This salted caramel apple cake gives all the Fall vibes! It’s made with tender spice cake layers, apple filling, and homemade caramel and is frosted with silky smooth caramel buttercream.

Packing this Salted Caramel Apple Cake with Flavor

What really makes this cake so delicious is its filling! The apple filling in this cake tastes just like your favorite apple pie.

And then to really take things to the next level, it’s drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. It’s truly a match made in heaven. I swear I could eat the filling from this cake on its own and be happy!!

Substitutions and Swaps in this Caramel Apple Cake

This recipe use quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have all of them on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Brown Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Eggs – If you have an egg allergy you can use a vegan egg replacer.
• Sour cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, so canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
• Apples – You can use whatever brand of apple you like to eat! I find firmer apples like honeycrisp or granny smith work best in this recipe.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.

Tips for Filling this Cake

Whenever you fill a cake with a soft fruit filling, it’s important to assemble the cake in a way that will keep all that delicious filling place.

The secret to successfully filling a cake with soft filling is to a pipe buttercream ring around each cake layer.

The frosting acts as a dam and keeps everything place as you crumb coat and frost your cake.

I also find it super helpful to chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes once it’s stacked.

This helps those buttercream rings stay in place ever better, and prevents any sliding that can happen when crumb coating a cake like this.

Making this Salted Caramel Apple Cake in Different Sizes

I used 8″ cake pans to make this cake, but this recipe can be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can make four 7″ or 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F / 175 C for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 40-50 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.

You can also use this recipe to make a Bundt cake! Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use, and can take anywhere from 45-75 minutes. I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness and checking on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes.

The final variation of this recipe is cupcakes!! This recipe makes about 36 regular sized cupcakes. Fill 3/4 full and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Tips for Making the Best Caramel Apple Cake

• Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better.
• Don’t over-mix your batter, stir until the flour is just incorporated.
• Don’t level and torte your cake layers until they have completely cooled to room temperature.
• Pipe a ring of buttercream around each cake layer before adding the apple filling and caramel. It will help keep all that delicious goodness in place.
• Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
• If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might’ve gone awry.

Making this Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a month or the freezer for 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• This apple cake filling can be made up to a week in advance if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for a week. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this salted caramel apple cake recipe, please tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so I can see your beautiful creations.

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