Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like apple-cinnamon-caramel goodness. These flavors are just meant to be together.
Texture: The cake is ridiculously moist, tender, and slightly spongy. The glaze on top is ultra thick and luscious.
Ease: Super duper easy, but no one has to know that!
Pros: Easy, delicious, and crowd-pleasing. Perfect for the holidays (or anytime you want the house to smell heavenly).
Cons: Best for larger get-togethers, as it makes a whole lotta cake. Also, the cake should be served soon after you glaze it, otherwise it may get soggy.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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This Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake is the perfect dessert for any fall event!
Caramel + apples + cake = complete dessert perfection.
The aroma as this cake bakes is pure bliss. Lightly spiced apples waft through the air, making your whole house smell like a fall candle. Add salted caramel, and I’m in heaven.
This cake is super tender, ultra-moist, and beautifully light – not to mention it’s super quick and easy!
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my blogger friend Nikki of Chef in Training. Her post for Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake was teasing me for months, so I finally decided to make my own version of it. And it’s AMAZING.
I suggest you make this recipe for your next party, celebration, or occasion as it’s a huge crowd-pleaser. This sheet cake also makes a fantastic Thanksgiving dessert, if you have guests who prefer cake to pie!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
Why is There Buttermilk in Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake?
- Buttermilk is an important component of this Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake recipe.
- It adds a tang to help balance the sweetness, and its acidity will help further activate the baking soda (alongside the brown sugar).
- Its thick texture lends richness to the cake for added moisture and tenderness, too.
- Full-fat sour cream would be a good alternative to the buttermilk, just note the final texture will be slightly different.
- Learn more about buttermilk and substitutions in my Buttermilk 101 article here.
Measure Your Flour Correctly!
Measuring your flour correctly is essential to ensuring this Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake has the perfect texture, isn’t too dense or tough, and tastes amazing. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to weigh your flour, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method to measure your flour. This ensures that you don’t accidentally compact too much flour and end up with a sheet cake that’s dry or flavorless.
Don’t Reduce the Sugar!
It might seem simple to reduce the sugar to cut down on sweetness, but reducing sugar actually has a big impact on the texture of your cake. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
- I prefer Granny Smith apples for this Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake.
- Granny Smith apples are tart, which balances the sweetness of the salted caramel glaze beautifully.
- They also hold their shape and structure well as they bake.
- Jonathan, Golden Delicious, and Honeycrisp apples should work just fine, too.
- Feel free to use a mix of apple types.
- Be sure to chop your apples evenly, for even cooking.
How to Prepare the Apples
For even cooking, peel and chop each apple evenly. This apple corer makes quick work of prepping your apples!
Salted Caramel Glaze
- The salted caramel in the glaze takes this cake to a whole new level.
- I typically use Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce. It comes in a jar and it’s fantastic.
- If you want to go the extra mile and make the salted caramel for the glaze from scratch, check out my tutorial on how to make caramel sauce here.
The Texture of This Sheet Cake
This Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake has a slightly unique texture. It’s ultra moist and slightly spongy with a light and airy feel. I personally love how light it is – it’s the perfect dessert after a big meal! If you want a bit more structure, feel free to add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour.
The Pan for Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
I have included instructions for baking this cake in both a jelly roll pan and a slightly bigger 16.75 by 12-inch pan.
Can This be Made in a 9×13 pan Instead?
This cake was formulated for a jellyroll pan so it bakes quickly and serves a crowd. I have not tested it with a 9 by 13-inch pan, but the time would need to be increased by about 10 minutes as the cake will then be much thicker.
Help! My Glaze is Too Thick / Thin
- If your glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- If your glaze is too thick, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Can This Cake be Made Ahead of Time?
This Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake is best served the day it’s baked. The liquid from the apples and the frosting may leech out the longer it sits.
How to Store Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
- For the best taste and texture, serve this cake the day it’s baked.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.
- We have not tried freezing this Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake, but if you want to give it a try, I recommend freezing the cake unglazed. Thaw at room temperature and top with glaze once it’s back to room temp.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Galette
- Caramel Apple Streusel Pie
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Pizookies
- Pumpkin Muffins
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup water (236 grams)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups (200 grams) peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples (about 2 medium apples)
For the glaze:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup
homemade salted caramel sauce, or store-bought
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter or oil a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan or a 16-3/4 by 12-inch sheet pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the butter with 1 cup water and heat until the butter melts. Bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from heat and stir into the flour mixture. Let cool slightly then add add in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Gently stir in the apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 20 minutes if using a jelly roll pan, and about 17 minutes if using a 16.75 by 12-inch pan, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the glaze:
- Meanwhile, combine the butter and milk in a large heat-proof bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and caramel until combined. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar to thicken. Pour evenly over the slightly warm cake. Feel free to use less glaze for less sweetness. Let set for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with additional recipe tips and improvements.
Made the cake and when I went to make the glaze, it called for 1/4 cup of milk, but the directions never mention it. Do I use it or not?
Many people are asking about pan sizes. I find if I do the math – 10-x15-x1-inch jellyroll pan = 150 sq inches and holds about 10 cups of batter. A 17.25-x11.5×1-inch pan = 201 square inches and holds about 13 cups of batter. A 9-x13-x2-inch (117 sq inches) holds about 15 cups of batter . If I need to adjust pan size to what I have, I often drop temp by about 25 degrees and increase baking time by 15 minutes to start. It’s still an experiment though. Note the differences listed on the height of the pans – jellyroll will make a thin cake because they are only 1-inch deep. But it allows them to be baked and cooled quickly (as in Texas Sheet Cake). Usually, these aren’t designed to be fancy cakes; only tasty ones! Hope the math lesson makes sense and offers up some encouragement.
I made this cake today. I admit I have a new favorite! Bravo! Hats off to you! A beautiful creation. I used Gravenstein apples, as I had just been to the apple festival and came back with a 5 lb. bag. I love the flavor of the Gravenstein it only leant to a beautiful and complex flavor. The addition of the buttermilk into the rich and creamy batter was delightful. The way all of the ingredients seemed to flow like a devine orchestration seemlessly into each other. It was a pleasure to construct. Very, very good, indeed,
Thank you for adding the conversions…I have always wondered how much a stick of butter weighed, now I know. Will try this over the weekend, it sounds amazing.
Hi there!
I made this cake and while the flavors were delicious it came out really moist, but not in a good way. It had the consistency of bread pudding. I bake quite a bit and followed the instructions- any idea on what the culprit could be or tips on how to get a moist, crumbly texture over a moist pudding like texture?
It appears as though others have had similar results after adding the glaze, but it was obvious to me when I pulled it out of the oven that while cooked all the way, it was moist.
Many thanks!
Hi Sophia, that is the nature of this recipe! Sheet cakes like this are usually very moist, not crumbly.
Hi. I made this today and the cake turned out rubbery and eggy. Are u supposed to pour the hot butter and water to the dry ingredients while still hot? I’m sure my baking soda is ok because I made another cake before this one today.
I,too, wondered about the water and I did add it. I used a 1/2 sheet pan and cake was thin but I expected that. What I did not expect was the liquid that has accumulated in the pan. I made the cake 2 days ago and I would estimate there is about 3/4 cup of liquid in bottom of pan where I cut out slices. I assume that it is the apples weeping. The taste good but texture is of course EXTREMELY soggy! The apples I processessed in my food processor instead of chopping. Did that cause the problem?
I just made it….awesome!! I wish that I had read the comments earlier though. I made the cake tonight for luncheon tomorrow so I hope it doesn’t get soggy,
In the ingredients, you do not say 1 cup water, but in the instructions it
does? Also, can I use xlarge eggs? Should I wait to put the warm
glaze on it? I make Texas sheet cake and Carrot bars all the time and
they come out perfectly. First time for this, and I am confused!!
Hi Sue, water is not typically called for in the list because it’s assumed all kitchens will have it. XL eggs might work, but I’ve only tested the recipe as it’s written. Warm glaze should work fine.
Forgive me please! Clearly IN THE INGREDIENT’S LIST, you state for apples to be peeled & chopped! My over site ‼️ I am on my way to Great Cake Making‼️
Hello! I am making this cake today, like right now. Reading the recipe I noticed I’m to gently stir in apples. How are the apples to be prepped before I stir in? I don’t want to mess this up. Taking to a Social function @ Church to share with friends! Please let me know what I do to those apples properly! Thank you! Ingredients on countertop ready to go!
Hi I would like to try this recipe in a 12x 9 x3 brownie pan, will it work in that please?