This Caramel Apple Spice Cake is TO DIE FOR people!! You WON’T be able to resist the fluffy caramel mousse that sits in between four layers of apple-infused spiced cake or the candied pecans that smother the warm caramel “drizzled” on top of this decadent dessert! If you can resist… then we cannot be friends. I simply can’t be around people like that 😉
This month I hosted our monthly bunco group at my house. We take turns rotating to each other’s homes and host about 20 women who come over to play, but first we have to EAT! I wanted to go with a Fall theme, not only for my prizes, but for the food too. I decided to go with an apple theme. I made this Caramel Apple Spice Cake amongst some other delicious treats that I’ll be sharing very soon on the blog. Everyone had a favorite, but this cake was the talk of the night! Whatever was left over at the end of the evening was taken home to a few lucky husbands to try for themselves. This dessert is seriously TO DIE FOR!!! Everything about it is just delicious– from the caramel mousse to the apple-infused cake to the candied pecans and the warm caramel that drips down the side of the cake. Oh man! It’s heavenly. Really it is. It’s a must try for this Fall season!!
P.S. If you want to throw a Fall theme bunco night with apples as your featured item, don’t stop at the food! I had “apple” prizes too like an apple scented candle, apple scented hand soap from Bath and Body Works, an Applebee’s gift card, an Apple iTunes gift card and cute apple shaped serving dishes
I found at Home Goods. The night was a huge success and so much fun, as always!
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Ingredients
- 1 spice cake mix
- 3/4 C apple sauce or 2 squeezable apple Buddy Fruits
- 1/2 C milk
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 C vegetable oil
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped small
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 C powdered sugar
- 16 oz tub Cool Whip
- 1 C caramel dip
- 1 C chopped pecans
- 1/4 C butter
- 1/2 C brown sugar (not packed)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- additional caramel for drizzling on top of cake
Instructions
- Combine cake mix, apple sauce, milk, oil and eggs in electric mixer. Add apples. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased, round cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing in half.
- In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, caramel dip, powdered sugar and Cool Whip until smooth. Add 1 C of caramel mousse on top of each layer of cooled spice cake. Spread evenly to edges.
- In sauce pan, add butter, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Allow pecans to toast for about 5 minutes on medium heat while stirring constantly. Pour mixture onto parchment paper and let cool.
- Warm up about 1/2 C caramel dip in microwave and drizzle over top of cake allowing it to spill off the sides of the cake. When pecans have cooled, sprinkle on top of cake and serve.
Notes
adapted from The Gunny Sack
