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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.
Apple Cake Recipe
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.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
Nutrition
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.
Hi! Thank you so much for this recipe. I just made it for our Xmas dinner and it was a hit. As I am not a pastry baker, I have one issue that was hoping you can help with. My cake turned out not so fluffy and light as your looks in the photo. After cooling, mine sort of went a bit flat and dense. Almost like a sticky toffee pudding texture. Still tasted great, but was hoping for a fluffy cake. Also to note, when the cake had barely cooled for approx 10mins, I cut a small peice to try, and it was perfect, fluffy and light, albeit hot. Hoping you can figure why after cooling for hours it would have gone a bit dense?
Hi John, There are so many different factors that could cause falling and denseness in a cake. Here’s a great resource that may help 🙂 https://www.chatelaine.com/food/kitchen-tips/rules-for-baking-the-perfect-cake/
Thank you Lauren. After reading the link suggestions, my assumption is maybe too much apple, which led to too much moisture? Your recipe calls for 6 small/med sized apples. Do you happen to have an approx. weight of your grated apple? Also, I fine grated my apple. Do you use a fine grater or larger grate? Or would that even matter? I am thinking maybe the fine grating let out too much juice? Also, I made a mistake in my original message to you. I described my cake texture to be similar to a sticky toffee pudding. This is wrong. I meant a bread pudding. Almost like a very light bread pudding texture.
Thanks again for your help.
Hi Lauren. I just noticed you have a video of this recipe. It answers my question of the grating size. I finely grated, and in doing so, it looks like it squeezed out a LOT more juice than in your video. Your apples look quite dry compared to the wet slop of grated apple I had. This may very well be the culprit in a more dense, compact cake. The next time I bake this cake, I will report the results.
John
Hi! Going to make, do you have any other suggestions for topping besides the caramel sauce or ice cream? Would a cream cheese icing or some sort of glaze work well with this?
Sure, that would work 🙂
I made this cake today and it is rather labor intensive. Would like to serve this on Thanksgiving. Can I freeze the cake until Thursday and let it defrost for dessert after Thanksgiving dinner? I will make the caramel sauce on Thurs too.
Thank you and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Hi John,
This cakes keeps really well in the refrigerator for about 5 days! This is the option I would recommend!
For years I have been looking for an apple cake recipe like the one my aunt use to make – with little success. Until now, I can’t tell you how many disappointing cakes I have made. This recipe is it. It tastes exactly like I remember hers. Thank you so much!!!
So fun! I’m so happy you found me and that it’s just what you were looking for!
I wonder if I could put this into muffin tins for kind of an apple muffin cake?? Anyone do this before and if so what is the name time difference?
That should work just fine 🙂 . I would start checking the muffins around 25 minutes.
Made this last night and loved it–great way to use the abundance of apples on our tree this year. However, I had to skip the caramel sauce because the time listed to make the recipe didn’t include the hour it takes to make that. Fortunately, we had some vanilla ice cream on hand, and that worked great. And we had leftover cake that I froze so I plan to make the caramel sauce next time I serve it. But you might want to note at the top that the caramel sauce needs additional time.
My granddaughter & I made this cake on Saturday. Very tasty. the sauce is very good also. I will make it again. I will save a copy of the recipe for the recipe book I am making of our favorite recipes we make together . The book will be hers
Made the Apple Cake today. Delicious. Will keep the recipe to make again. I did cut the recipe in half as it is just two people here. Thanks.
Why was my cake mushy? I grated 6 Granny Smith apples. Should they have been “small” apples? Tasted good but just mushy not cake like. Toothpick came out clean after 42 min. bake time.
It must be that the apples were extra large or maybe needed a few more minutes baking.
It is a VERY moist cake but I’ve never had it turn out mushy. If the batter seems sloppy wet, I would add 1/4 c. extra flour.
The cake was very moist and delicious.. 1 1/4 cups of sugar is plenty. I also used 1tesp of allspice instead of cloves and cinimmon. Will certainly make it again.
Thanks Joan! I’m happy you liked it 🙂