This caramel apple poundcake is sweet, eggy and dense but soft. And it’s covered in a rich, creamy caramel sauce that keeps the cake moist and flavorful.
Apple season has arrived! I received my first batch of CSA apples today and I’m so excited. I love apples and openly admit that I buy them year round. I can’t help myself; I use them in fresh juice, smoothies, as snacks, and in both savory and sweet recipes.
I’ve made them into muffins, doughnuts, fruit leather, you name it. And this caramel apple poundcake is the latest addition to my apple recipe collection. It has all of the qualities I love in a good poundcake- it’s sweet, eggy and dense but soft.
It has apples in every slice. And it’s covered in a rich, creamy caramel sauce that keeps the cake moist and flavorful.
I used granny smith apples in the recipe because I like the slight tartness they bring to the cake. But feel free to use your favorite apples and experiment. I only used one apple in the cake but you could probably add a second one to create layers of apple and cake.
The caramel has a pinch of salt but not enough for me to call it salted caramel sauce. Feel free to ramp up the salt just a bit for more of a kick!
Caramel Apple Poundcake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 ounces cake flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons brandy
- 1 Granny Smith apple
For the Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (half-and-half may be substituted)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and place an oven rack in the center position. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with baking spray (or use butter) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, salt and cinnamon together and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on high speed for another 30 seconds. Turn the mixer speed down to medium low and add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, allowing them to incorporate completely before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and brandy and then mix again until everything is just combined.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches and mix until the batter is just combined.
- Peel and core the apple, then slice it in half from top to bottom. With the flat sides down, slice each apple thinly.
- Spread a small amount of the batter into the reserved loaf pan. Layer the apples in the pan, overlapping each other, until the bottom of the pan is covered. Pour in the rest of the batter and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the poundcake for 70-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then gently flip onto a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the caramel sauce. Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the caramel reaches a dark amber color. Do not walk away; caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Add the cream and quickly pull your hand away because the mixture will splatter. After a moment it will calm down. Stir with a heat proof spatula or whisk until the sauce is smooth. The sugar may seize up at first which is fine; just keep stirring over the heat. Add the salt and allow the sauce to reduce, while stirring, until it reaches the desired thickness (5-10 minutes).
- Before serving, drizzle the caramel sauce over the cake.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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More Apple Recipes
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Healthy Delicious – Mini Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casseroles
Amy @Very Culinary says
Ohmyfreakingyum.
Tieghan says
Oh yay for apple season!! I was working with apples all day today and loving every minute of it! So excited for apple! This cake this amazing and I am headed to check it out now!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Drooling over that caramel sauce!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
This just screams fall to me. Like caramel apple cider cake.
Roger Stowell says
Beautiful still life shot of the apple.
Deepa@onesmallpot says
Oh i just wanna eat that sauce by the spoonful!
ThisBakerGirlBlogs says
Gorgeous cake! I don’t usually eat a lot of apples but I would happily use them for this! :)
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I want to drink that sauce. :) Gorgeous!
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
Yes, please! I too want to drink that sauce. Beautiful photos!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Looks beautiful! I’m going to head over and check it out!!
Joanne @ Fifteen Spatulas says
The first photo of the apple is ridiculous. Pure art! And I’ve never done a CSA…I need to change that next year!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
The apple photo is stunning!! Love the cake – mesmerizing drips of sauce!
Jeanette says
What a gorgeous shot of that apple! Your caramel apple poundcake looks irrestible!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
Poundcake as is sounds good enough for me, but add apple and caramel? This looks incredible!
Annette says
great photos