Caramel Apple Spice Cake

5 from 2 votes

This caramel apple spice cake is a 3 layered moist spice cake. It is filled with apple pie filling and caramel. It is topped with caramel buttercream, caramel drip, and caramel apples with pecans.

Prep Time1

Cook Time25

Total Time1 25

Servings: people

Calories: 968kcal

Author: Stephanie Rutherford

Ingredients

Spice Cake

3 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups Brown sugar packed light or dark
½ cup White granulated sugar
1 cup Oil canola or vegetable
½ cup Unsalted butter melted
4 Large eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon Pure vanilla extract
¾ cup Buttermilk room temperature

Salted Caramel

2 cups White granulated sugar
10 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature and cubed
1 cup Heavy whipping cream room temperature
2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Apple Pie Filling

6 Granny smith apples large peeled and cut into cubes
5 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 ⅓ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
3 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon Salt

Salted Caramel Buttercream

2 cups Unsalted butter slightly cold
6 cups Powdered sugar sifted
½ cup Salted caramel
3 Granny smith apples lunchbox size
Chopped pecans for decoration
⅛ cup Powdered sugar sifted for the caramel drip

Instructions

Spice Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8 inch cake pans with baking non-stick spray. Line the bottom with 8 inch parchment circles. Spray the pan again.
Using a mixer, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg. Add in brown sugar and white sugar. Mix for 10 seconds. Add in oil and melted butter. Mix for 30 seconds until combined.
Add in eggs one at time. Mix on low until just combined. Scrape the bowl. Mix together vanilla and buttermilk. Add half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl. Add the rest of the buttermilk and mix. Scrape the bowl and mix again for 10-20 seconds.
Pour the batter evenly, using a scale, between the three cake pans. Bake for 16-20 minutes. The cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean
Let the cake sit in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cakes to a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely. Wrap cakes in cling wrap and freeze cakes if making cake ahead of time.

Salted Caramel

Heat sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until all sugar crystals are melted. Use a whisk to continuously mix, the sugar will clump up at first, but keep mixing.
Once sugar is completely melted, let it sit until it turns amber in color. This should take less than 30 seconds, so don't walk away from the stove. Remove from heat immediately.
Whisk in half of cubed butter until all melted. Then, add in the rest of the butter. It will bubble up a lot. Next, add in half of the heavy cream and whisk until mixed in. Add in the rest of the heavy cream and mix. Add in the vanilla and salt.
Pour caramel into a glass container, I use a glass measuring cup. Let the caramel cool completely before using. If not using right away, place cling wrap over the top, once it is cooled.

Apple Pie Filling

Wash, peel, and cut apple apple into thin slices. Then, cut it into cubes. Put in a large bowl and set aside. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until apples are completely covered.
In a large skillet with high sides, over medium heat, brown the butter. Let the butter melt, then it will start to bubble. Next, it will start to be foamy. At this point keep stirring. Once the milk deposits separate, the butter will start to brown.
Once butter is browned, immediately throw in the apples. Fold the butter onto the apples. All of the apple should be wet from the butter. Let it cook on medium for 5 minutes. Take off heat and allow the apples to cool completely before using. Don't use hot apples in the cake.

Caramel Buttercream

Pull cakes out of the freezer and let sit for 1 hour before using.
Let butter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. It should be cold to the touch but still be able to leave a finger indent in it. While the butter is sitting, sift the powdered sugar.
Using a mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes on medium-high. The butter should be light and fluffy with no butter chunks. Slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar until all added. Scrape the bowl and mix for 20 seconds.
Add in the salted caramel. Turn mixer to high and allow to beat for 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beat again on high for 1 minute.
Allow buttercream to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes for the butter to solidify again. Next, take a wooden spoon to beat the air bubbles out of the buttercream. It should be silky smooth. While decorating, if you see more air bubbles, just beat again until it is smooth.

Assembly

Use a 10 inch cake board and an 8 inch cake board. Tape the 8 inch to the 10 inch. Place a small amount of frosting on the 8 inch board to act as the glue.
Place first layer bottom side down. Spread a small amount of frosting over the cake. Use a 1M Wilton tip and pipe a 2 layer border around the edge of the cake. This will keep the filling from spilling out. Pour about a cup of the apple pie filling on top. Make sure to strain the juices out. It should be packed with the filling. Drizzle caramel on top of the apples.
Repeat step 2
Place third layer bottom side up. Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake. This will be the crumb coat layer. Freeze for 15 minutes. Frost the rest of the cake. Then, freeze for 10 minutes. At this point take off the 10 inch cake board.
Dip the apples in the caramel. Coat them in the chopped pecans *optional. Place in the freezer while you decorate. Pour ⅛ cup of the sifted powdered sugar into the caramel. Whisk until smooth.
Pour caramel over the top of the cake. Use an off-set icing spatula and gently push the caramel over the sides of the cake to create the drip look. Place the caramel apples on top of the cake and top with more chopped pecans. Keep cake in fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Cake:

Flour- Make sure flour is spooned and leveled or use a scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cake.

High altitude baking- Add an extra 3 ½ tablespoon of flour

Eggs and buttermilk- Pull these out at least 2 hours before baking so they are room temperature.

Buttermilk substitute- Use ¾ cup cow milk and ¾ tablespoon lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.

Caramel:

Butter and heavy cream- These should be room temperature before using otherwise the caramel will seize up.

Nutrition