Caramel apples to me seem sort of like a summer thing, but I think most people think of them as a fall flavor. Apple definitely is, and caramel I think is both fall and all season. However, this caramel apple cake feels very cozy and fall like.
To get a strong apple flavor, I used an apple cider reduction, which I use also in my Apple Cider Scones and my Sweet Apple Cinnamon Bread. It takes a few hours to reduce the cider, but once you have it you can use it in all things baking to amp up your apple flavor. Plus, it makes your home smell pretty wonderful while you make it. However, I wanted to also have fresh apple in this recipe. Instead of chopping it and putting it in the cake batter, I finely diced it and made it part of a streusel topping. The topping was almost like an apple crisp on top of the cake!
The cake itself is an apple buttermilk snack cake. Without the apple crisp topping, its lightly apple, but has notes of butter and caramel from the browned butter and brown sugar. If you want strictly a nice apple cake that’s not too sweet, this would be a great option to make without the topping and caramel. I might add a little coarse sugar on top but even that wouldn’t be necessary.
Finally, for the caramel, much like a caramel apple it’s just an caramel glaze topping the muffin. Originally this caramel apple cake started as caramel apple muffins. However, the topping made the muffins a nightmare to get out of the pan. You TOTALLY can still make this as muffins, I will put tips in the baking tips for if you do. I just found it much easier to turn this into a snack cake.
Baking Tips
For your apple cider reduction, if you can get it fresh apple cider is always best. You can find it in the refrigerated or produce section in the grocery store during the fall. If you decide in the middle of winter you want to make these caramel apple cake and you can’t find any fresh cider? You can use the shelf stable variety.
When you’re reducing, you want to let your pot go at a low simmer. A full gallon should take about 4-5 hours. If you don’t want to make any additional apple bakes and you are only making the caramel apple cake, I’d recommend either only reducing a half gallon or freezing the rest of the reduction as it will only keep for about 2 weeks. These work amazing for freezing liquids.
Because the crisp topping has sugar and melted butter, while it bakes it sort of becomes like hot glue to anything that isn’t the cake. This was my issue with making this as a muffin recipe. Lining your cake pan is a must!
The caramel sauce for this caramel apple cake isn’t a true caramel but sort of a shortcake version. If you have/want to make true caramel you totally can! I talk about how to make true caramel sauce in my Turtle Brownies if you want to try that instead. It does take more time though.
If you want to make this caramel apple cake as muffins, here’s what I recommend:
First, do not overfill your muffin liners. I would fill them about 2/3 to 3/4 full. If you only fill them to 2/3 you might get 13 muffins rather than 12. Second, if you can, use taller muffin liners. Something like these tulip liners may help contain the topping to just the muffin and not the tray.
Third, take your caramel apple muffins out of the tray IMMEDIATELY after baking. Especially any muffins that look like they overflowed a little. Do those muffins first and then go to the ones that look like everything is contained. When I was testing these, I destroyed a couple trying to get them out. Lastly, even if you are using a nonstick pan, grease your muffin tin.
Caramel Apple Cake Key Ingredients
- Apple Cider Reduction – The time is worth it. This adds tons of apple flavor without having to use tons of apple or apple juice.
- Buttermilk – I love making muffins with buttermilk. It adds a richness and warmth that regular milk doesn’t quite do.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds caramel notes because of the molasses, so you’ll make the caramel sauce out of it and use it in the muffin batter, and streusel topping. I always recommend dark brown sugar over light.
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Ingredients
Cake
- 56 g Unsalted butter ¼ cup, room temperature
- 50 g Vegetable oil ¼ cup
- 135 g Dark brown sugar ⅔ cup
- 125 g Apple cider reduction ½ cup, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 large Egg room temperature
- 120 g Buttermilk ½ cup, room temperature
- 260 g AP Flour scant 2¼ cup
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- ¾ tsp Sea salt
Topping
- 42 g Unsalted butter 3 tbsp
- 67 g Dark brown sugar ⅓ cup
- 25 g Rolled oats ¼ cup
- 10 g AP flour 1½ tbsp
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 145 g Finely diced apple peeled
Caramel Sauce
- 70 g Dark brown sugar ⅓ cup
- 28 g Salted butter 2 tbsp
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream room temperature
- ½ tsp Vanilla
Instructions
Reducing the apple cider
- Preferably the day before, but give yourself at least 6 hours prior to baking your cake. Dump your apple cider into a large pot or sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer. Stir about every 30 minutes. If reducing a full gallon, you should end up with about 1 quart. If you are doing a half gallon, it should be about 2 cups. On a low simmer a full gallon should take about 4-5 hours.
- Once it has fully reduced, the liquid should be thicker and a little syrupy. Pour into glass jars and place in the fridge to chill.
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line an 8×8 cake pan with parchment and set aside.
- Brown your butter. In a small, light colored or stainless sauce pan add your 56g or ¼ cup of butter and place over medium heat. The butter after it melts will foam, then subside, and then bubble loudly. Start stirring after the butter has melted. When the butter turns golden brown and the milk solids are toasted, the butter will have a nutty fragrance. Quickly remove from the heat and into a large bowl.
- Let the butter cool for about 10 minutes.
- While your butter is cooling, make the topping for the cake. Peel your apple and finely dice.
- In a small to medium size bowl, melt your 42g/3tbsp of butter. Add your brown sugar (67g/⅓ cup), cinnamon, and diced apple and stir. Add in your oats and flour and stir well.
- Add your oil and brown sugar to your cooled browned butter and stir.
- Add in your vanilla and apple cider reduction and mix into the wet ingredients.
- Whisk in your egg until it is homogenous.
- Add in your buttermilk and combine.
- Add your dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder to your wet ingredients. Stir until no dry bits remain, but it is normal/fine if the batter is somewhat lumpy.
- Pour your batter into your prepped cake pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Spread the apple streusel topping over the cake into an even layer as well.
- Bake your cake on the center rack of your oven for about 28-34 minutes. It will be difficult to tell when it's completely done but the topping will look set, the cake will smell fragrant in the oven and a toothpick will come out cleanly.
- Remove the cake from the pan and onto a wire rack to cool.
Caramel Sauce
- Let sugar and butter melt and emulsify together, stirring or whisking to help.
- In a small sauce pan, add your butter, and brown sugar over medium low heat.
- Add cream and vanilla. Stir ingredients until it begins to boil, it will simmer first but boiling will be obvious. Let boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, stir and pour into a bowl or jar to let cool slightly.
- Caramel sauce will firm up more as it cools, so pour over your cooled cake while still fairly warm so it can set up on the cake. Enjoy!
