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Perfect Salted Caramel Apple Dapple Cake Recipe

Salted Caramel Apple Dapple Cake - featured image
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This incredibly moist apple cake features a buttery, spiced crumb and a luscious salted caramel sauce that bakes right into the batter, creating a gooey, irresistible dessert. It’s the perfect fall treat that solves the problem of dry apple cakes once and for all.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (about 3 medium) peeled, cored, and finely chopped apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)
  • 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar (for caramel)
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (for caramel)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream (for caramel)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for caramel)
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon), plus more for finishing (for caramel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the paper and the exposed sides of the pan with butter or non-stick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Gently fold in half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just a few streaks of flour remain. Pour in all of the buttermilk and fold again until combined. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and fold until the batter is smooth and no dry patches remain. Do not overmix.
  5. Gently fold the chopped apples into the batter until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
  6. Make the salted caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the dark brown sugar and butter. Stir constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring (it will bubble up). Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  7. Pour the warm caramel sauce evenly over the top of the cake batter. Do not stir it in. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
  8. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. After 30 minutes, use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Sprinkle with a little extra flaky sea salt before serving.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature ingredients. The cake gets better on day two as the caramel continues to soak in. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds for a just-baked experience.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cake, salted caramel, fall dessert, apple dapple cake, moist apple cake, caramel apple cake

Find it online: https://livelybite.com/perfect-salted-caramel-apple-dapple-cake-recipe/