Caramelized Apple Snack Cake

Another snacking cake comin’ your way! This was intended to be a fall treat, but I kind of missed my window. But let’s face it, we can find great apples any time of year, so this caramelized apple snack cake doesn’t need to be limited to just one season.

This was originally called apple fritter cake, but it wasn’t…apple fritter-y enough for me. I am obsessed with apple fritters and this did not quite qualify. In particular, the runny batter made it more of a true snacking cake texture and pulled it far away from more of the thick dough-like batter you’d get for a fritter. (See, my delicious apple fritter cookies…)

But it’s still super easy, delicious, and will be a crowd pleaser no matter the group you’re serving.

You also might love this apple and honey cake!

What should you expect from this caramelized apple cake? A warmly-spiced batter is layered with gooey caramelized apples and topped with an apple cider glaze for a simple, dense snacking cake that goes perfectly with a cup of coffee on a Tuesday morning.

One important note is that this recipe calls for a small amount of boiled apple cider (basically “reduced”, or super concentrated). You can purchase boiled cider online easily, just be sure the only ingredient is apple cider. Or you can boil regular apple cider down into a thicker boiled cider…to do a big batch this takes forever, but I just started with a cup and it took maybe 45 minutes.

How to make caramelized apple snack cake

Full instructions are below in the recipe card, so I’ll just summarize here (but there are pics to show step-by-step). Preheat your oven to 350° F and prep a 9-inch springform or loose-bottom pan with spray and parchment.

First, make sure you have a strategy for the boiled apple cider! Either boil/reduce your own (plan for about 45 minutes if you’re starting with 1 cup of cider), or buy online.

To make the apple filling, add all the filling ingredients except the corn starch and water to a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat (stir sometimes) for about 8-10 minutes until the apples are tender, then stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into the apples over medium-high heat. Cook for another minute or two until it thickens, then set aside to cool.

Then make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, melt the butter and then whisk in the oil, the sugars, and then the eggs (giving it a good 30-second whisking to emulsify). Then whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until halfway combined, then pour in the milk and continue folding everything together until JUST combined.

Spread half the batter in your pan, add half the apple filling mixture on top in an even layer, then spread on the remaining batter, and repeat with the remaining apples.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs – not wet batter.  While the cake is baking, whisk together the glaze.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then release the sides and drizzle on the glaze. Put it on a cooling rack for another 30-40 more minutes before slicing and serving (this lets the crumb set).

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, or room temp for a day.

If you have leftovers. Let’s face it, if there are a few of you eating on this cake, it may not last 24 hours!

Other snacking cakes you’ll love:

• Easy Summer Berry Torte
• Chocolate Pear Cake
• Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake with a Hint of Rosemary
• Easy Cranberry Snack Cake (a.k.a. My Platonic Ideal for a Cake)
• Sweet Corn Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze
• Yogurt & Honey Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Lemon & Thyme
• Moist, Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake

Adapted from Blue Bowl Recipes

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Caramelized Apple Snacking Cake

This delicious caramelized apple snacking cake is not just a fall treat, but the perfect indulgent snack year-round! A warmly spiced batter is layered with gooey caramelized apples and topped with an apple cider glaze for a simple snacking cake that you need with a cup of coffee on a Tuesday morning.

One note, this calls for a boiled apple cider…either build in ~45 extra minutes to make this, or you can buy it online (link below).

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Additional Time45 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course: Desserts

Equipment

• Mountain Cider Apple Cider Concentrate
• Zwilling  J.A. Henckels Chef Knife
• Nordic Ware Pan Springform, 9 Inch

Ingredients

• APPLE FILLING/TOPPING
• 3 to 4 large honeycrisp apples diced (665g after being cored)
• 75 g 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
• 28 g 2 tbsp of salted butter
• 1 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon of cloves
• 1 tablespoon of boiled apple cider or regular apple cider (see note below)
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of water
• CAKE
• 1/3 cup 75g of salted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup 58mL of olive or avocado oil, 58 mL
• 1/2 cup 105g of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp 85g of light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs room temp
• 1/3 cup 80g of full-fat sour cream, room temp
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups 230g of all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup 120mL of milk, room temp
• APPLE CIDER GLAZE
• 3/4 cup 29g of powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons of boiled apple cider see notes
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place a piece of parchment paper across the bottom of a 9-inch springform or loose-bottom pan. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick spray.
• Make the Apple Filling:  Add all the apple filling ingredients except the corn starch and water to a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, for about 8-10 minutes—or until the apples are tender and the mixture has caramelized.
• Stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved, and then stir into the apples over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the juices thicken up. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Make the Cake Batter:  Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the oil, then the sugars, and then the eggs (giving it a good 30-second whisking to emulsify). Then whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and gently fold in with a spatula until halfway combined, then pour in the milk and continue folding everything together until JUST combined.
• Assemble: Spread half the batter in your prepared pan. Add half the apple filling mixture on top, in an even layer. Then spread on the remaining batter, and repeat with the remaining apples.
• Bake and glaze:  Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs – not wet batter. 
• While the cake is baking, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and boiled apple cider until smooth. If it's too thick, add the tiniest bit of water or milk.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then release the sides and drizzle on the glaze. Place the cake on a cooling rack to cool for 30-40 more minutes before slicing and serving (this lets the crumb set).
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, or room temp for a day.

Notes

• You can purchase boiled cider online. Just be sure the only ingredient is apple cider. Or you can boil down (reduce) apple cider into a thicker boiled cider…this takes 2-6 hours to do properly with a big batch, but I did just a cup or so and it took maybe 45 minutes. Do not use apple cider vinegar.