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Cozy Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Cake Recipe with Toasted Pecans

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A warm and comforting apple cake featuring brown sugar, caramel drizzle, and toasted pecans, perfect for fall and easy to make in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (115g), softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (220g), light or dark
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup whole milk (120ml), or almond/oat milk for dairy-free
  • 2 medium apples (about 300g), peeled and diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (55g) for topping
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30g), melted for topping
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans (90g), toasted
  • Pinch of sea salt flakes (optional)
  • ½ cup caramel sauce (120ml), store-bought or homemade

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch round or 8×8-inch square cake pan, or line with parchment paper.
  2. Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove and cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
  6. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture in three parts, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined.
  7. Fold diced apples and half of the toasted pecans into the batter using a spatula.
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
  9. In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients: brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and remaining pecans. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Add sea salt flakes if desired.
  10. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  11. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
  12. Drizzle caramel sauce over the cake while still slightly warm.

Notes

Do not skip creaming the butter and sugar properly for a tender crumb. Toast pecans carefully to avoid burning. Use fresh apples for best texture. Warm caramel slightly if too thick before drizzling. For gluten-free, swap flour with gluten-free blend. For dairy-free, use coconut oil and plant-based milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown sugar, caramel, apple cake, toasted pecans, fall dessert, easy cake, cozy dessert

Find it online: https://tempotaste.com/cozy-brown-sugar-caramel-apple-cake-recipe-with-toasted-pecans-easy-and-perfect-for-fall/