Apple cake with salted caramel glaze has the fall comfort food flavors of apples, caramel, and cinnamon. I love to use a crisp yet sweet apple for my cake such as Ambrosia. Granny apples, perfect for pies, are too tart for this cake, and Golden Delicious too soft. Use whatever local apples you can find that will keep their shape and are flavorful and sweet.
Apple cake with salted caramel glaze is simple to bake, yet comes across as a show stopper for any table or event.
Ingredients
For the Apple Cake:
- •Butter or oil, for greasing pan
- •480 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus flour for dusting pan
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) sea salt
- •4 large eggs
- •426 grams (2 cups, packed) light brown sugar
- •237 ml (1 cup) canola oil
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- •410 grams (2 cups) unsweetened applesauce (I use cinnamon applesauce)
- •473 ml (2 cups) peeled chopped fresh apples
For the Sea Salt Caramel Glaze:
- •57 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- •106 grams (1/2 cup, packed) dark brown sugar*
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt, plus (if desired) additional for sprinkling
- •78 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
- •85-113 grams (3/4 - 1 cup) confectioners' sugar, sifted before measuring
*Light brown sugar may be substituted but it won’t have as much caramel flavor.
Preparation
- For the Apple Cake: Preheat the oven to 177°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 3-liter (12 cup) bundt pan; set aside. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar for 1- 2 minutes until combined. While whisking, gradually add the oil and whisk until everything is well mixed. Add the vanilla and applesauce and whisk to combine. Then, add the flour mixture and whisk just to combine, and no lumps remain. If using a mixer, mix on medium-low speed, being careful not to over beat the batter. Fold in the apples.
Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or long toothpick comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer cake to a cooling rack, and let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before inverting and removing the pan. Let cool completely before glazing.
For the Sea Salt Caramel Glaze: Please note that this glaze firms up rather quickly so be prepared to pour over the cake immediately after it is made.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar, salt, and cream until thoroughly combined. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and let it boil for about 1 minute without stirring.
Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners’ sugar until it reaches your desired consistency; the more sugar, the thicker the glaze.
Once the sugar is thoroughly incorporated into a smooth glaze, immediately pour or spoon the glaze over the cake. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the glaze while it’s still warm. Let the glaze cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to one week.