Apple Caramel Carrot Cake
Why This Carrot Cake Is So Good
- My daughter’s birthday falls in autumn, so I get to make her a fall-themed cake every year, and caramel apples are exactly the kind of flavor I look forward to using.
- I actually prefer the cake part of any cake over the frosting, so a moist, easy carrot cake like this one is always my first pick when I’m the one baking it.
- Carrot cake batter doesn’t need precise mixing or a stand mixer, so this comes together with a bowl and a whisk.
- Caramel apples show up twice, folded into the batter and layered in the middle, so every bite gets some.
- Using dulce de leche in the filling instead of thin caramel keeps the layers from sliding apart, since it’s thick enough to actually stay put between the cakes.
What You Need for Apple Caramel Carrot Cake
Carrots – fresh carrots, finely grated, give the best flavor and moisture here, much more than pre-shredded bagged carrots, which tend to be drier.
Granny Smith apples – their tartness balances out the sweetness of the caramel and brown sugar in the filling. A sweeter apple variety would make this cake taste one-note sugary.
Dulce de Leche – used in the filling because it’s noticeably thicker than regular caramel and much creamier, which lets it hold its place between the cake layers instead of running out the sides.
Caramel topping – this thinner style of caramel is what you want for the drizzle on top, since it’s easy to pour and won’t sit as a thick blob.
Cream cheese and butter – both should be softened before beating for the smoothest frosting.
How to Make Apple Caramel Carrot Cake
- Make the apple filling – Peel, core, and dice the apples. Melt butter in a pot, add the apples, then stir in brown sugar and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, then drain off the accumulated juices before stirring in the dulce de leche. Draining the juices here keeps the cake from turning soggy once the apples are folded in.
- Mix the cake batter – Whisk together eggs, oil, and sugar vigorously for about a minute, then whisk in the flour and baking soda just until combined. Stir in the grated carrots, then fold in 1 cup of the cooked caramel apples.
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly between two greased and floured 9-inch round pans. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then run a greased knife around the edges and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting – Beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed for a couple of minutes. Lower the speed to add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then raise it back up and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble – Level both cake layers by slicing off the domed tops with a serrated knife, which gives you a flat surface to stack evenly. Spread dulce de leche over the bottom layer, top with the remaining caramel apples, then pipe a thin layer of frosting over the apples before adding the second cake layer upside down, cut-side down.
- Frost and finish – Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and pipe more around the edge, or frost the sides fully if you’d rather not go the naked-cake route. Sprinkle crushed pecans over the top and drizzle with caramel topping.
Apple Carrot Cake Recipe FAQs
Yes, carrot cake generally freezes well. For the best texture, freeze the cake layers unfrosted, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2-3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and assembling.
Cream cheese frosting can also be frozen, but it tends to soften, can break, and can turn watery once thawed. So freezing the layers plain and frosting fresh gives a better result.
Yes. The apples and cake layers can both be made a day ahead. You can assemble the cake completely a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator in a cake carrier. Then pulled out an hour or two before serving.
For the filling, dulce de leche is recommended since regular caramel is too thin and won’t hold between the layers. For the topping, regular caramel actually works better than dulce de leche, since it’s thinner and easier to drizzle. But you can use it, just warm it up for a few seconds so it drizzles easier.
Either works. This recipe as written makes enough frosting for a naked-style cake with a thin coat. If you want the top and sides fully covered, make 1.5 or even double the recipe of the frosting. Leftover frosting works great at a dip for strawberries or other fruit
Store the assembled cake in an airtight cake carrier for up to 4-5 days. Pull it out an hour or two before serving so it’s not served cold.
More Recipes From Me
- Caramel Apple Pie with Cookie Crust
- Salted Caramel Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Apple Pie Bread Pudding
- Apple Pie Cheesecake
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Caramel Apple Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 3 cups finely grated carrots lightly packed
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup caramel apples from below
Apple Filling:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and diced
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Dulce de Leche
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1/4 cup Dulce de Leche
- 1/4 cup Caramel topping
- 3/4 cup Crushed Pecans optional
Instructions
Apple Filling:
- Peel, core and dice the apples.
- In a medium pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced apples and stir well.
- Add brown sugar, stir, and cover with a lid.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft.
- Drain off the juices accumulated during cooking.
- Stir in Dulce de Leche until evenly incorporated. Set aside to cool.
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.
- Grate carrots on a fine grater and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and sugar. Whisk vigorously for about a minute.
- Add flour and baking soda and gently whisk until completely incorporated.
- Stir in carrots.
- Fold in 1 cup of cooked caramel apples into the batter.
- Separate the batter among the 2 prepared baking pans. (You can weigh them on a scale to make sure that the batter is divided equally.)
- Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Take the cakes out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Gently run a greased butter knife along the side of the cake pan to help separate the cake from the pan. Gently tap the cake pans on the counter to loosed the cake a bit, tip the cake pans, and take the cakes out of the pans.
- Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make sure the cakes and the apples are cooled completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer of high speed for a couple of minutes.
- Turn down the speed to low and add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- As the sugar gets mixed in, bring the speed back up to medium-high. Beat for another minute.
- Turn off the mixer and scrape sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn the speed back up and beat for another minute or so.
Assembling the cake:
- Fill a piping bag with cream cheese frosting.
- To make your cakes straight, cut off the domes of both layers of the cake. It’s easiest to use a large serrated bread knife.
- Spread 1/4 cup of Dulce de Leche over the bottom layer.
- Spread remaining caramel apples over the bottom layer of the cake.
- Pipe a thin layer of frosting over the apples.
- Add second layer of the cake upside down, cut part down onto frosting.
- Decorate the top by spreading a very thin layer of the frosting over the top first and then pipe some frosting over the edge. You can add some crushed pecans in the middle.
- Drizzle caramel topping all over the top of the cake.
Nutrition
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Categories:
Apple Recipes, Cake Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fall Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Oh my! This cake is awesome. And the other suggested recipes are amazing too! Thank you for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thank you so much, Linda!!