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caramel apple cake with streusel topping partially sliced in a plate.
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5 from 2 votes

Caramel Apple Cake

This easy Caramel Apple Cake is moist with crunchy and cozy cinnamon oat streusel topping. Serve it warm with a good drizzle of caramel and a scoop of ice cream for one of the most delicious Fall desserts or have it by itself at room temperature for an afternoon tea or coffee time.
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keywords:apple streusel cake, apples, caramel, caramel apple cake, oat streusel
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories414 kcal
Cost $ 0.75 per slice

Equipment

  • 1 mixer (hand or stand mixer)
  • 1 oven
  • 1 9-inch round cake pan
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 Mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Apple Cake:

  • 1.1 cups unsalted butter room temperature. About 2 sticks plus 1 ½ tablespoon
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon honey You may use homemade golden syrup or light treacle, or even maple syrup although it has a stronger flavor
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract you may prefer almond extract instead
  • ½ cup whole milk or half-and-half
  • 1 ½ cups self-rising flour sifted. SUBSTITUTE: For every cup of self-rising flour, use instead a mixture of one cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • 5 apples peeled and thinly sliced (For a sweeter cake, use Pink Lady, Gala, or Fuji apples. For a tart cake, use Granny Smith apples. For an apple that has both sweet and tart flavors, Honeycrisp is your best option)

For the Oat Streusel:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 7 tablespoon unsalted butter softened or at room temp
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice (OPTIONAL) but recommended

For the Caramel Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy cream NOTE: If you prefer, use store-bought caramel sauce.
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Then, grease and line with parchment paper a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. NOTE: Preferably, let the parchment paper overhang outside the pan to make it easy to unmold the baked cake.
  • Prepare the Cake: Using an electric mixer,  cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Do NOT overmix! Then add the honey,  vanilla, and milk, beating on low speed until smooth and creamy.
  • Mix in the sifted flour on low speed until just combined. Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
  • Add half of the apple slices, making a thin layer. Spread over the remaining cake batter and then top with the remaining apple slices. Reserve!
  • Prepare the Streusel: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, butter, sugar, and spice together until they resemble big and small crumbs. TIP: Use your fingers to combine these ingredients!
  • Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake, pressing down lightly.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 60 minutes. NOTE: It may take a bit longer than 60 minutes depending on your oven! NOTE: To prevent the top of your cake from browning too much in the oven, place a sheet of foil loosely over the top while baking.
  • Transfer the pan to a rack to partially cool, for about 30 minutes. Then, carefully unmold the cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Use the overhang paper to lift the cake and remove it from the pan.
  • Make the caramel: In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes bubbly and almost foamy.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low (or to a simmer) and continue to stir often for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Stir well every time you use it!
  • Serve the cake: Serve it warm or cold with caramel sauce drizzled on top. If you want, serve with ice cream.

Recipe Notes

How to Store
  • Room Temperature: Store cake leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
  • Fridge: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Freezer: Wrap well with parchment paper and store in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. 
  • Reheating: You can reheat your caramel apple cake at 50% power in the microwave until warm. 

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.1g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 21.8g | Saturated Fat: 13.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Trans Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 76.5mg | Sodium: 23.7mg | Potassium: 166.3mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 31.8g | Vitamin A: 725.8IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 54.3mg | Iron: 1.1mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

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