Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
User Reviews
4.5
Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
Description
The cake batter includes all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and diced apples that are tossed with lemon juice to prevent browning and mixed with dark brown sugar and vanilla for sweetness. The wet ingredients, including vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla, are whipped to thoroughly combine before folding in dry ingredients and the apple mixture. The batter is thick and poured into a floured bundt pan. A cream cheese layer made by beating cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg is dolloped or spread into the batter to create a creamy center. Once baked at 350°F, the cake offers moist crumb studded with tender apple pieces and a pronounced cream cheese swirl.
After baking, a caramel glaze is prepared with butter, brown and white sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, then drizzled on top to add a sweet, buttery finish that echoes the autumnal spices in the cake. This bundt cake presents a balance of spicy, sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors.
The cake is best after resting a day in the refrigerator to develop flavors. The caramel sauce can be made ahead and stored up to a week in the fridge. This makes the cake convenient to prepare ahead of time for gatherings or desserts.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 medium apple for about 3 cups chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla divided
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large egg
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ to 1 to 1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup brown sugar light; firmly packed
- ½ cup half-and-half or whipping cream
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Generously grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Peel, core and dice 3 cups of apples. Toss the apples with the tablespoon of lemon juice to keep from browning. Add the dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick. Drain any excess liquid from the apples (if any) and stir the apple mixture into the batter. Don't overmix! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and egg and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
- Using a spoon or butter knife, make a trench in the center of the cake batter (going around in the circular shape of the bundt pan) about 1-inch deep (just scoop the excess batter to either side. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the trench. Try and keep the cream cheese mixture in a ring in the center of the cake so it has cake batter on either side around the circle. Once the cream cheese mixture is in place, use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the surrounding cake batter.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (checking often as you may need to decrease or increase time based on your pan and exact oven temperature). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake is cooling, mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan over medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake is still in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan before removing. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature, drizzling caramel sauce over each piece.
- For the caramel sauce, mix the butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold (or use slightly warm but not hot). If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on cake.
Notes
- For best flavor, bake the cake a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- The caramel sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to a week, ready to warm and drizzle when serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Serving | |
| Calories | 759kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 96g | 32% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 105mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 336mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 69g | 138% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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