Caramel Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze (Feeds a Crowd!)

Caramel Apple Cake is a sweet, moist, fall sheet cake loaded with tender apples and topped with a gooey caramel glaze…perfect for feeding a crowd!

If you enjoy caramel treats, you'll also love Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding, Caramel Coffee Creamer, and Caramel Apple Cheesecake D ip!

I have a quick question for y'all...do you prefer pumpkin desserts or apple desserts this time of year? I'd have to say that myself and my household are pretty evenly split. We love them both! I do feel like there are certain months -- namely, September through November -- that I'll bake with pumpkin. Apple, on the other hand, I deem to be acceptable year-round.

So lucky for me...and for you...and for ALL of us...this Caramel Apple Cake is perfect for these cool, crisp, "official" months of autumn! But it's equally delicious if you get a hankering for apple cake come June.

Sweet, Moist, & Decadent

Like all true Texas sheet cakes, this Caramel Apple Cake is made in a big ol' sheet pan, resulting in a giant -- albeit thin -- cake.

Texas sheet cakes are also known for being pretty darn sweet, so that means the odds are good that a small slice of cake'll do you.

And I bet we can all do the math that a big cake cut into small slices equals a whole bunch of servings.

(As a small aside, no need to comment or e-mail me saying that this Caramel Apple Cake recipe is too sweet. It's a Texas sheet cake, world renowned for being sweet. Small slices are encouraged. Please plan accordingly -- ha.)

My Lemon Texas Sheet Cake is so popular through the spring and summer that I decided it only made sense to branch into fall sheet cakes.

And as I always do for my sheet cake variations, I adapted today's Caramel Apple Cake from my beloved white Texas sheet cake recipe...except I reduced the amount of batter just a bit to allow for all of those yummy apple chunks without overflowing the pan.

Ingredients

For the Caramel Apple Cake

Butter. You may use salted or unsalted butter...whatever you prefer or have on hand will work fine.
Water. Seems weird to stir water into melted butter, I know, but such is the way of a Texas sheet cake.
Flour. All-purpose.
Sugar. Granulated.
Cinnamon. The perfect complement to apples!
Sour cream. For richness and moisture.
Eggs. Tempered. Scroll down to the heading Tempering the Eggs for step-by-step directions if you're not sure how to do this. 🙂
Pure vanilla extract.
Baking soda + salt.
Apples. Peeled and diced. For the best texture and flavor, I recommend using Granny Smiths in this Caramel Apple Cake (or another tart, firm apple variety).

For the Caramel Glaze

The following ingredients combine for a sweet and decadent caramel glaze.

Butter.
Brown sugar.
Salt.
Half-and-half.
Powdered sugar.
Pure vanilla extract.

How to Make Caramel Apple Cake

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

If you've never made a Texas sheet cake, the method for combining the ingredients might seem odd...but I promise, it works. 😉

The key to avoiding lumps in the batter is quickly stirring in one ingredient at a time until smooth. I like to use a wooden spoon.

With the rack set in the center position, preheat the oven and generously grease an 18- by 13- by 1-inch pan (commonly referred to a half sheet pan).

In a large pot set set over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the water, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat and briskly stir in the flour until smooth.

Stir in the sugar, the cinnamon, and finally the sour cream.

Stir in the tempered eggs until fully incorporated, and then mix in the vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top of the batter (make sure there are no lumps in the baking soda!) and stir them in until all ingredients are well combined.

Fold in the diced apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool.

Making the Caramel Glaze

While the Caramel Apple Cake cools, you're going to make the glaze.

Set a medium pot over medium heat and add the butter, brown sugar, and salt.

Stir over medium heat until smooth and melted, then bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully stir in the half-and half.

Return the pot to the heat and bring to another boil, stirring frequently.

Remove the pot from the heat once more and stir in the sifted powdered sugar and the vanilla until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and immediately spread it into an even layer (an offset spatula makes this job easier).

The layer of glaze will be thin, but it’s sweet enough that a thin layer is all the cake needs.

Slice and enjoy!

I'm not kidding when I say this Caramel Apple Cake turns out suuuper moist. Texas sheet cakes are always moist, mind you, but the apples in this one make it even more so.

Tempering the Eggs

Adding the sour cream considerably cools down the batter, but just to be safe, I like to temper the eggs. Tempering the eggs helps ensure that they won’t scramble/curdle when they hit the warm batter.

If you've never before tempered eggs, it's super simple!

Start with room temperature eggs.

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl.

Whisk them thoroughly.

Whisk a spoonful of the warm batter into the bowl of eggs until well combined.

Gradually whisk additional spoonfuls of warm batter into the eggs until the temperature of the eggs turns warm.

Scrape all of the tempered egg mixture back into the pot and quickly stir it into the batter.

The Best Apples to Use

I recommend using firm, crunchy apples in this cake for the best texture (so they don't cook down into mush).

When I first developed this Caramel Apple Cake recipe, I had Pink Ladies on hand, so that's what I used and they worked beautifully.

However, I've since used a tarter variety of apple when making this cake (lookin' at you, Granny Smith), which helps counter the sweetness.

For a Salted Caramel Twist

And to further offset the sweetness of this Caramel Apple Cake with its caramel glaze, I'd highly recommend sprinkling each slice of cake with a few flakes of sea salt just before serving.

If you're into salted caramel, you will especially love this garnish.

But even if you're not, I think you'll agree that the contrast of sweet and salty adds a whole new flavor profile to this cake!

So YAY for apple season! Caramel Apple Cake is a must-make fall dessert, ladies and gents...or any other season of the year that you're craving a decadent, addictive, apple dessert.

Hope you all ENJOY!

Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

I'm usually lazy about sifting powdered sugar. But for this recipe I recommend it, because if there are lumps in your powdered sugar, your glaze will also turn out lumpy. If you accidentally forget to sift though, you can simply pour your lumpy glaze onto the cake through a fine mesh sieve (to catch any lumps) and nobody will ever be the wiser. Ask me how I know... 🙂
As as alternative to the caramel glaze, you could instead frost this cake with cream cheese frosting, and even mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, if you wish. Say hello to Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake!
Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap (I prefer Press ‘n Seal). Pull the plastic wrap taut and store the cake in the refrigerator. If you want to increase the odds that the plastic wrap doesn’t stick to the glaze, use a few small, thin pieces of apple to garnish the top of the cake. This will provide a higher “layer” that the plastic wrap can rest on without touching the glaze.

More Yummy Apple Treats