Caramel Apple Cake
applesauce cake with caramel frosting
vintage recipe
JUMP TO RECIPE
(Discloser: Inspiration Apron is reader supported. I may earn an affiliate commission by any purchase made by clicking links in this post. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Inspiration Apron running!)
Caramel apple cake inspiration
As the crisp fall air creeps in, tantalizing us with the smell of apples and spice, there is no better time for a delicious and decadent caramel apple dessert, and sometimes I yearn for a taste of one of my grandmother’s old fashioned cakes. I went to my go-to black recipe book that was passed down to me from her and came across a prize-winning recipe perfect for my fall craving.
This is the newspaper clipping from my grandmother’s recipe book. If I had to guess, it was from the 60’s or 70’s. She would cut out intriguing recipes she wanted to try from the local Alamance News paper and paste in her recipe book among her hand written ones.
This recipe for applesauce cake does not list the author to give credit to. I did make it as listed except for wanting to bake in a 9×13 pan instead of two 9x9x2 pans. the result was an uneven bake that was dry, so I did adjust the cake recipe and baking temperature slightly to accommodate for an easy 9×13 sheet cake for fall. Note: The caramel frosting was spot on, so I did not change it one bit!
Few cakes can compare to the taste and nostalgia of an old-fashioned applesauce cake with a rich caramel frosting, topped with chopped nuts. Whether you call it an applesauce cake or a caramel apple cake, you’ll be delighted by how easy it is to prepare this 9×13 size dessert for your family or friends. This applesauce cake is moist and full of fall spices with the best caramel frosting, and the perfect topping of chopped nuts for a delectable finish and added crunch. Say goodbye to boring fall desserts and say hello to a classic cake recipe that is sure to be a hit!
Extra “out-of-the-ordinary” note: There is a funny story about this cake that involves a squirrel…see the bottom of this post for a fun photo and my story of how a backyard squirrel was going nuts for this cake! 🐿️
Let’s begin!
Ingredients to make an applesauce cake
Cake ingredients:
-
3 cups all-purpose flour
-
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
-
2 tsp baking soda
-
1/2 tsp baking powder
-
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-
1/2 tsp ground cloves
-
2 large eggs
-
3/4 cup vegetable oil
-
1 1/2 cups sugar
-
2 1/2 cups cinnamon applesauce, heated (35-45 seconds on high)
Caramel frosting ingredients:
-
1/2 cup plant butter
-
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
-
1/4 tsp salt
-
1/4 cup coconut milk (canned, full fat)
-
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Optional topping: 3/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
Note: I am lactose intolerant, so I chose to make this a dairy-free recipe. If you want to substitute with real dairy ingredients, use equal amount substitutions for butter and milk, (buttermilk or whole milk works best.)
How to make a caramel apple cake
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350℉/ 176℃ and grease and lightly flour a 9×13 sheet cake pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sugar. Next, slowly add the heated applesauce to mixture, stirring in as you pour. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix on medium speed just until no dry ingredients remain and blended well, do not overmix.
Pour cake batter into prepared 9×13 pan and bake in center of preheated oven for 30-34 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking with toothpick after 29 minutes, ready when dry or with a few moist crumbs.
Let cake cool in pan completely before frosting, see frosting instructions below.
How to make stovetop caramel frosting
Instructions:
In a large sauce pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in dark brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil hard 2 minutes while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and stir in milk.
Return pan to heat and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (mine took about 10-13 minutes.)
Next, add confectioner’s sugar and beat with mixture until smooth. If frosting is too thick, beat in a touch of milk, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Spread frosting on cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Slice and serve!
…and now on to my squirrel story:
My squirrel visit:
So there I was, finishing up the caramel frosting with my applesauce cake cooling on the rack and chopped peanuts in a bowl beside it. Something caught my attention outside the kitchen window on the deck. An adorable eastern gray squirrel was following his nose with each leap and crawl until he made his way to my kitchen window.
Without hesitation, he put his tiny paws up on the window and looked at me as if to ask for whatever I had on the table. I reached over to my phone that lying nearby and snapped this photo of the squirrel that I quickly nicknamed Caramel.
I’m not sure which scent lead him to my window. We have tons of squirrels that live in the trees behind our house, but never before has one come right up to the kitchen window without a scared bone in it’s body. I grabbed a few of the chopped peanuts and put them on a small table on the deck and he came over a few minutes later to enjoy them. I was flattered with his exploratory visit to my kitchen and got a big kick out of the adorableness!
Hopefully you will go nuts for this delicious fall cake too!
Storage for caramel apple cake: Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 5 days, refrigerated for up to 8, or freeze (double-wrapped) for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!
💜Julie
Caramel Apple Cake (applesauce cake) with caramel frosting
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 cups cinnamon applesauce heated (35-45 seconds on high)
- 1/2 cup plant butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut milk canned, full fat
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- Optional topping: 3/4 cup roasted peanuts chopped
Disclaimer:
Nutritional Information is provided as a courtesy only and should be viewed as an estimate. Ingredients can vary with brands and size and Inspiration Apron makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉/ 176℃ and grease and lightly flour a 9x13 sheet cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sugar. Next, slowly add the heated applesauce to mixture, stirring in as you pour. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix on medium speed just until no dry ingredients remain and blended well, do not overmix.
- Pour cake batter into prepared 9x13 pan and bake in center of preheated oven for 30-34 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking with toothpick after 29 minutes, ready when dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cake cool in pan completely before frosting, see frosting instructions below.
- To make frosting: In a large sauce pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in dark brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil hard 2 minutes while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Return pan to heat and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (mine took about 10-13 minutes.)
- Next, add confectioner’s sugar and beat with mixture until smooth. If frosting is too thick, beat in a touch of milk, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Caramel Apple Cake (applesauce cake) with caramel frosting
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉/ 176℃ and grease and lightly flour a 9×13 sheet cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, and sugar. Next, slowly add the heated applesauce to mixture, stirring in as you pour. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix on medium speed just until no dry ingredients remain and blended well, do not overmix.
- Pour cake batter into prepared 9×13 pan and bake in center of preheated oven for 30-34 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking with toothpick after 29 minutes, ready when dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cake cool in pan completely before frosting, see frosting instructions below.
- To make frosting: In a large sauce pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in dark brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil hard 2 minutes while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Return pan to heat and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (mine took about 10-13 minutes.)
- Next, add confectioner’s sugar and beat with mixture until smooth. If frosting is too thick, beat in a touch of milk, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Storage for caramel apple cake: Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 5 days, refrigerated for up to 8, or freeze (double-wrapped) for up to 3 months.
Note: I am lactose intolerant, so I chose to make this a dairy-free recipe. If you want to substitute with real dairy ingredients, use equal amount substitutions for butter and milk, (buttermilk or whole milk works best.)
Nutrition Facts
Calories
385
Fat (grams)
15 g
Sat. Fat (grams)
3 g
Carbs (grams)
74 g
Fiber (grams)
2.5 g
Net carbs
74 g
Sugar (grams)
37 g
Protein (grams)
5.75 g
Sodium (milligrams)
270 mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional Information is provided as a courtesy only and should be viewed as an estimate. Ingredients can vary with brands and size and Inspiration Apron makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Per Slice.
