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Caramel Apple Cake is the ultimate fall dessert, a buttery cake with a hidden cheesecake swirl, cinnamon apples tucked inside, and a warm cinnamon caramel sauce soaked into every bite. I made this for the first time on a *crisp Sunday in October*, and Maddie declared it the best cake I have ever baked right before Lizzie called dibs on the corner piece. If you love our caramel apple pie egg rolls, this cozy cake is about to become your new fall obsession.
It tastes like fall in cake form, part caramel apple, part cheesecake, and all cozy.
Caramel Apple Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 1047kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery cake, tangy cheesecake, cinnamon apples, and gooey caramel
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, a rewarding bundt bake like our banana bundt cake
Quick Answer
Make a rich butter cake batter and a simple cream cheese filling. Layer half the batter in a greased bundt pan, add the cheesecake filling and cinnamon apple pie filling, then top with the rest of the batter. Bake the Caramel Apple Cake at 325 degrees until set, poke holes all over, and soak it with a warm cinnamon buttermilk caramel sauce.
Jump to:
- Caramel Apple Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Caramel Apple Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Caramel Apple Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Fall Cake Recipes
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Butter Cake
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A cheesecake swirl inside. A layer of sweet cream cheese filling bakes right into the middle for a tangy, creamy surprise in every slice.
- Real apple pie filling. Using apple pie filling means tender cinnamon apples throughout with zero peeling or chopping.
- A poke and soak finish. Poking holes and pouring warm caramel sauce over the cake lets it drink up all that buttery cinnamon flavor.
- Buttermilk keeps it moist. Buttermilk in the batter makes the crumb soft and tender and helps balance all that sweetness.
- A showstopper made easy. The bundt shape does all the fancy work for you, so the cake looks bakery worthy with simple steps.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is three desserts in one, a buttery cake, a cheesecake, and a caramel apple, all baked into a single beautiful bundt.
- The cinnamon caramel sauce soaks right in, so every bite is gooey and rich, a lot like our easy fried apples.
- It feeds a crowd and looks stunning on the table, perfect for fall gatherings and holiday dessert spreads.
Key Ingredients
Here is a look at the simple ingredients that make this Caramel Apple Cake so special. Most are pantry staples, with a couple of shortcuts that keep it easy.
- Apple Pie Filling: The easiest way to get tender cinnamon apples in every bite, no peeling or precooking required. Give it a rough chop so it layers evenly.
- Cream Cheese: Whipped with brown sugar and an egg into a quick cheesecake layer that bakes right into the center of the cake.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the butter cake tender and moist, and shows up again in the cinnamon caramel sauce for a little tang.
- Caramel Bits: Little pockets of caramel in the batter, or save them to melt into the sauce, a lot like the caramel in our caramel apple pie egg rolls.
- Cinnamon and Brown Sugar: The warm, cozy backbone of the whole cake, from the batter all the way to the sauce.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This Caramel Apple Cake is easy to make your own. Here are a few tasty twists to try.
- Add nuts: Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter for a little crunch in every slice.
- Fresh apples: Swap the pie filling for peeled, diced apples tossed with cinnamon and a spoonful of sugar.
- Salted caramel: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt to the caramel sauce for a salted caramel finish.
- Make it a sheet cake: No bundt pan? Bake it in a 9×13 pan and adjust the time until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- More apple treats: Craving more, try our easy apple fritters next.
How to Make Caramel Apple Cake
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add it to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until it comes together into a smooth batter.
- In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla until smooth and creamy for the cheesecake filling.
- Spread half the cake batter into a well greased bundt pan. Spoon the cheesecake filling and chopped apple pie filling over the top, then cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 70 to 80 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool while you make the cinnamon buttermilk caramel sauce.
- Poke holes all over the cake and pour the warm sauce on top so it soaks in. Cool completely, turn out onto a stand, and finish with more caramel.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grease the bundt pan well. Get into every crease with butter or baking spray so the cake releases cleanly and keeps its pretty shape.
- Use room temperature dairy. Soft butter, cream cheese, and eggs whip into a smoother batter and a lump free filling.
- Do not overfill the pan. Leave a little room at the top so the cake has space to rise without overflowing.
- Test for doneness carefully. The cheesecake layer keeps the center moist, so look for a toothpick that comes out mostly clean, not bone dry.
- Poke while warm. Warm cake soaks up the caramel sauce best, so poke and pour while it is still in the pan.
- Cool before unmolding. Let the cake cool so it firms up and releases in one piece instead of sticking.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Caramel Apple Cake is a stunner on any dessert table, especially warm with the caramel still glossy. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream takes it right over the top.
It is the perfect finish to a fall dinner or holiday meal. Serve it after a cozy supper with a pot of coffee, or add it to a dessert spread alongside our peach upside down cake.
Love a bundt? Our banana bundt cake and baked cake donuts are more easy crowd pleasers for a sweet fall lineup.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator, then let a slice come to room temperature or warm it briefly so the caramel goes gooey again, a lot like our lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Caramel Apple Cake FAQs
Yes. Bake and soak the Caramel Apple Cake a day ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature before serving, or warm individual slices so the caramel turns gooey again.
Grease the bundt pan generously, getting into every crease, and let the cake cool before turning it out. A well greased pan and a proper cool time are the keys to a clean release.
Absolutely. Swap the apple pie filling in this Caramel Apple Cake for peeled, diced apples tossed with cinnamon and a spoonful of sugar. Cook them down slightly first so they soften as the cake bakes.
No. If you do not have a bundt pan, bake the Caramel Apple Cake in a 9×13 pan instead. Just watch the time and pull it when a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Because of the cream cheese layer, store the Caramel Apple Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Warm slices briefly before serving for the best texture.
Yes. Freeze the baked, sauced Caramel Apple Cake tightly wrapped for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Looking for your next bake? Try our pumpkin sheet cake for another easy fall crowd pleaser.
Keep the fall baking going with this pull apart pumpkin monkey bread, ready in about an hour.
In the mood for more pumpkin? These pumpkin donut holes are an easy no fry treat.
For an easy cider soaked bake, try this moist apple cider cake with whipped brown sugar frosting.
For a handheld apple treat, bake these apple pie cupcakes with vanilla buttercream.
Wash a slice down with my fizzy apple cider float.
Caramel fans, our banana sweet rolls with melted caramel are a 22 minute win.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake Mixture
- 1 Cup unsalted butter room temp
- 2 Cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 Cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 Cups apple pie filling rough chop
- 1/2 Cup caramel bits optional
Cheese filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Butter sauce
- 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully mixed. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Alternating between the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture a little at a time, add to the butter mixture starting with the dry ingredients. Once everything is fully combined, fold in the apples and caramel bits. Set aside.
Cheese filling
- Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
- Place half of the cake batter into a well greased bundt pan. Spoon the cheese filling into the center, making sure not to touch the sides of the pan. Top off with the rest of the cake batter.
- Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a little moisture is okay). Let cool on a wired rack.
Butter sauce
- While the cake is cooling, make the butter sauce by combining all the ingredients.
- Poke the cake while it is still in the pan with lots of holes all over. You can use a skewer for this or a fork. Slowly, laddle on the butter sauce. Let it absorb and keep pouring, it will absorb it all!
- Let cool completely. Take out of pan and top with Cinnamon Buttermilk Caramel Sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Looks really yummy!!! So excited for fall recipes!