Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake

A salted caramel sheet cake filled with juicy apples for a sweet and fruity dessert!

I do not think one can ever tire of the apple-caramel pairing that are easily married into desserts. Their flavour profiles are of similarity, if you pick the right apple that's naturally sweet then it is bound to pair with caramel which is essentially sugar. And yet despite the amount of sweetness this pairing seems to clasp, its not sickly or overbearing and is perfectly moreish. Which is why most autumnal recipes, especially on my blog, will feature this beloved coupling! I had some qualms about how to incorporate the apples into a caramel cake; was it to be a layered cake, a sandwich cake with apple filling or a caramel cake with apples on top? The plethora of ideas kept coming but I knew that all I wanted, was the caramel and the apples to be within the sponge. But the sponge had to be soft, not too dense and strong enough to hold the apples in its arrangement. Alas, the sheet cake was the winner in shape with cubed apples running through and then a simple salted caramel buttercream to complement the cake. Can this cake be eaten without the buttercream? Yes I do't see why not, it is certainly moist enough for that. But I find some wetness such as a glaze or an icing helps to aid in the pleasantries of eating the cake. make the buttercream, you won't regret it.

If you love salted caramel and apples....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

• Salted Caramel Loaf Cake
• Apple and Blackberry Crumb Cake
• Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Serves: 12 

Notes:

• You can use any apples you like, I don't think it will make a huge difference though some apples like Pink Lady I find are juicier and some like Granny Smithy are a little more crispy. 
• I've cubed the apples in the cake but you could also grate them for a finer texture but I wanted little chunks of apple running through the sponge. 
• Store-bought caramel works well here but there are lots of recipes to make your own if you feel confident enough. 

Ingredients

Cake

• 350g self-raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• 150g butter, melted
• 160g applesauce
• 180ml soya milk + 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp caramel
• 250g apples, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 tsbp flour

Buttercream

• 130g butter
• 300g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp caramel
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160℃ and grease and line a rectangle baking tray (mine measured 8x11cm).
2. Mix together the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to create a 'buttermilk' and leave for 5 minutes.
3. in a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and butter then mix in the caramel, 'buttermilk' and applesauce.
4. coat the cubed apples with the flour and set aside. 
5. Fold in the flour, bicarb of soda and salt into the wet mixture then fold in the apples evenly.
6. Spoon the batter into the baking tray and spread out into an even layer. 
7. Bake for about 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean then leave to cool in the tin before removing on to a wire rack. 
8. Make the icing. Beat the butter with an electric whisk or in a standing mixer then gradually add the icing sugar and salt.
9. Lastly add the caramel and mix in till smooth. Add more caramel if you want a stronger, sweeter icing.
10. Spread the buttercream on top of the cooled cake
11. Optional to drizzle more of the caramel on top of the buttercream. Slice and serve.
12. Best stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Christina

xx