Caramel Apple Bundt Cake – Carnival Foods at Home

What’s your favorite thing about summer? If the words carnivals, fairs or festivals were in your answer then you’re going to love what I have for you today. Today is the beginning of the Carnival Foods at Home series that I’ll be sharing all summer long.  To kick it off I’ve taken a nostalgic carnival treat and given it new life in the form of bundt cake.

There are so many great things about bundt cake, but my all time favorite is icing/frosting them. You don’t have to make it perfect or even pretty for that matter. You can simply dump whatever bit of ooey gooey goodness you choose over it. In this case that ooey gooey goodness is in the form of homemade caramel. I dumped it on the plate and let it sit overnight to soak into the cake and give it that out of this world flavor I hoped for.

You’d think something this amazing would be difficult to make. In all reality this is so simple, even the caramel is flawless if you use a thermometer (or have experience making caramel already.) Of course you don’t need to dump the caramel like I did, but I wanted it to thicken and harden a bit on the cake to give it that candy like coating. You know, like on a caramel apple – where you bite through it to get that bite of crisp sweet magic waiting beyond that caramel coating.

Okay, so I know you’re mouth is probably watering enough by now and you’re ready for the recipe. Here ya go! I adapted the cake recipe from Martha Stewarts Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake.

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

Amber

2 from 1 vote

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• For the Cake
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 medium apples cored and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• For the Caramel
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 stick unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream warm

Instructions

 

• For the Cake
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray your bundt pan with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Gently whisk until smooth.
• Slowly whisk in the dry ingredients until they're combined. Don't beat or mix too much - you just want the dry ingredients to incorporate into the wet.
• Use a spoon to turn the apples into the batter and pour into the bundt pan.
• Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then turn out onto a serving dish.
• While the cake is baking start preparing your caramel.
• For the Caramel
• In a small sauce pan heat the heavy cream over low heat.
• Add the Sugar and water to a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat without stirring.
• Allow the sugar mixture to continue boiling until it reaches 360 degrees F or a deep amber color.
• Once the caramel reaches the desired color/temperature remove it from the heat and slowly add the sliced butter. Be careful as this will most likely sizzle and splatter.
• Pour in the heavy cream and allow it to settle (stop sizzling/bubbling.)
• Whisk for 10 - 15 minutes until the caramel begins to thicken and becomes smooth.
• Let it cool for 15 - 20 minutes before topping your cake.