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Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Easy Salted Caramel Apple Cake

This easy salted caramel apple cake has chopped apples in the batter, is topped with homemade salted caramel, and has a sprinkling of chopped pecans.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 592 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 2 ½ cups apples, peeled and chopped (see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
  • ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Topping
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Instructions
 

Cake
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and then dust it with flour, discarding any excess.
  • Peel and finely chop the apples and place them into a bowl filled with water and lemon juice. This will help prevent the apples from browning. Set aside.
  • Whisk the oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Then, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to moisten the batter. Do not overmix.
  • Drain the apples well and stir them into the batter, taking care not to over-stir. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If necessary, spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place it over the baking cake to prevent over-browning. After cooking, use a fork to poke holes in the top of the cake.
Topping
  • Toast the pecans by stirring them continuously in a dry skillet on medium heat. They will burn quickly, so remove them from the pan when they start browning.
  • Add the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a saucepan and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boiling boil and then time for 2 minutes. Then, remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the hot cake.
  • Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the topping.

Notes

Apples

Use a mix of sweet and tart apples if desired.

Caramel Topping

Reduce the cooking time of the caramel to 1 1/2 minutes to make a thin syrup to pour over the cake. 

Serving Size

The serving size is approximately 180 grams (3 x 4 inches).
 

Nutrition

Serving: 180gCalories: 592kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 5gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 493mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 477IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Apple, Cake, Cake Recipe, Cakes
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