The caramel apple strikes again!
I’ve been on a real caramel apple kick lately. I just can’t help myself – once the air turns nippy and the leaves start changing colors, I just start craving that apple-caramel combo that brings back so many happy childhood memories.
First I came up with Caramel Apple Pull Apart Bread, and I’ve been working on a Caramel Apple Monkey Bread (coming soon!!!) . And now, I’ve gone all out and turned the caramel apple into a real party dessert – a sheet cake that can feed two dozen people.
This starts with a plain old yellow cake mix, but you bring in the apple flavor by substituting applesauce for the oil – an old trick that also makes it lower in fat. Then, you make a caramel frosting for it by stirring a quarter-cup of caramel sundae topping into a basic vanilla frosting. And finally, to turn the caramel flavor up to eleven, you drizzle another quarter-cup of caramel topping over the iced cake and sprinkle it with toffee chips.
This Caramel Apple Sheet Cake is gorgeous to look at, with a beautiful golden swirl running all across the top. And the taste is that same classic caramel-apple combo you remember so well.
Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup water
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
Frosting:
1 container vanilla frosting
1/4 cup caramel topping
Topping:
1/2 cup health bar, crushed or toffee bites
1/4 cup caramel topping
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs and cinnamon with mixer on medium speed about 1-2 minutes until smooth.
3. Stir in apple sauce. Mix until well combined. Spread cake mixture into the baking sheet. Bake 20 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. In medium bowl, stir vanilla frosting and 1/4 cup caramel topping until well mixed.
5. Frost cake and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup caramel topping. Top with Heath Bar Crumbles or Toffee Bits.
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Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup applesauce
Frosting
- 1 container vanilla frosting
- 1/4 cup caramel topping
Toppings:
- 1/2 cup health bar, crushed or toffee bites
- 1/4 cup caramel topping
Instructions
- 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs and cinnamon with mixer on medium speed about 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Stir in apple sauce. Mix until well combined. Spread cake mixture into the baking sheet. Bake 20 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- 3. In medium bowl, stir vanilla frosting and 1/4 cup caramel topping until well mixed.
- Frost cake and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup caramel topping. Top with Heath Bar Crumbles or Toffee Bits.
Video
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Monica Corp says
I am confused. You first say to substitute apple sauce for the oil. Then in the instructions you say to mix the cake mix, oil, water, eggs and cinnamon, followed by the addition of the apple sauce. However, oil is not included in the ingredients list……how much oil do I add, or do I not add oil at all?
It looks wonderful!
Corey says
Monica, you use the apple sauce and no oil. The oil in step 2 was a misprint 🙂 All fixed now.
Monica Corp says
Thank you. I’ll give it a try.
Monica Corp says
It was wonderful! Since I detest canned frosting I made my own cream cheese frosting and added the caramel to it along with a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. It was delightful.
Stacey says
I was wondering if you could put apple pie filling in instead of applesauce. Fold the filling in. Almost like a dumb cake only you would put the frosting on it.
Corey says
Sounds like a yummy idea to me!
PAT MARSHALL says
Could you add chopped apples to the cake?
Corey says
I have only made it as written, but finely chopped apples do sound like a yummy idea.
Melissa Novotny says
So super delicious!! I bet it makes the whole house smell amazing while its baking. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Debi Bash says
Video shows a white cake mix but the directions uses a yellow cake mix. Which is correct?
Corey says
I used yellow cake mix for this recipe Debi. But if you only have white on hand, I think it would work ok.
Carol Ann Schulam says
is 1 cup of applesauce correct? Box says 1/3 cup applesauce in place of 1/3 cup veggie oil. The same for a sheet cake. I don’t want to screw up this lovely dessert.
Corey says
Yes, that is correct 🙂