Description

A moist, flavorful sheet cake loaded with tender apples and topped with a rich caramel glaze. This easy, one-bowl dessert is perfect for holiday gatherings and tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale

3 medium apples (peeled and diced, approx. 450g; mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp recommended)
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240ml) caramel sauce
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper if desired. Dust with flour.
Peel, core, and dice apples into ½-inch cubes. Toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
Gently fold diced apples into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
While cake bakes, warm caramel sauce slightly in microwave to make it pourable.
Once cake is out of oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with caramel and swirl in slightly with a knife.
Let cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature ingredients. Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a tough cake. Toss apples in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in to prevent sinking. The cake tastes better the next day as flavors meld. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 square slice
Calories: 380
Sugar: 38
Sodium: 220
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 10
Carbohydrates: 52
Fiber: 2
Protein: 4

Keywords: fall dessert, apple cake, sheet cake, caramel apple, holiday baking, easy dessert, autumn recipes