Caramel Apple Streusel Bundt Cake Recipe
I’ve been making this decadent, cinnamon-sugar spiced apple bundt cake as long as I’ve been celebrating Applepalooza which is nigh onto a century, or so it feels. For the uninitiated, Applepalooza is a two-day extravaganza of apple picking, pie making, cake baking, caramel apple dipping, cider reducing, and a general celebration of all things autumn and its main harvest in these parts, apples!
Applepalooza
Applepalooza started out being celebrated by the sister and I but after a few years in my tiny townhouse kitchen – and an explosion in production – moved to my parents’ kitchen which then included the big mother (aka one of the OBs, Mom, Bunny). People would put in orders for a pie delivery when they knew pomme hijinks were in the works.
After I moved South and the sister married, and we both had little kiddies around (Locusts, Locusts everywhere!), we’ve each been going solo though the quantity coming out of my kitchen (and the sister’s) isn’t much less. I have become more experimental, adding pies, playing with recipes, changing caramel recipes… but this cake is a constant. I’ve tried other recipes but keep coming back to this one. It’s a substantial cake, sturdy but not stodgy, apple-filled but not gooey, with the right amount of cinnamon-sugar to hold its own. It is Applepalooza in cake form.
When life hands you apples, you make apple cake
This year has been a little different. 2020 finds us not in the apple orchards, not celebrating all the fall milestones (most of my and BD’s family birthdays and anniversaries) in-person, and trying to stave off the dreaded COVID-19 (pounds, you dig?). In an homage to, and anticipation of, the next real Applepalooza, I bought apples from the store (eek!) and made this apple bundt cake to deliver as requested by Glady for her birthday.
In letting the birthday girl know a cake was coming, she made this simple but mind-blowing comment: “It would be really great if you turned your apple cider caramels (N.B. actually King Arthur Flour’s recipe) into a sauce and drizzled it over the cake.” The angels sang and my brain did a record-skip. Then the pack of apple cider caramels I had vacuum-sealed and hidden in the freezer (yes, I am that person) came out.
Let’s just say this cake is the bees knees. With the caramel sauce … the whole damn gam is out to be enjoyed. Lordy…
And not to shirk my tastely duties, I have to mention that salted caramel is just a Maldon sprinkle away. Heaven.
Lucky you
Generally, at this point, I have photos of the process under which I add my pearls of wisdom (or to some readers, more unnecessary jibber jabber) but this cake bake I really hadn’t thought about posting. After Gladys enjoyed the confection and, very kindly, was waxing poetic about the cake, I decided it needs to be shared with the world. Just the recipes and a few tips/thoughts in the Notes Section of each recipe will have to do since that’s what I have until fresh crisp apples are back in season.
If you have questions about the process please let me know. Glad to explain, accept criticism (and fix things) or just enjoy your reach-out. Stay safe and baking!
Full disclosure, I provide the King Arthur recipe for both their caramels (which is what I make) and their caramel sauce recipe for your convenience. Because my people are apple cider caramel fiends, I make the full caramel candy recipe. Then for the sauce, I simply heat a handful (or two) of caramels with cream until it’s pourable consistency.
For this cake, I use 8 oz. of caramels straight from the freezer with 2 tbsp of heavy cream, heated in the microwave on medium power, stirring every 15 seconds or so until it was pourable.
FRESH CARAMEL APPLE BUNDT CAKE
Ingredients
- 4 medium tart crisp apples (approx 1.5 lbs) peeled and cut into 1/3-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 cups plus 5 TBS granulated sugar
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp grated orange peel
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- OPTIONAL: Caramel sauce recipe below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle position.
- Butter (or oil or spray) and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Mix apple pieces with the 5 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in medium bowl.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla in large bowl; whisk until combined and smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined and smooth.
- Spoon 1/3 of the batter into prepared Bundt pan. Top with half of apple mixture. Cover with another 1/3 of the batter. Top with remaining apples, and then remaining batter.
- Put into the oven and bake until the top is brown and tester inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides of the pan to loosen. Turn the cake out onto the rack. Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The cake is better the next day … if you can wait.
Notes
Apple Cider Caramels from King Arthur Baking
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted
- 1/2 cup boiled cider RECIPE in notes below
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Apple Pie Spice SUBSTITUTE in notes below
Instructions
- TO MAKE SET CARAMELS:
- Lightly grease an 8" x 8" baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite sides. Using binder clips to hold the parchment "slings" back helps when you pour.
- Combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and boiled cider in a 4-quart, heavy-bottom, deep saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 248°F on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your particular stove. Want to make a softer caramel? See “tips,” below.
- Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the salt and spice.
- Pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan. Let it stand for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature before cutting into 1″ squares.
- To wrap the caramels, use 6″ squares of parchment paper. Place one caramel in the center of each square; wrap the opposite edges of the paper around the caramel and twist the exposed edges to close.
- TO MAKE CARAMEL SAUCE:
- To make apple cider caramel sauce, start by cutting all of the ingredient amounts in half. Boil the mixture to about 226°F to 230°F ("thread" stage on your candy thermometer). The sauce will be a spreadable consistency (like peanut butter) direct from the fridge; softer at room temperature; and will become pourable when you heat it. Store sauce for a few days at room temperature; refrigerate for longer storage. Yield: about 1 3/4 cups sauce.