Inspired by caramel-covered apples, this spice cake is topped with a warm and luscious caramel sauce. Homemade sauce tastes best, but if you’re short on time, substitute any store-bought variety.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 1/2 cups chopped apples (from about 2 large apples)
Caramel sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10- to 12-cup capacity Bundt cake pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, oil, and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream, and mix again. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing well after each addition.
Pour enough of the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Scatter a heaping cup of apples on top of the mixture. Top with another layer of batter and a heaping cup of apples. Repeat again, finishing with the apples. Using a spatula, press the apples into the batter and smooth the top. Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert carefully on a rack to finish cooling.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully add the cream. (The mixture will violently bubble.) When the bubbling subsides, stir in the butter, salt, and vanilla. Let cool till at room temperature.
When the cake is cooled, pour the caramel sauce over the top, letting it drip down the sides.
Tip: To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, simply put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
