One of my favorite things as a child was going to the State Fair of Oklahoma each year. I always looked forward to the corn dogs when we got there and the caramel apples as we left. I wanted to capture the essence of a caramel apple in this cake and it turned out perfect! I didn’t want an apple spice cake so you’ll notice that this apple cake is not spiced… just apples, caramel and nuts as the flavors. The style of the cake is simple… just a caramel apple on top so you know what is inside!

Like any made from scratch cake, this cake is dense and moist. The caramel and peanuts on top are really decadent. This is definitely an indulgence!

One bite and I was hooked. This is the tastiest apple cake I have ever made and the caramel is amazing!

It tastes great with or without nuts, but I prefer the nuts since my caramel apples of choice always contain nuts! I love how this turned out in both looks and taste. It’s a perfect fall cake for any occasion!

Caramel Apple Cake!

adapted from Land O Lakes recipe here: frosting adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp . Corn Starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup Butter, softened
4 Eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Sparkling Apple Cider, non-alcoholic
3 packets of Alpine Spice Apple Cider Mix Original
For caramel frosting:
2 packed cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp . Molasses
11/2 sticks of butter divided
1/2 tsp . salt
1 tsp . vanilla
1/2 cup half n half
31/2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp . butter

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans; set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, Apple Cider Mix and salt in bowl. Set aside.
Combine sugar and 1 cup butter in mixing bowl at medium speed just until batter is creamy. Do not over beat. Beat 2 eggs at a time into the mixture. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and sparkling apple cider. Add flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk and beat on a low speed after each addition.
Pour batter into the greased and floured pans equally. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and freeze before adding the caramel frosting.
For caramel frosting:
To make the frosting, place the 1 stick of the butter (8 Tbsp.), molasses, brown sugar and salt into a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Quickly whisk in the half n half cook until it comes to a boil again. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Pour the butter/sugar mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer. On low speed, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until blended. Then, on medium speed, beat the mixture for 5 minutes until the frosting is a pale brown color and still warm but not hot. Add the rest of the butter, a piece at a time, and beat until the butter is melted and the frosting is light and fluffy.
To assemble cake first take a small apple and cover the bottom 2/3 with the frosting and chopped peanuts. Add a stick and ribbon to your apple. Set aside and place one layer of the cake still frozen on your cake stand or board.
Add a layer of caramel frosting 1/4 inch thick on top. Place the other frozen layer on top of the caramel. Take the rest of the frosting and pour on top of the whole cake and let it drip down the sides. You will need to wait a few minutes and the frosting should start to thicken a little and then you can run a spatula around the outside until the sides are covered. Quickly add the nuts around the cake if you want nuts. Place the caramel apple on top. Let the cake thaw completely before serving around 2 hours. Enjoy!