Autumn is the perfect time for all things apple.
Apple cider, muffins, doughnuts, fritters, cupcakes, cookies, biscuits, pies, and now, an apple spice cake with salted caramel cream cheese frosting. There is no limit to the magic of what an apple can do. They’re a versatile little fruit and I love them. You should love them, too.
On Saturday a group of my friends and I drove just over an hour from Portland to Hood River to do some of the stops along the Hood River Fruit Loop. When I say some of the stops what I really mean is a cider tasting, a wine tasting and a couple of the fruit stands. We have our priorities 😉
At the stands along the fruit loop there are plenty of apples, pears, pumpkins and other squashes for your fall decorating and cooking/baking needs. It was cloudy when we went but a clear day in Hood River cannot be beat, especially in the fall with the beautifully coloured leaves and mountain views. I tell everyone that comes to Portland to take a trip to Hood River, it’s a beautiful little town with a lot to offer. If you have a chance, go.
I didn’t buy any apples while I was there because with my kitchen looking how it does, I don’t have a lot of places to put them and other than just eating them, which is delicious, I don’t currently have a lot of ways to use them.
If I could have though used them though, I would have used them to make this cake again. It’s that good. The cake recipe itself comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction, but I added my own salted caramel cream cheese frosting on top and I think it really complements it well. I mean, salted caramel and apples? Dream combination.
Apple Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
Cake recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup grated apple (I like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
For the frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup salted caramel
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
For the salted caramel:
- 250g sugar
- 2 1/2 fl. oz. water
- 4 oz. heavy cream
- 6 oz. salted butter, sliced
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch glass pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves together in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then gently fold in the grated apple.
- Pour batter into your pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean. {If your cake is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil until done}.
- Remove cake from oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. {It takes quite a while to completely cool, so you may want to put it in the fridge after 45-60 minutes to speed the process along}.
To make the salted caramel:
- Heat sugar and water over medium heat - do not stir. Watch until it becomes a light golden brown colour.
- Next, slowly and carefully add the cream, stirring with a spatula. The caramel will bubble and foam a lot.
- Once cream has been incorporated into the caramel, monitor the temperature. Once it reaches 225°F, remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth.
- Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours.
To make the frosting:
- Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the salted caramel and vanilla extract and beat again. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl and beating after each addition, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Using a large offset spatula, pour frosting on top of your cooled cake and spread all over. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting so everything has time to set and slicing is easier.
