Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cake

Name: Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: 10 - 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 3 c. (360 g.) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. ground ginger; 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 1/4 c. (250 g.) packed light brown sugar; 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 c. (100 g.) granulated sugar; 1/4 c. neutral oil; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 3/4 c. apple cider; 1/2 c. buttermilk; 4 tbsp. unsalted butter; 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into 1" cubes; 1/2 c. (105 g.) packed light brown sugar; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 2 tsp. cornstarch; 1 1/4 c. (150 g.) all-purpose flour; 1/2 c. (100 g.) packed light brown sugar; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1/2 c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed; 2 batches cream cheese frosting; 3/4 c. homemade or store-bought salted caramel sauce, divided

By Taylor Ann SpencerPublished: Sep 29, 2023

Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

1 Rating

salted caramel apple crumble cake topped with caramel and crumbs on a cake stand

PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Yields:

10 - 12 serving(s)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 40 mins

Cal/Serv:

934

Jump to recipe

Ready to flex your fall baking skills? Then you’ve come to the right place. Featuring three layers of tender, lightly spiced apple cider cake sandwiched with apple pie filling, buttery crumble, and salted caramel, this apple crumble cake recipe will delight and impress anyone who’s lucky enough to snag a piece.

The key to making this cake is to look at it as many smaller recipes rather than one huge project. Of the four made-from-scratch components—cake, apple filling, crumble, and cream cheese frosting—at least three (if not all!) of them can be made a day or even two days before assembling and serving the cake. Make your life easier by cooking the apples and making the frosting on day one, baking the cakes and crumble on day two, and assembling and serving the cake on day three. As long as all components are cooled thoroughly and wrapped tightly or stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator, they’ll stay plenty fresh overnight. And you’ll be able to assemble the cake MUCH easier if most of the elements are well chilled.

Assembling a multi-layered cake like this is more about basic construction skills than it is about fine pastry skills: Each layer, whether it’s cake, frosting, or filling, will impact the cake’s overall structural integrity. Don’t be intimidated, but work through the cake build carefully, constantly assessing. Is the dam of frosting around the edge thick and tall enough to hold in the apples and crumble? Is that frosting getting too warm? You may need to pop the half-built cake (and frosting) in the refrigerator for an hour to chill it down.

Depending on your skills, the temperature of your kitchen, and the finish you want to achieve, you might be able to build and finish the entire cake all at once, but for most people (including me!), I recommend building the cake and applying a thin layer of frosting—this is called a crumb coat—all over before popping it in the fridge to chill for at least two hours. Once the cake is really cold, you’ll be able to add that final layer of frosting more easily and get a much neater look.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!

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Ingredients

Spice Cake

Cooking spray
3 cups
(360 g.) all-purpose flour
2 tsp.
baking powder
1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.
baking soda
1/2 tsp.
ground ginger
1/2 tsp.
ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
1 1/4 cups
(250 g.) packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup
(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup
(100 g.) granulated sugar
1/4 cup
neutral oil
4
large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup
apple cider
1/2 cup
buttermilk

Apple Filling

4 Tbsp.
unsalted butter
3
Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup
(105 g.) packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
2 tsp.
cornstarch

Crumble

1 1/4 cups
(150 g.) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup
(100 g.) packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
1/2 cup
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Assembly

2
batches cream cheese frosting
3/4 cup
homemade or store-bought salted caramel sauce, divided

Directions

Spice Cake
1. Step 1Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Grease 3 (8") round pans with cooking spray. Line pans with parchment.
2. Step 2In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add oil and beat until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
3. Step 3Add one-third of dry ingredients and apple cider and beat on low speed until just combined. Add another third of dry ingredients and buttermilk and beat until combined, then add remaining dry ingredients and beat just until no dry streaks remain. Divide batter among prepared pans (about 465 grams per pan).
4. Step 4Bake cakes until risen and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 22 to 28 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pans.
5. Step 5Make Ahead: Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Individually wrap cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Apple Filling
1. Step 1In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Step 2In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water. Pour slurry over apples and stir to incorporate. Return to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more. Let cool completely.
3. Step 3Make Ahead: Apple filling can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool, then store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Crumble
1. Step 1In a medium bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and toss until all butter cubes are coated in flour mixture.
2. Step 2With clean hands, continue to toss, smushing butter between your fingertips, until butter is flattened into large shards. Continue to toss, rubbing butter into finer and finer pieces, until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal and holds together in lumps if pressed.
3. Step 3Spread crumble mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
4. Step 4Preheat oven to 350°. Bake crumble from frozen 10 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with a heatproof spatula to redistribute. Continue to bake until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes more (crumble will crisp as it cools). Let cool.
5. Step 5Make Ahead: Crumble can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool, then store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Assembly
1. Step 1If cream cheese frosting has been chilled, place in the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and pliable, about 30 seconds.
2. Step 2Transfer 1 1/2 cups frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1" round tip. Set remaining frosting aside.
3. Step 3If caramel sauce is cold and stiff, heat in the microwave in 15-second increments until smooth and pourable.
4. Step 4Using a serrated knife, level tops of cooled cakes. Discard (or eat!) trimmings.
5. Step 5Place 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread top with an even layer of frosting (about 3/4 cup). Pipe a ring of frosting around edge of cake, then pipe another ring of frosting directly on top of that ring, creating a tall dam to hold the fillings in. Fill with 1 cup apple filling. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crumble. Drizzle crumble with 2 tablespoons caramel.
6. Step 6Place another cake layer on top. Spread top with an even layer of frosting. Pipe a double-stacked ring of frosting around edge of second layer as before. Fill with 1 cup apple filling, 1/2 cup crumble, and 2 tablespoons caramel. Place third cake layer on top smooth side up.
7. Step 7Frost top and sides of cake with a thin coat of frosting, then refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Refrigerate remaining frosting.
8. Step 8When ready to finish, stir remaining frosting until smooth and pliable. Apply a clean layer of frosting over crumb coat. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup caramel, then top with remaining crumble.