The Fall Cake That Tastes Like a Caramel Apple on a Stick (Minus the Sticky Fingers)

Name: Caramel Apple Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: ½ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup butter (melted); ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 cup brown sugar; 3 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; 4 cups apples (peeled & diced; ~ 2-3 apples); ¼ cup heavy cream; ¼ cup butter; ¾ cup brown sugar; ½ tsp salt

Our Caramel Apple Cake is a moist, soft, buttery cake studded with cinnamon-spiced apples, baked in one pan, drizzled with a rich homemade caramel sauce, and topped with vanilla ice cream – the coziest fall dessert you’ll make on repeat.

This is basically a caramel apple dump cake, since the method really is just dump, mix, and bake. No mixer, no fancy layers, no fuss. Just one bowl, one pan, and a caramel sauce so good you’ll want to drink it with a spoon. The only heads up is that the cake needs to cool completely (~1 hour) before adding the caramel sauce.

Caramel Apple Dump Cake is cut into pieces and ready to eat.

Table of Contents

Why I Love This Caramel Apple Cake

Fall baking is my favorite kind of baking. The second the weather cools down, I want cinnamon and apples in everything, and this caramel apple cake delivers both without asking much of me in the kitchen.

It’s the kind of dessert that makes the whole house smell amazing while it bakes, and it’s forgiving enough that even a slightly-too-small or slightly-too-big apple dice won’t ruin it.

If apple season has you deep in the produce aisle, this is a great excuse to use up a few extra apples – right alongside apple crumble pie and caramelized apples. Or if you’re more a of savor apple recipe kinda person, apple cider braised pork is pretty amazing.

Our caramel apple cake has deep flavors of apples because we were very generous in loading the cake with fresh apples. The texture of the cake is soft and even more moist after the caramel drizzle.

We also infuse the cake with touch of cinnamon, because that pairing of apple and cinnamon brings magical Fall vibes.

If you are like me and don’t really want to make complicated cakes but crave a really good homemade cake, this apple cake topped with luscious sticky caramel sauce is definitely for you.

Ingredients

For the Cake

Vegetable oil: keeps the cake moist without adding much flavor of its own. Other neutral oil such as canola oil can be used as well.
Butter: melted, for richness and that classic buttery cake taste.
Granulated sugar: for straightforward, clean sweetness.
Brown sugar: adds moisture and a hint of caramel flavor right in the batter.
Eggs: bind everything together and give the cake structure.
Vanilla: rounds out the sweetness with warm flavor.
All-purpose flour: form the base of the cake.
Cinnamon: a warming spice that helps make this a comforting Fall dessert.
Salt: balances all that sweetness.
Baking soda: helps the cake rise nice and tall.
Apples: diced small so every bite gets some. I like a mix of tart and sweet varieties, but really any red or green apple works.

For the Caramel Sauce

Heavy cream: makes the caramel silky and pourable instead of stiff.
Butter: for richness and shine.
Brown sugar: the backbone of the caramel flavor.
Salt: balances the sweetness – a nod to salted caramel.

How to Make Caramel Apple Cake

Step 1: Preheat and prep

Grease a 9×13 cake pan well so the cake releases easily once it’s baked and cooled. You can also line it with parchment paper for an easier release.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, add the oil, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Use a spatula to mix everything together well.

Wet ingredients are added to a mixing bowl and then mixed together.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients and apples

Add the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, and mix until just combined.

Dry ingredients are added to the bowl and then mixed.

Fold in the diced apples last, being careful not to over mix once the flour is in – that’s what keeps the cake tender instead of dense.

Diced apples are folded into the cake batter.

Step 4: Bake

Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The cake batter is transferred to a cake pan and the fully cooked.

Step 5: Cool completely

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

This step matters more than it seems – a warm cake will make your caramel sauce slide right off instead of settling on top.

Step 6: Make the caramel sauce

While the cake cools, add the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir as the ingredients come together, then let it gently boil for about 1 minute once it starts bubbling.

Step 7: Top and serve

Pour the caramel sauce over the cooled cake, spreading it evenly over the top. Let the caramel set slightly before slicing.

Caramel sauce is poured over a cooled apple cake.

Serve your caramel apple cake with a cup of coffee or tea, or top it with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a decadent treat!

A slice of caramel apple cake is being lifted from a pan.

Variations and Substitutions

Pears: swap in for the apples for a slightly softer, sweeter twist.
Nuts: fold in chopped walnuts or pecans, or sprinkle them over the caramel for crunch.
Warm spices: in addition to cinnamon, add nutmeg, ground cloves and/or allspice to the batter for a more spiced, fall-forward flavor.
Salted caramel: finish the poured caramel with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if you want a deeper sweet/salty flavor combo.
Dark brown sugar: swap in for the brown sugar in either the cake or the sauce for a deeper, more molasses-forward flavor.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make ahead: You can bake the cake up to a day in advance and store it unsauced, tightly covered, at room temperature. Make caramel sauce fresh and pour it on right before serving for the best texture.

Storage: Once sauced, store leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The caramel will firm up slightly as it chills, which is totally normal.

Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften the caramel back up before serving.

Freezing: Freeze the baked cake (without caramel sauce) tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw and add fresh caramel before serving.

How To Serve

This cake is delicious on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top takes it over the edge. It’s also great with a cup of hot coffee or tea on a cool fall afternoon.

Tips and Tricks

Dice apples small: smaller pieces distribute more evenly through the batter and cook through fully.
Mix apple varieties: combining a tart apple with a sweet one gives more complex flavor than one variety alone.
Cool completely before saucing: a warm cake won’t hold the caramel on top the way a fully cooled one will.
Watch the caramel closely: it can go from perfectly caramelized to burnt in the span of a minute once it starts boiling.
Room temp eggs: they incorporate more smoothly into the batter than cold eggs straight from the fridge.
Don’t overmix: stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears to keep the cake tender instead of tough.
Line the pan: parchment paper makes cleanup and slicing easier, though it’s optional.
Check doneness early: start checking with a toothpick around the 40-minute mark, since ovens vary.
Save extra caramel: if you have leftover sauce, store it separately and warm it up to drizzle over individual slices later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of apple?

Yes! Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn all work well here – a mix of a tart and a sweet variety gives the best flavor.

Do I need to peel the apples?

Peeling is recommended for the best texture, since apple skins can turn a bit chewy once baked.

Why did my caramel sauce turn out grainy?

This is usually a sign it was cooked a touch too long or too high, or wasn’t stirred enough while coming together. Keep it at a gentle boil and stir consistently.

Can I use store-bought caramel sauce instead?

You can, though the homemade version here only takes a few minutes and tastes noticeably richer.

Is this the same as a caramel apple dump cake?

It’s very similar in spirit – everything comes together quickly with minimal steps, which is why you’ll sometimes see this style of recipe called a dump cake.

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