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On the morning of the first frost, my father would stand at the oven door in his socks and refuse to move until my mother’s apple dapple cake came out. He knew what came next. She always had a small saucepan of caramel going on the back burner, and the minute the cake left the oven she poured the whole pan of it over the top, still hot, while the cake was still sitting in its pan. The first time I watched her do it I was sure she had ruined it. You can hear it sizzle as the caramel runs into every crack and soaks down into the cake.
That glaze is the whole point. It is nothing but butter, brown sugar and a little milk, boiled together for about two and a half minutes until it thickens slightly, then poured over the hot cake so it sinks in instead of sitting on top. The cake itself is the old Southern kind made with oil instead of butter, so heavy with chopped fresh apples and pecans that you can hardly stir the batter. It bakes up dark, dense and moist, and the caramel keeps it that way for days. Below you will find the exact measurements and the timing for the caramel, which is the one thing people get wrong.
Why this apple dapple cake works
- Oil, not butter. Oil keeps the crumb moist and tender for days, even in the refrigerator.
- More apple than batter. Three cups of chopped apples release their juice into the cake as it bakes.
- A thick, stiff batter. It has to be heavy enough to hold the apples and nuts suspended instead of letting them sink.
- Caramel on a hot cake. A hot cake is still open and steaming, so the caramel soaks deep instead of setting on the surface.
- A short boil. Two and a half minutes thickens the glaze without turning it into hard candy.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x13 inch cake, about 16 squares. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (300ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (about 3 medium, 375g)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (115g)
For the hot caramel glaze
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- 1/4 cup whole milk (60ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt
Use firm apples that hold their shape: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or a mix. Chop them small, about the size of a fingernail, so every bite has apple in it and the cake bakes through evenly.
How to make apple dapple cake
Cake
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the oil mixture with a wooden spoon. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
- Fold in the chopped apples and pecans until they are spread through the batter. It will look like more fruit than batter. That is right.
- Spread the batter into the pan, pushing it into the corners with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Caramel glaze
- About 10 minutes before the cake is done, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and milk.
- Bring it to a full boil, stirring, then let it boil for exactly 2 1/2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a skewer and pour the hot caramel evenly over the top, still in the pan.
- Let the cake cool in the pan at least 30 minutes so the caramel soaks in and sets slightly before cutting.
Tips that make the difference
- Time the caramel so it is boiling hot when the cake comes out. Caramel on a cooled cake sits on top like frosting.
- Do not boil the glaze longer than 3 minutes or it will set hard and crack instead of soaking in.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before chopping for a deeper, nuttier taste.
- Spread the stiff batter with a wet spatula so it glides without dragging the apples.
Variations
- Walnut. Use chopped walnuts in place of the pecans, the way many Kentucky cooks do.
- Raisins. Add 1/2 cup raisins with the apples for an old-fashioned harvest cake.
- Bundt. Bake it in a greased tube pan for 60 to 70 minutes, then spoon the caramel over the top while it is still in the pan.
- Pear. Swap half of the apples for firm ripe pears.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the cake covered in its pan at room temperature for up to 3 days. The caramel keeps it moist and it is even better on the second day.
Refrigerate for up to a week. Let squares sit out for 20 minutes or warm them briefly before serving.
Freeze cut squares wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called apple dapple cake?
Nobody knows for sure. It is an old Southern and Kentucky name for a fresh apple cake with a caramel glaze, and the playful name stuck the way old cake names do.
Will the caramel make the cake soggy?
No. A dense oil cake drinks it up and turns moist and sticky, not wet. Poking holes helps it soak in evenly.
Can I leave out the nuts?
Yes. Add an extra half cup of chopped apple instead so the batter keeps the same thickness.
My caramel turned hard. What happened?
It boiled too long or too hot. Keep it to 2 1/2 minutes at a steady boil and pour it straight away.
A heavy apple cake, a pan of hot caramel, and somebody standing at the oven door waiting for the first corner. Bake it on the first cold morning of fall.
Apple Dapple Cake with Hot Caramel Glaze Poured On in the Pan
Old-fashioned apple dapple cake: a dense, moist fresh apple and pecan cake made with oil, and a hot brown sugar caramel glaze poured over it in the pan the minute it leaves the oven. Baked at 350 degrees in a 9x13 pan.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the oil mixture with a wooden spoon. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
- Fold in the chopped apples and pecans until they are spread through the batter. It will look like more fruit than batter. That is right.
- Spread the batter into the pan, pushing it into the corners with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- About 10 minutes before the cake is done, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and milk.
- Bring it to a full boil, stirring, then let it boil for exactly 2 1/2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a skewer and pour the hot caramel evenly over the top, still in the pan.
- Let the cake cool in the pan at least 30 minutes so the caramel soaks in and sets slightly before cutting.
