This Fresh Apple Cake recipe will be the highlight of your Fall season! The delicious moist spice cake is made with grated apples, then served with a simple caramel sauce and scoop of ice cream.
Make sure to try all of my apple recipes this season, including Baked Apples, Caramel Apples, Apple Pie, or this yummy Caramel Apple Dip to eat with your fresh apples!
Generations of love come along with this Apple Cake.
Generations of love come along with this Apple Cake.Treasured family recipes are so special; not to get overly cheesy, but I love how food can link us with loved ones who have passed on. <3 My grandmother's fresh apple cake recipe has been a favorite for generations. You don't have to peel the apples–we just grate them right into the batter, and you can really use any type of apple you have on hand. Just don't don't skip the caramel sauce because it makes this cake irresistible!
How to make Apple Cake:
Make Caramel Sauce: Combine sauce ingredients in a glass bowl and place on top of a saucepan with simmering water. Let it simmer while the cake cooks.
Grate Apples: Keep the peels on the apples and grate them with a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor.
Make Batter: Mix butter, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl then stir in grated apples. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl then pour into the wet ingredients and stir only until just incorporated. Don't over mix!
Bake: Spread batter evenly into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs.
Serve with caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream!
Freezing Instructions:
To Freeze: Let cake cool completely then cover with plastic wrap and two layers of tinfoil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Enjoy cold or rewarm the whole pan in the oven on low heat, or warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds.
More Apple Recipes:
- Apple Crisp
- Baked Apples
- Applesauce Muffins
- Apple Coffee Cake
- How to make Caramel Apples
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Apple Pie
- Waldorf Salad
- Applesauce
- Applesauce Bread
- Apple Pecan Salad
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Recipe
Apple Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter , room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 6 small/medium apples* , grated with peel on (discard the core)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 cup chopped walnuts , optional
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Easy Caramel Sauce (can be made ahead): Place all caramel sauce ingredients in a large glass bowl and stir to combine. Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Turn it to a low simmer. Set glass bowl over the saucepan (or use a double boiler) and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and mix well. Stir in the big pile of freshly grated apple.
- Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix, just until incorporated.
- Bake in a greased 9×13 inch pan for 45-60 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with caramel sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe November 2014. Updated November 2020, October 2022 and September 2024.
This post contains affiliate links.
Made this divine cake and caramel syrup today. My husband and I decided to eat dessert before dinner ? It really is an amazing cake. Planning on sharing it with friends who are drooling over the photo I text them?Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing Marjorie!
In terms of cloves, are we talking ground cloves?
Yes, ground cloves 🙂
Hello, this looks delicious and I can’t wait to try this. I love apple and caramel, and I’ve also found your recipe for Caramel Apple Bundt Cake. Is there a way to subscribe to your site? I am not on Facebook, so I wondered if you have email or RSS subscriptions. Thank you.
Hi Brian, Thanks for your interest! You can subscribe to my email list (I send one email each week) on my sidebar on the right hand side of my homepage. I’m also on Instagram (@tastesbetterfromscratch) and Pinterest (betrfromscratch) if you use either of those 🙂
Thank you, Lauren. I’ve found the sign-up option and I’ve subscribed. Can’t wait to get your mail-outs.
Send me your web site.
John.ruthhoog@gmail.com
Great cake. Everyone-including husbands- wanted recipe. I added 2 Tbl old Royal crown’s Apple bourbon to the sauce which sent it over the top. Also added about 1/4 cup of ghiradelli white chocolate chips to caramel sauce causing all to lick their plates- well, the men. Thanks for great recipe=^.^=. Ps send me note and I’ll tell you easier way to do cream cheese middle?
Please provide your cream cheese in the middle method. Very interested. The Apple liquor in the sauce withe the white chocolate sounds good. What about in the cake itself? You know like a butter rum cake?
I can’t wait to try this. We love autunm.
This cake is awesome!! I probably will use just a bit less of the cloves. Thank you sooooo very much for sharing!!
Thanks Terry! Happy you liked it!
Sorry I was referring to the link for the caramel sauce.
Sorry I was referring to the link for the caramel sauce.
Just made it and it is trully delicious!
Thanks Isabela! I’m so happy you liked it!
I made this using Jonathan apples; I didn’t have a grater so I roughly chopped the apples. Turned out pretty nice!! would be great with ice cream, whipped cream, or the caramel sauce you posted.
Great recipe I can’t wait to try it. Apple cake mmmmmmgood