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    Grits and Pinecones » Recipes » Desserts

    Easy Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze

    September 29, 2022 by Sharon Rigsby 19 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest pin, showing a whole apple cake baked in a bundt pan.

    Easy Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze is an amazingly simple, made-from-scratch moist apple cake.

    With three cups of apples and a cup of roasted pecans, this old-fashioned cake is a cross between a coffee cake and a quick bread like my Apple Bread or Sweet Potato Bread. But when it’s topped with the luscious caramel glaze, it morphs into an apple dessert lovers’ dream!

    A slice of apple cake on a stack of white plates.

    The origin of Apple Dapple Cake is a little murky, but it appears that this decadent apple cake has been around for decades and passed down through southern families for generations.

    Jump to:
    • Cake Ingredients:
    • Glaze Ingredients:
    • Step by Step Directions:
    • Recipe FAQs:
    • Sharon’s Tips:
    • More Apple Recipes:
    • 📋 Recipe:

    Cake Ingredients:

    Ingredients for an apple cake including apples, pecans, and flour.
    • All-purpose flour
    • Kosher salt and baking soda
    • Pecans – roasted and chopped
    • Vegetable oil, you can substitute coconut oil
    • Granulated sugar
    • Eggs – room temperature
    • Vanilla extract
    • Apples – I love the combination of Honey Crisp and Granny Smith. However, any variety of apple works, so use your favorite or what you have on hand.  

    Glaze Ingredients:

    Apple Dapple Cake caramel glaze ingredients including brown sugar and heavy cream.
    • Brown sugar
    • Heavy cream – half-and-half or whole milk can be substituted.
    • Butter

    Step by Step Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
    2. Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 12-cup bundt pan or angel food tube cake pan with a baking spray containing flour. Or, grease the pan with a tablespoon of butter or shortening. Then, add a tablespoon of flour to the pan and swirl the flour around. Shake or tap the pan to remove any excess.
    Spraying baking spray into a bundt cake pan.
    1. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Then use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients.
    Electric mixer beaters in a bowl of oil, sugar, and eggs.
    1. In a smaller bowl add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix well with a whisk or fork.
    Flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl with a whisk.
    1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine using your electric mixer. The batter will be stiff.
    Cake batter in a clear glass bowl.
    1. Add the apples and pecans to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
    Chopped apples and pecans in a bowl with cake batter.
    1. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the oven for one hour.
    A bundt cake pan full of cake batter with cut up apples.
    1. About ten minutes before the cake is done, make the Caramel Glaze by combining the brown sugar, cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
    Butter, brown sugar, and cream in a small sauce pan.
    1. After the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about three minutes.
    2. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and pour the caramel glaze over it while it is still in the cake pan.
    Pouring caramel glaze over an apple cake baked in a bundt pan
    1. Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before removing the cake. To remove it from the pan, take a plate that is a bit larger than the rim of the cake pan, place it on top of the pan, and holding both the plate and the pan, flip it over. The pan should lift right off!
    Apple dapple caked topped with caramel glaze on a white cake platter.

    Recipe FAQs:

    Can this cake be made in advance?

    Yes, this cake can be made up to 48 hours in advance.

    Leftovers and storage?

    Leftovers can be stored tightly covered on your kitchen counter at room temperature for up to two days. After that, you should store them in the refrigerator.

    This cake also freezes well.

    Recipe variations and substitutions?

    You can substitute walnuts, sliced almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and cashews for the pecans in this recipe. You could also add a handful of dried cranberries or cherries if you prefer.

    You can substitute firm pears for the apples. If you want to spice things up a bit, you can also add about a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.

    What to serve with this dessert?

    A scoop of vanilla ice cream would pair nicely with a slice of this cake, or it can be eaten as is.

    Sharon’s Tips:

    • This recipe calls for baking the cake in a 12-cup bundt pan or angel food cake pan. You can substitute a 10-cup pan, but be aware that the batter will rise to the top when baking and it will be hard to add the caramel glaze without it running over the sides of the pan. If you use the smaller size, you might want to add half of the glaze, then when the cake is removed from the pan, pour on the other half.
    • If your pecans are not toasted, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 350 °F oven and roast for three to four minutes for pieces or eight to ten minutes for pecan halves.
    • When measuring flour, use the spoon and level measuring method. That is, spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then use a straight side of a knife and level it off before adding it to your recipe.
    • Non-stick baking spray is made specifically for baking and contains flour. Regular non-stick sprays are not suitable for use in this recipe.

    More Apple Recipes:

    If you like apples as I do, you might also like these quick and easy recipes!

    • A large white bowl full of chopped salad topped with apples and pecans.
      Apple Pecan Salad Recipe with Dressing
    • Apple Pie Cheesecake with Caramel Topping on a cake stand
      Apple Pie Cheesecake with Caramel Topping
    • An apple dumpling in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream.
      The Best Apple Dumplings Recipe
    • Easy Apple Cranberry Muffins in a basket and ready to eat
      Easy Apple Cranberry Muffins

    Here are a few more recipes that feature apples: Sweet Apple and Bacon Club Sandwich, Fish Taco Bowls with Green Apple Guacamole, Crockpot Pork Chops with Apples, and Fall Harvest Salad with Apples.

    ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

    Thank you for visiting Grits and Pinecones. I hope you come back soon!

    📋 Recipe:

    Apple Dapple Cake baked in a bundt pan.

    Easy Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze

    Sharon Rigsby
    Easy Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze is an amazingly simple, moist, old-fashioned cake filled with fresh apples and covered with an easy sweet caramel glaze!
    4.58 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 680 kcal

    Equipment

    • 12-cup bundt cake pan or angel food cake pan

    Ingredients
      

    Cake Ingredients

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup vegetable or coconut oil
    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 3 eggs large or extra-large
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 3 cups raw apples peeled and finely chopped (about 3 large apples)
    • 1 cup roasted chopped pecans

    Caramel Glaze Ingredients

    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    • ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half
    • ¾ cup butter salted or unsalted

    Instructions
     

    Cake

    • Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
    • Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 12-cup bundt pan or angel food tube cake pan with a baking spray containing flour. Or, grease the pan with a tablespoon of butter or shortening. Then, add a tablespoon of flour to the pan and swirl the flour around. Shake or tap the pan to remove any excess.
    • Add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Then use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
    • In a smaller bowl add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix well with a whisk or fork.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine using your electric mixer. The batter will be stiff.
    • Add the apples and pecans to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
    • Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan, level it with an offset spatula, and bake in the oven for one hour.

    Caramel Glaze

    • About ten minutes before the cake is done, make the Caramel Glaze by combining the brown sugar, cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
    • When the cake is done, remove from the oven and pour the caramel glaze over the hot cake while it is still in the cake pan.
    • Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before removing the cake. To remove it from the pan, take a plate that is a bit larger than the rim of the cake pan, place it on top of the pan, and holding both the plate and the pan, flip it over. The pan should lift right off!

    Notes

    This recipe calls for baking the cake in a 12-cup bundt pan or angel food cake pan. You can substitute a 10-cup pan, but be aware that the batter will rise to the top when baking and it will be hard to add the caramel glaze without it running over the sides of the pan. If you use the smaller size, you might want to add half of the glaze, then when the cake is removed from the pan, pour on the other half.
    If your pecans are not toasted, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 350 °F oven and roast for three to four minutes for pieces or eight to ten minutes for pecan halves.
    When measuring flour, use the spoon and level measuring method. That is, spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then use a straight side of a knife and level it off before adding it to your recipe.
    Non-stick baking spray is made specifically for baking and contains flour. Regular non-stick sprays like Pam are not suitable for use in this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 680kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 6gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 2gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 508IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!

    Special thanks to my friend Mary Carroll for sharing this recipe with me so I could share it with you!

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Sandra H. Myers

      September 30, 2022 at 9:50 pm

      I am so glad to be on your mailing list and enjoy your recipes so much. I have been kind of looking for a good apple cake recipe. This one caught my eye. I was wondering if it would be OK to cook it in a 9X13 cake pan or glass pan?? If so, would you suggest any changes to the recipe as far as cooking time, temperature, and what to treat the pan with prior to baking. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        October 01, 2022 at 9:59 am

        Hi Sandra, I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes! Thanks so much for letting me know! For a 9×13 pan, bake it at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 50 minutes. Also, if you use a glass pan, you might want to reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees. I hope you enjoy it!
        All the best, Sharon

        Reply
    2. Judy Smith

      September 30, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      The recipe sounds so good and wondered if you could make it in mini bundt cake pans? I know you would have to adjust the cooking time.

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        September 30, 2022 at 5:50 pm

        Hey Judy, I haven’t ever made it in the mini bundt cake pans, but I’m sure it would work just fine! I hope you enjoy it!
        Sharon

        Reply
        • Judy Smith

          October 03, 2022 at 5:04 pm

          5 stars
          Just made the Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Glaze using mini bundt cake pans and it turned out wonderful. I cooked them for 30 minutes and that was perfect. This is definitely a KEEPER Recipe and if I could give it a “10” I would. I am so glad to be on your email list and always look forward to trying your recipes. Thanks so much.

        • Sharon Rigsby

          October 04, 2022 at 8:04 am

          Hi Judy, thank you so much for leaving such a sweet comment! I’m so glad you like this cake. It is one of our favorites too! In fact, I just had a slice of it for breakfast!
          All the best,
          Sharon

    3. Anne van dee

      October 10, 2021 at 9:50 pm

      I don’t suppose this cake works very well with canned apple? Just looking to try and use some up that I had and I love apple dapple cake and would love to know if it worked

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        October 12, 2021 at 10:37 am

        Hi Anne, I’m sorry, but I have never made it with canned apples, so I can’t say how it would work out. If you do decide to try it, please let me know how it turns out!
        All the best,
        Sharon

        Reply
    4. Xenia

      November 23, 2020 at 4:10 am

      5 stars
      This cake was so good!! Made it for thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it!! In one of my bites, I tasted liquor flavour but not sure why but it tasted so good. I think this cake with bourbon liquor will be a bomb. Will try it next time

      Reply
    5. Micki

      December 26, 2019 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      Made this apple cake for Christmas dinner. The whole family’s new favorite! It’s so great and really easy!

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        December 26, 2019 at 6:49 pm

        Hi Micki,
        I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake. It is one of my husband’s favorites too! Thank you so much for letting me know and Happy New Year!
        Sharon

        Reply
    6. Jane

      March 07, 2017 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      This cake is ohhhh sooo good! I added some cinnamon because you NEED it with anything apple (though in this house anything with nutmeg gets tossed out …I’m one of those people that can’t stand that flavor lol) and when it was done i poked holes all over the cake before spreading on the caramel so it could seep inside easier. I may get creative in the future and add peaches or something in place of the apples – I’m sure that would be just as delicious!

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        March 07, 2017 at 3:40 pm

        Thanks, Jane! You are right and I’ll bet the cinnamon made it even better!

        Reply
    7. Cindy

      November 24, 2016 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today, for Thanksgiving. It was delicious! And the caramel sauce…oh man! (I had some left over and my husband ate it with bananas! It was so good!)
      I was a little worried because, once mixed, the batter was very dense and thick…very unlike a traditional cake. I should have checked the cake after 50 minutes, it was just a tad over done. I also would have saved half of the sauce to put on top of the cake after it was inverted.
      I will certainly make this cake again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        November 25, 2016 at 8:10 am

        Thanks so much for sharing Cindy! I’m so glad you liked it. It’s my husband’s absolute favorite cake. I wish I had made it yesterday, I tried a new recipe and unfortunately it bombed…

        Reply
      • Kathleen Nelson

        September 30, 2022 at 11:04 am

        I don’t usually comment unless I’ve made the recipe but I think it would work well if the apples were not peeled and were grated instead. I too would add cinnamon and save half the sauce. Then serve it with vanilla ice cream and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Any thoughts please?!

        Reply
        • Sharon Rigsby

          September 30, 2022 at 5:54 pm

          Hey Kathleen, I agree with you and think your ideas should delicious! I hope you enjoy it!
          Sharon

    8. mary

      November 20, 2016 at 3:31 pm

      This recipe sounds good. I’m going to add some spices to it when I make it, maybe some cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        November 20, 2016 at 4:26 pm

        Hi Mary,
        I think you will love it and I imagine it will be delicious with some cinnamon and nutmeg.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, recipe developer, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and I like nothing better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

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