Easy Apple Spice Cake with a Salted Caramel Sauce
Y’all went bananas over the two-ingredient mini pumpkin cakes I shared, so I’m back with an equally easy, but (in my humble opinion), way tastier dessert: Apple Spice Cake with a ridiculously easy Salted Caramel Sauce.
This one technically has more than two ingredients, but just barely.
All you need are apples, applesauce, and spice cake mix (and if you want to be extra fancy with it, you need two more things to make the simply-divine salted caramel sauce).
I first saw this recipe around August, just after I got pregnant, and I’ve been craving it ever since.
I didn’t make it right then and there, because I had a feeling if I did I’d eat the entire thing—by myself. My assumption was right, so it’s a good thing I waited.
This tastes like apple cider in cake form, which means it’s the perfect dessert for this holiday season (or any season).
You can make this in a variety of ways: mini cakes in a brownie pan, as a cake in the oven, or if you’re short on time and want to impress people: in the ultra-cool Rockcrok or a piece of stoneware in just 10 minutes in the microwave.
True story.
Oh, and the Salted Caramel Sauce is beyond easy to make, plus, it’s mouth-watering delicious…like I want to eat it with a spoon.
But fair warning: it’s rich. Very, very rich, but it pairs nicely with the cake. If you want to skip the sauce, sprinkle on some powdered sugar, or make your own cinnamon vanilla (or bourbon) whipped cream.
Oh you know another way you can it it? Just plain…with a fork…because it’s just that good.
Apple Spice Cake with an Easy Caramel Sauce
Apple Spice Cake with an Easy Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 red apples
- 1 pkg 15.25 oz spice cake mix
- 1 ½ cup cinnamon applesauce
Salted Caramel Sauce:
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter
- Coarse sea salt
- Optional toppings: powdered sugar, homemade whipped cream, classic vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Directions for cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° (if using Brownie Pan or nonstick, 25° cooler)
- Grease pan with oil butter
- Core and dice two apples. (I like using a Food Chopper, because it’s fast and easy).
- In a large bowl, whisk the cake mix and applesauce until blended.
- Pour half (or all if using a brownie pan) of the diced apples into the batter and mix. (If using anything other than a brownie pan, pour half of the apples onto the bottom and spread them out.)
- Spoon the batter into your pan (and over the apples if applicable) and spread evenly.
- For brownie pan, fill wells until full of batter.
- Microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the microwave, uncover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a plate.
- Oven: Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and serve. Allow cakes to cool before adding topping.
Directions for Caramel Sauce:
- Place syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until small bubbles form, stirring occasionally.
- Add butter; stir until melted. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat; let cool 15-20 minutes or until thickened (similar to the consistency of honey).
- Just before serving, drizzle with the caramel and sprinkle with salt.
slightly adapted from Pampered Chef
Make this for your next holiday gathering, or just have them around the house as a quick breakfast or snack. Your kids, family members, and guests will thank you, and you’ll just be happy you didn’t have to break a sweat to make something so tasty!