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Caramel Apple Spice Cake

Caramel apple spice cake with a deeply spiced golden crumb and tender diced apples, baked in two 9-inch layers and finished with caramel cream cheese frosting. Fluffy frosting, dramatic caramel drizzle, and crunchy toffee bits make each slice extra festive.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For spice cake
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp cloves
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cup apples finely diced
For caramel cream cheese frosting
  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 0.33 cup caramel sauce
  • 4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For decoration
  • caramel sauce extra, for drizzle
  • toffee bits extra, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 2 cake pan

Method
 

Bake the spice cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease two 9-inch pans and line with parchment if desired for easier release.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add the eggs one at a time and mix in the vanilla.
  3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream, mixing just until combined after each addition.
  4. Fold in the finely diced apples gently so they’re evenly distributed without overmixing.
  5. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
Make the caramel cream cheese frosting and assemble
  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the butter until fluffy.
  2. Mix in the caramel sauce, followed by the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until the frosting is light and spreadable.
  3. Frost the cake layers and the outside of the cake with an even coating.
  4. Drizzle extra caramel over the top and scatter toffee bits on the frosting.

Notes

Pro tip: let the cake layers cool completely (not just warm) before frosting so the caramel cream cheese stays thick. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze frosted slices up to 2 months (wrap tightly, thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and replace 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar with extra powdered sugar only if needed for spreadability.