caramel apple cake

caramel apple cake

as promised… 

a delicious cake that is full of spices, nuts and apples, 

hugged with caramel frosting and kissed with a salted caramel sauce.

adapted from bobbette and belle’s gorgeous cookbook.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

rounded 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/4 cups unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup plain yoghurt or sour cream 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 

4 large eggs

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 apple peeled, cored and finely chopped

preheat the oven to 350°f.

grease three 9 inch round cake pans with butter and then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

alternatively you can use two 8 inch springform pans…they are deeper.

in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

in a separate bowl, stir together apple sauce, yoghurt and vanilla.

in the bowl of a mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.

beat in eggs one at a time, beating well and stopping to scrape the sides down before adding the next egg. 

add the applesauce mixture and beat well.

with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture blending until just incorporated and stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the walnuts and chopped apple. 

divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

bake for 30 ish minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

if using the deeper 8 inch pans, they require about 55 minutes of baking.

allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

they will be easier to assemble and frost if you chill them first. 

cut off the domes to make an even, flat surface.

assemble and frost…

caramel frosting

1 1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 

1  cup 35% cream

1 teaspoon salt

5  cups of icing sugar, sifted.

melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

add the brown sugar, cream and salt. 

cook for 3 minutes.

transfer the mixture to a large bowl to cool for about 15 minutes. 

place the icing sugar in the bowl of a mixer. 

add the cooled caramel a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

i didn’t use all of this caramel sauce in the frosting, and used this to drizzle over the cake, instead of the salted caramel sauce.  

the recipe for the salted caramel sauce that was recommended as the drizzle follows. 

place a dab of the frosting on your cake board to hold the cake in place.

spoon a large dollop of frosting in the centre of your cake. spread an even 1/3 inch layer with an offset spatula. 

place the next cake layer, cut side down on this. 

repeat the frosting step if you are doing a 3 layer cake.

give the whole cake a ‘crumb coat” of icing…

a very thin, see through layer of frosting.

this step will prevent crumbs from getting mixed in your frosting. 

chill the cake again for 30 minutes. 

frost the cake and drizzle with the caramel sauce. 

caramel sauce

2 cups of granulated sugar

1 cup 35 % cream

1/2 teaspoon salt. 

in a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of sugar over medium high heat, stirring constantly so the sugar does not burn.

once the sugar has melted and is a light golden colour, add another 1/2 cup sugar. continue to caramelize the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until all the sugar has been added and the caramel is a deep golden colour.

reduce the heat  to medium low and slowly add the cream.

add the salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the hard sugar bits have been dissolved and the caramel sauce has come to a boil.

remove from the heat and cool before serving. 

the sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

caramel sauce is absolutely dreamy to dip sliced apples into!

i hope you are well and enjoying this slow paced long weekend. 

it’s rare that we aren’t open for the thanksgiving weekend.

it’s also rare that we can’t be with our big, beautiful family.

i am so looking forward to a day when we can all share a leisurely meal together

 and hold hands, and laugh (i might cry too) and reminisce and plan and cherish every single moment! 

big hugs,

laura

carl laidlaw orchards