Fresh Apple Cake

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My Grandma's Fresh Apple Cake is the most delicious spiced cake loaded with grated apples and finished with a simple caramel sauce poured over the top. It's the fall dessert my family requests on repeat every single year.

Grandma's Special Apple Cake

This Apple Cake is one of my most treasured family recipes on this site. I love how food can link us with loved ones who have passed on.

You will love how easy this is to make–like no peeling the apples– just grate them skin-on, right into the batter. You can also use whatever apples are in your fridge, allowing you to make it practically anytime. Also, the caramel sauce is a non-negotiable! I can't wait for you to try this delicious apple cake recipe.

Take advantage of my recipes for apple season and try my Apple Crisp, Applesauce, Apple Pie, Baked Apples, Apple Crisp, Caramel Apples, and Apple Coffee Cake!

How to make Fresh Apple Cake:

Caramel Sauce (make ahead): You can use your favorite high quality store-bought sauce, but I recommend saving the money and making your own. It tastes better and is so easy and affordable. Just combine all caramel sauce ingredients in a glass bowl. Bring a couple inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan and place the glass bowl on top (or use a double broiler). Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally for one hour – that's it! Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Make Batter: Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the eggs, then stir in the grated apple. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Bake: Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve: Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve warm with the caramel sauce and whipped cream.

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Apple Cake Recipe

Author: Lauren Allen

This Fresh Apple Cake recipe will be the highlight of your Fall season! It has a delicious moist spice cake with grated apples, topped with a simple caramel sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings: 15

Cost: 15

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Equipment

• 9×13 metal baking dish
• Box Grater
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

• ▢ 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.
  1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
• 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.
  2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 large eggs, 6 small/medium apples*
• Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. 
  2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
• Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix, just until incorporated. Stir in walnuts, if using.
  1 cup chopped walnuts
• 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

Yield: 15 squares. Serving Size: 1 square. 

Apples: I usually prefer Granny Smith in baked desserts like apple crisp or baked apples, but as Grandma said, you can use any type of apple for apple cake.

Freezing Instructions: Once cooled, cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Enjoy cold, or rewarm in the oven on low heat, or warm individual slices in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Calories: 408kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 344mg, Potassium: 100mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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*I originally shared this recipe November 2014. Updated November 2020, October 2022, September 2024 and August 2026.