This Caramel Apple Cake transforms the classic fall treat into a decadent dessert. It’s all the joy of biting into a sticky caramel apple (minus the jaw workout!).
Moist apple cider cake layers are stacked with gooey apple pie filling and a luscious caramel cream cheese frosting.
Top everything off with some extra caramel, just for good measure.
Why KJ Loves
This recipe has such good flavors and the apple pie filling adds so much to the recipe! It’s so easy to throw together and makes the perfect dessert for any fall get together!
Apple Cider
Reduced apple cider is the secret to this cake’s intense apple flavor.
Boiling down the apple cider concentrates its flavor, giving your cake layers a punch of apple goodness without adding too much liquid to the batter.
When you’re shopping for apple cider, look for fresh, unfiltered cider if possible. It’ll give you the best flavor. But don’t worry if you can only find the clear, filtered kind — it’ll still work great in this recipe.
Ingredients
For the Cake Layers:
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Apple Cider
- Vanilla
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
For the Frosting:
- Cream Cheese (softened)
- Butter (softened)
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Caramel Sauce
For the Filling:
- Apple Pie Filling (canned or homemade)
- Caramel Sauce
How To Make Caramel Apple Layer Cake
1
Reduce the apple cider.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Then, simmer the apple cider and reduce it down to ½ cup (about 5 minutes). Transfer the condensed apple cider to a separate bowl to cool\
2
Prep and mix the cake batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, cooled condensed apple cider, vanilla, and brown sugar until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk until combined.
3
Bake the cakes.
Pour the apple cake batter into two greased 9-inch cake pans, making sure each pan has an even amount of batter.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pans before turning them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
4
Make the frosting.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter at a slow-medium speed until it is just combined. Add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until a smooth frosting has formed.
Mix in the vanilla extract and caramel.
5
Assemble the cake.
Once the cake layers have cooled completely, assemble the cake.
Place one layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Spread an even layer of caramel cream cheese frosting over the top, and then spread a layer of apple pie filling over the cake.
Top with the second cake layer. Frost the entire cake with the caramel cream cheese frosting. Add a dollop of apple pie filling in the center of the top of the cake. Finish by drizzling caramel sauce over the top of the entire cake for an extra decadent touch.
Serve as dessert on a crisp autumn evening, or enjoy with a cup of coffee during an afternoon break.
Caramel Apple Cake FAQ
Can I make this caramel apple cake ahead of time?
If you want, you can bake the cake layers a day in advance. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once they’ve cooled completely. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just let it come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
My layers came out uneven. How can I fix this?
You can level your cakes using a long serrated knife or a cake leveler before assembling.
Can I use homemade apple pie filling?
Absolutely! If you have a favorite homemade apple pie filling recipe, feel free to use it in place of the store-bought version.
Can I make this cake without the apple pie filling?
Sure! If you prefer a simpler cake, you can skip the apple pie filling layer and just use the caramel cream cheese frosting between the layers.
How should I store leftover cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, this caramel apple cake should be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep well for 3-4 days. Just make sure to cover it to prevent it from drying out.
Orchard-Inspired Recipes
Can’t get enough apple desserts? Here are some other delicious fall recipes with apples as the star.
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts will transport you straight to the pumpkin patch.
- With a sugar cookie-like topping, Apple Crumble will have you coming back for seconds…and thirds!
- Apple Butter Cheesecake is a decadent dessert, perfect for your holiday get-togethers.
Ok, not technically a dessert, but these Hard Apple Whiskey Sours could take the place of dessert after your next meal!
Carmel Apple Cake
- Total Time: 0 hours
Description
This Caramel Apple Cake transforms the classic fall treat into a decadent dessert. It’s all the joy of biting into a sticky caramel apple (minus the jaw workout!). Moist apple cider cake layers are stacked with gooey apple pie filling and a luscious caramel cream cheese frosting. Top everything off with some extra caramel, just for good measure.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 3 cups apple cider
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
For the filling:
1 cup apple pie filling
1/4 cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to boil and simmer and reduce down to ½ cup of apple cider, about 5 minutes. Transfer the condensed apple cider to a separate bowl to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, apple sauce, condensed apple cider (cooled), vanilla and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add in the four, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until combined.
- Evenly pour the cake batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly in the pans before turning them out to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter on slow-medium speed until just combined. Add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until a smooth frosting has formed.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and caramel.
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, assemble the cake.
Notes
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13-15 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 598
- Sugar: 35.3g
- Fat: 44.6g
- Carbohydrates: 58.8
- Fiber: 5.9g
- Protein: 9.4g
- Cholesterol: 156mg
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Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
I can’t wait to make this!! It looks delicious, wonderful, and fall all around!! Thank you! 😋 😊
The picture of the cake you sent me turned out beautifully! Awesome job! 🙂