frosting and finished with a swirl of caramel — a perfect fall dessert.
- Author: Claire Coffey
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the cake:
- 1 medium apple, peeled and sliced
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
For the frosting:
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice one apple.
- In a bowl, whip the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar on high until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.
- Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the egg mixture, whisking until just combined with each addition.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 8″x8″ square pan.
- Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter.
- Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until done as described in the tips.
- In a small pan, cook the butter over low–medium heat until it browns and smells nutty.
- Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
- Add powdered sugar to the cooled butter and beat on high until smooth.
- If the frosting is too thick, add 2–3 tablespoons of milk to thin it.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake in an even layer.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the frosting and swirl to decorate.
Notes
- Testing for doneness: Pull the cake when a toothpick shows no raw batter and a few cooked crumbs remain — this helps avoid dryness.
- Doneness of browned butter: Brown flecks and a nutty aroma indicate the butter is properly browned.
- Salvaging overcooked browned butter: Strain out any burnt bits to rescue the flavor if needed.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 2–3 days.
- Scaling up: Double the recipe for a 9″x13″ pan and increase bake time by 5–15 minutes as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 317
- Sugar: 19.7g
- Sodium: 174mg
- Fat: 18.8g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 35.6g
- Fiber: 0.6g
- Protein: 2.9g
- Cholesterol: 50mg