Description
Homemade apple pecan cake with caramel glaze delivers comfort and warmth from Southern kitchens. Sweet seasonal ingredients blend perfectly, creating a delightful dessert that satisfies classic autumn cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped apples
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (325 grams)
Cake Dry Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cake Wet Ingredients and Sweeteners:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (113 grams)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter (57 grams)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing and lightly dusting with flour to prevent sticking.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, combining flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly distributed.
- In a separate large bowl, whip butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light, airy, and pale in color.
- Incorporate eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, ensuring each is fully blended before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract for additional depth of flavor.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring gently to create a smooth, consistent batter without overmixing.
- Gently fold chopped apples and pecans into the batter, distributing them evenly throughout to ensure balanced flavor in each slice.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time to ensure uniform baking.
- Test cake doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean with minimal crumbs.
- For the caramel glaze, combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Cook the glaze for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning, then remove from heat and incorporate vanilla extract.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling with the warm caramel glaze, ensuring an even coating across the surface.
Notes
- Choose fresh, crisp apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best texture and flavor balance in the cake.
- Toast pecans before adding to enhance their nutty aroma and add a deeper, richer crunch to the dessert.
- Test cake doneness by inserting a toothpick at a slight angle to ensure no wet batter remains on the tester.
- Adjust caramel glaze consistency by adding more milk if too thick or cooking slightly longer if too thin for perfect drizzling.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg