Caramel Apple Cake

This ain’t your average caramel apple cake boos. This baby is legit the one you’ve been waiting for. This caramel apple pound cake starts with a rich, buttery sour cream pound cake batter that’s studded with spiced apple pieces that’s baked to perfection. Then we top it with more tender sweet apples and a buttery crisp crumble before drizzle on a decadent caramel icing. This caramel apple cake recipe is just pure heaven.

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A slice of caramel apple cake on a white plate in front of a whole cake behind on white background

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This is for all my huge apple fans. Whenever I serve this baby, it is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. I love to make it as soon as the weather turns crisp bringing in that fall air.

The Lowdown of This Caramel Apple Cake

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern American

Primary Cooking Method: Baking

Dietary Info: Sweet, Sticky and Indulgent; Can be made gluten-free with some ingredient swaps

Key Flavor: Sweet and spiced apple with buttery caramel bliss

Skill Level: Intermediate

You get all the rich, tender, melt-in-your-mouth notes in a pound cake package with spiced apple pieces tucked inside and on top with a buttery caramel topping that blow you away.

If you are a fan of caramel apples during the fall, this will give you all the cozy vibes in a delish irresistible cake recipe. And here’s the best part. If you wanna make this cake outside of Autumn, you can because apples are available year-round!

While there are quite a few steps involved in this recipe, it ain’t hard y’all. We use simple ingredients, nothing super fancy, to make this bomb cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Caramel Apple Pound Cake

  • Apples: We use Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for that perfect balance of sweet and tart.
  • Sugars: This recipe uses granulated in the cake batter and light brown sugar for the apple filling and streusel and caramel glaze giving that rich molasses flavor.
  • Apple Pie Spice: This warm blend gives us all the cozy fall notes throughout the caramel apple pound cake.
  • Cornstarch: This helps thicken up our apple filling so it has the perfect consistency.
  • Butter: Now y’all know butter makes everything better with its richness and undeniable flavor. No caramel apple bundt cake is complete without it.
  • Flours: All-purpose is perfect for the crisp streusel. I use cake flour for the cake batter so it turns out super tender and velvety.
  • Eggs: These add richness and structure setting up our cake foundation.
  • Salt: This enhances and balances the sweetness.
  • Baking Soda: Just a little helps the cake rise just right.
  • Sour Cream: Ain’t nothing like sour cream in a pound cake. It gives so much moisture and rich tangy flavor.
  • Milk: We add enough to our cake batter to keep it moist and also some to our caramel to create a perfect smooth pourable consistency.
  • Vanilla: This adds aromatic warmth to all of the separate ingredients.

How to Make Caramel Apple Cake

Chopped apples, brown sugar, and spices in a medium pot.
1
Add chopped apples, brown sugar, apple pie spice to a medium pot over medium heat.
Cornstarch and butter added to a small white bowl on white countertop
2
Stir together cornstarch and butter until a paste forms.
Cornstarch mixture added to chopped apples and sugar in a pot
3
Add to the apple filling mixture and stir until combined.
Apple filling for caramel apple pound cake in pot cooking on white background
4
Once it thickens, remove from heat and set aside.
Flour, brown sugar and spices in a glass bowl on white countertop
5
Mix together the flour, brown sugar and apple pie spice in a small bowl until combined.
Cold butter cubes in a brown sugar spiced dry ingredient bowl on white countertop
6
Using a pastry cutter, add in the butter and cut into the mixture until crumbs develop then set aside.
Streusel on parchment paper before adding to an oven
7
Add the crumbs to a parchment lined sheet pan.
Baked streusel on a parchment lined baking sheet after baking.
8
Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool in the fridge.
Butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl on white countertop
9
Add butter and sugar and begin creaming on high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, which takes about 5-7 minutes.
Add eggs to stand mixer for creamed butter and sugar on white countertop
10
Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
Flour mixture added to cake batter on white countertop
11
Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments.
Baking soda and salt added to cake batter in stand mixer
12
Then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
Sour cream, milk and vanilla added to stand mixer to mix pound cake batter
13
Lastly, add in sour cream, milk and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off the mixer.
Apple filling added to cake batter in stand mixer bowl on white countertop
14
Fold in 2/3s of the apple mixture that was set aside until mixed through.
Half of caramel apple bundt cake batter poured into greased bundt pan on white countertop
15
Pour half of the cake batter into a greased bundt pan.
Streusel broken up and topped on cake batter in a bundt pan
16
Add streusel on top, making sure to reserve some to garnish the top of the cake.
Bundt pan filled with cake batter on white countertop before baking
17
Next carefully dollop the remaining cake batter on top of the streusel.
Baked pound cake in bundt pan out of the oven on white countertop
18
Bake for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Butter and brown sugar in a saucepan melting together
19
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat then toss in brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Butter and brown sugar boiling together in a saucepan
20
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, consistently stirring.
Caramel sauce boiling in a saucepan on white countertop
21
Whisk in milk, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. It will continue to thicken.
An overhead of an apple cake with apple chunks on top on white countertop
22
Arrange remaining apple filling on top of the cake.
Garnished caramel apple cake on a white countertop
23
Then drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with remaining streusel.

How to Serve Apple Caramel Cake

A pink bowl of autumn salad surrounded by dried cranberries, apple cider vinegarette and bacon with spoons nearby
Harvest fall salad is a wonderful way to start this fall supper.
A delicious chuck roast in a nest of delicious juices in a dutch oven ready to roast
This dutch oven pot roast is savory, rich and comforting and perfect for a cozy Autumn evening.
Classic and smooth mashed sweet potatoes with butter melting on it ready to serve
Mashed sweet potatoes are a perfect sweet way to soak up that delish gravy from the pot roast.
Close up of a slice brown butter pumpkin cornbread topped with butter
Pumpkin cornbread is the ultimate bread to serve with this feast before ending it with slices of caramel apple bundt cake.

Recipe Substitutions

  • Cake Flour: If you don’t have any lying around, you can easily learn how to make cake flour with just some all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
  • Apples: If you aren’t a fan of Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, grab Fuji, gala or pink ladies for a little more sweetness.
  • Apple Spice: You can use cinnamon and nutmeg instead. Even pumpkin pie spice is a nice swap.
  • Sour Cream: You can use greek yogurt instead in this caramel apple bundt cake. Make sure it’s plain.

Recipe Variations and Additions for Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

  • Gluten-Free: Swap in your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free baking flour to use instead. The texture might change slightly but it will still be delish.
  • Get Nutty: Add some chopped walnuts or pecans into the streusel or even fold some into the cake batter.
  • Swap the Fruit: Pears are an awesome substitution to use for a different fall remix.
  • Booze It Up: Adding a little bourbon to the caramel sauce will pair perfectly with those apples for a nice adult twist.

Expert Tips and Tricks for the Best Caramel Apple Pound Cake Recipe

  • Room Temp: Make sure the eggs and butter are room temp when making your cake batter so it blends perfectly.
  • Don’t Overmix: Once the flour is added, make sure you just blend everything together until it’s just combined. At this point the gluten starts activating and will make a tough cake if it’s mixed for too long.
  • Be sure to grease and flour your baking pan. Bundt pans have lots of cracks and crannies and you don’t want the cake to stick. If you use a baking spray, use one specifically designed for baking that contains flour. You can also use my cake release.
  • Cool the cake in the pan first before inverting it to finish cooling. The cake will continue to cook a bit, settle and slightly firm up as it sits making it less likely to crack or break.
  • Go Cold for the Streusel: Make sure the butter is super cold so you get delish crisp crumbs in your crumble.
  • Push Streusel into the Caramel: When assembling the cake at the end, push the streusel into the caramel topping to help it stick to the cake even more.
A caramel apple bundt cake shot above with a slice being removed

How to Store Caramel Apple Pound Cake

After assembling the cake, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, caramel apple cake will need to be stored in the fridge because of the cooked apples.

How long does caramel apple cake last in the refrigerator?

It should last for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze this caramel apple bundt cake?

Yep for sure boos! You can freeze the pound cake without the apples and caramel icing. Once those are added the cake doesn’t freeze as well.

How do I know when my caramel apple cake is done baking?

The best way to know when it’s done is to insert a toothpick into the cake. When it comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs, the cake is ready.

Can I make caramel apple cake ahead of time?

You can prepare the cake ahead of time and store at room temp up to a day before serving.

Help! My caramel sauce is too thick!

You can easily thin it out with a little more liquid. If it’s too thin, then keep on cooking it so it thickens up some.

When you try this caramel apple cake, you will lose your mind with how delish it was. The apples in the tender cake, the buttery crumb streusel, the spiced tender apple topping and the rich homemade caramel sauce are enough to impress any dang body that has a slice. Get at it boos!

Caramel apple cake recipe on a white server in white background

More Fruit Pound Cake Recipes

If you want even more pound cake then you’re going to adore Big Mamaโ€™s Sour Cream CakeHot Milk CakeCream Cheese Pound CakeSock It To Me Cake, or my Kentucky Butter Cake.

A slice of caramel apple cake on a white plate in front of a whole cake behind on white background

Caramel Apple Pound Cake

If you love apples and if you adore caramel, this Caramel Apple Pound Cake is for you. It's made with a decadent, buttery sour cream pound cake filled with spiced apples then topped with more apple filling, buttery streusel and caramel icing.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cooling time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Apple Filling

  • 3 cups sliced apples such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. peeled and chopped into smaller pieces
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp salted butter melted

For the Streusel

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp apple pie spice
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes

For the Pound Cake

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

For the Caramel Glaze

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

For the Apple Filling

  • Add chopped apples, brown sugar, apple pie spice to a medium, 2 quart pot over medium heat.
  • Stir together cornstarch and butter until a paste forms then add to the apple filling mixture and stir until combined. It will quickly start to thicken once added to the apple filling. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the Streusel

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  • Mix together the flour, brown sugar and apple pie spice in a small bowl until combined. Using a pastry cutter, add in the butter and cut into the mixture until crumbs develop then set aside.
  • Add the crumbs to a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for about 9-10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool in the fridge.

For the Cake

  • Drop the temperature to 325 F then liberally spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray that has flour.
  • In your stand mixer bowl, add butter and sugar and begin creaming on high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, which takes about 5-7 minutes.
  • Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
  • Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
  • Lastly add in sour cream, milk and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off the mixer.
  • Fold in 2/3s of the apple mixture that was set aside until mixed through.

To Bake

  • Take out the streusel, break it apart and reserve โ…” cup for the garnish. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan then add the remaining streusel on top. Next carefully dollop the remaining cake batter on top of the streusel.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check that a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If it doesnโ€™t let it cook another 5-10 minutes then check it again with a toothpick for doneness.
  • Cool in the bundt pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert the cake on a serving plate for about an hour or until the cake is cooler to touch. The bundt pan should easily slide off.

For the Caramel Glaze

  • Melt butter in a medium, 2 quart, saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Toss in your brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute (the butter and sugar should be completely combined).
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, consistently stirring, for about 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in milk, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring, for 3 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool. It will continue to thicken.
  • o assemble, arrange remaining apple filling on top of the cake then drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with remaining streusel. Slice and serve it up.

Notes

How to Store Caramel Apple Pound Cake

After assembling the cake, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, caramel apple cake will need to be stored in the fridge because of the cooked apples.

How long does caramel apple cake last in the refrigerator?

It should last for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze this caramel apple bundt cake?

Yep for sure boos! You can freeze the pound cake without the apples and caramel icing. Once those are added the cake doesn’t freeze as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 1141IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
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This post was originally published October 2012. It has been updated for content and images.

Filed Under:  Dessert and Baking, Fall Recipes, Oven, Pound Cakes, Thanksgiving

Comments

  1. Could you make this with chopped up apples in the batter? I made your cream cheese pound cake and it was so yummy!

    1. Surely! Or you can use my peach pound cake as a base to see what might work with apples.

  2. I baked this cake and it was absolutely delicious. One of my friends who does not like frosting on cakes devoured it! Preparing this recipe in cakelette style was fun for my grandchildren! WINNER! WINNER! Thanks for the love and creative recipes…stepping up traditional recipes!

  3. This looks and sounds great, but am feeling sad – can’t find the button to save it to my recipe box! ๐Ÿ™

    1. Oh no Kathy! You can go to the top of my header and click on Recipe Box and see if that works. I hope so! Let me know if you have any other issues.

  4. I’m in no way a baker, but this sounds and looks delicious. I’m a huge apple fan and caramel? Come on – who doesn’t love caramel? I might actually try to make this with my daughter as a fall day bonding activity. Color me inspired! Thanks for sharing.

  5. Oh, my that looks deli-sh! Visiting from DearCreatives.com & just posted a heavenly cake inside a pie dessert, with recipe to follow. Off to check out your other recipes.

  6. Ooh…I think you had me at caramel! ๐Ÿ™‚ If I may, Iโ€™d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon!
    http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/

  7. You’ve had a quite a number of apple recipes on the site. You have to like them just a wee bit more by now! Love Aunt Bev’s caramel icing. That’s some good stuff.

5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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