Apple Cake With Caramel Glaze

We harvested a lot of apples this year at our farm in Hood River. I've been baking a lot lately! Apple cake is an easy one and while this caramel glaze is a bit on the sinful side, it's worth it!

Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour

Apple Cake Ingredients

• 2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1 cup vegetable oil or avocado oil

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 4 cups (360g) peeled and sliced or chopped apples 

Caramel Glaze Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• small pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange juice together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the chopped apples until combined. It will seem like a lot of apples and that’s ok!

4. Pour and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on it. Around the 30-minute mark, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

5. Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before topping or serving.

6. Make the glaze: As the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted, then let the mixture come to a rapid boil. Boil for about 1 minute. Turn the heat down to low, give it a quick stir, and let simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Allow the glaze to cool and slightly thicken. 

Serving the Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

When serving, I like to cut the cake into pieces and spoon a bit of glaze over each piece, rather than glazing the whole cake. Although the cake can be eaten at any temperature, it’s really delicious warm, with a warm glaze. Both can be heated in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Enjoy!