Caramel Apple Snack Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

This caramel apple cake is the epitome of fall – an impossibly moist spice cake, sun-ripened apples, nutty brown butter frosting and a rich swirl of caramel. And best of all, this easy snack cake is perfect for a quick weeknight bake to share with friends or keep all to yourself. Shhhh, we won’t tell.

Growing up in rural Oregon, one of my favorite signs of fall was the ripening of the apricots, plums and apples.

And on the little farm we lived on, we had one gangly apple tree of our own.

Sure, the apples were small, wormy and face-puckeringly tart, but that never stopped the local kids from gathering to feast on its bitter bounty.

And if ever there was a cake made for tart, hard-earned apples, it would be this snack-size caramel apple cake.

Prefer to watch the process?

Here’s how to make this caramel apple cake

First, prepare the apple.

Peel, quarter and thinly slice your apple (about 1/4″ slices). Since we’ll be baking the apple, you don’t need to worry if it browns slightly between this step and the oven.

A note on apple selection: While you can use any apple of your choosing, this cake pairs particularly well with tart varieties like Granny Smiths and Braeburns.

Second, make the batter.

In a bowl, whip the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar on high until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). It’s important to give the egg/sugar mixture the benefit of a full whipping here as this is part of what will help your cake rise and will lead to a fluffy texture.

While you whip the eggs and sugar, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) in one bowl and the wet (oil, milk, sour cream and vanilla) in another.

Pour half of the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the wet ingredients mixing, again, until just incorporated. Finally add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and gently whisk until combined.

Note: It’s important to mix only until the ingredients are just combined to keep the batter from becoming overmixed.

Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 8″x8″ square cake pan, layering the apples over the top of the batter.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only cooked crumbs.

Third, brown the butter.

While the cake bakes, cube the butter and place it in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the butter browns.

Note: Butter often becomes frothy as it cooks, so you’ll want to stir it regularly so you can see the butter underneath. The butter is ready when it develops little brown flecks and smells nutty.

Place the browned butter in a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature and solidify. If you need to speed up the process, you can pop it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Fourth, make the frosting.

In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the browned butter. Beat on high until smooth.

If the frosting is thick and/or chunky, add a few tablespoons of milk and continue beating until a smooth frosting forms.

Finally, assemble the cake.

Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the pan. Spread the browned butter frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula.

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the frosting and use an offset spatula or spoon to swirl it.

Expert tips

• Testing for doneness: Although tempting to wait until the toothpick comes out completely clean, doing so will likely lead to over-baking your cake. Instead, you want your toothpick to come out without any raw batter and with some cooked crumbs still clinging to it.
• Doneness of browned butter: You know your butter is adequately browned when it develops brown flecks and a nutty smell.
• Salvaging overcooked browned butter: Should you overcook your butter, you can pour it through a strainer to remove the burned flecks.
• Storage: This cake can be kept in an air tight container in the refrigerator and is best when eaten within 2-3 days.
• Making this cake for a crowd: If you need more cake, simply double the recipe and bake it in a 9″x13″ at 350F adding 5-15 minutes to the bake time.

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