Go Back
A square of Edna Lewis's apple cake with caramel glaze on a white plate with a fork.
Print Recipe
4.82 / 11 votes

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

This apple cake with caramel glaze from Edna Lewis is pudding-like and laden with apples, pecans, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 751

Ingredients

For the apple cake

  • Butter, for the baking dish
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • About 3 pounds apples, (such as Granny Smith or Winesap), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups not-too-finely chopped pecans

For the caramel glaze

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the apple cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
  • In your largest bowl or container, beat the sugars and oil until very well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and gradually add to the sugar and eggs, mixing just until well blended. Stir in the vanilla. Then incorporate the apples and pecans. The batter will be quite thick and mostly apples.
  • Scrape the batter into the buttered baking pan.
  • Bake the cake until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, 60 to 75 minutes. (You may want to begin checking the cake for doneness after 50 minutes.) Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan while you prepare the caramel glaze.

Make the caramel glaze

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add both the sugars and the salt. Stir until blended, and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Assemble the apple cake

  • Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the apple cake and pour the warm caramel glaze over the surface. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
    Caramel sauce being drizzled over Edna Lewis's apple cake with caramel glaze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 219mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 56g