An easy apple loaf cake recipe with a sweet caramel drizzle!
Tart seasonal Bramley apples contrast delightfully with the sweet caramel sauce, which is used as a drizzle but also in the cake batter too! The walnuts add a lovely crunch.
This is a simple all-in-one apple loaf cake recipe using a tin of caramel sauce for sweetness.
The apple cake is moist, sticky, and dense, just how apple cakes should be, and is the ultimate flavour and taste of Autumn!
👩🍳 Love Bramley apples? Try my easy Eve's pudding recipe too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best caramel apple loaf cake!
- An easy apple cake recipe.
- Uses tart Bramley apples.
- All in one method.
- Sweet caramel glaze using tinned caramel.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Apples - 2 Bramley apples or other tart cooking apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces. Swap with eating apples such as Granny Smith apples if you have a sweet tooth!
- Butter - softened salted butter is lovely with the caramel sauce, but use unsalted if that's all you have.
- Sugar - light brown sugar (or muscavado sugar). You can use caster sugar too, but your batter wont be quite as dark.
- Eggs - 3 large eggs at room temperature.
- Flour - white plain flour is used in this cake recipe but wholewheat flour can also be used instead.
- Baking Powder - the raising agent for the loaf cake.
- Caramel - I use tinned caramel sauce (Carnation caramel also known as dulce de leche), but any caramel sauce can be used. Some of it is needed for the drizzle, but most is needed for the cake batter.
- Walnuts - adds a crunchy topping. Swap for pecan nuts or leave them off altogether.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 180c (160 fan/ Gas 4) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non stick parchment paper.
Two: Place the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and 200g of caramel sauce into a large mixing bowl and beat until all ingredients are combined. You can use an electric mixer too.
Three: Fold through the chopped apple and pour the cake batter into the loaf tin. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the cake from the oven and cover with foil. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Four: Allow the cake to cool, then remove it from its tin onto a cooling rack and drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce (thinned to a drizzling consistency with a drop of water). Sprinkle over the walnuts and serve.
💭 Expert tips
- Mix the cake ingredients together BEFORE peeling, chopping, and adding the apple to prevent the apple from turning brown.
- Make sure the baking powder is in date to ensure a good rise.
- Use a loaf cake liner to save time.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the apple bread for Afternoon tea or a tasty after-school snack with a cup of tea or glass of milk. It's robust enough to take on Autumn picnics too.
You can also serve thick slices of apple cake for dessert with cream, custard, or honeycomb ice cream!
📖 Variations
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or mixed spice to the cake batter for a warming spice flavour. Vanilla extract could also be used.
- Chopped walnuts can be added to the cake batter as well as the topping (75g roughly chopped).
- Use sweet eating apples such as Pink Lady or Gala apples for a sweeter flavoured loaf cake.
- Dried fruit such as raisins or chopped apricots would be a nice addition.
- Add a crumble topping to the loaf cake rather than the caramel drizzle.
- Flavour with orange zest or lemon zest for a citrussy zing.
🥡 Storage
Store: The apple loaf cake will keep in an airtight container or cake tin for up to 4 days.
Freeze: It can be frozen minus the caramel glaze. Wrap the cooled cake in cling film (plastic wrap), then a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before adding the caramel drizzle and walnuts.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Avoid storing the cake in the fridge as it may dry out. Apple cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Here are a few ideas!
1. Apple Crumble
2. Baked Apples
3. Apple Muffins
4. Apple Pie Bars
5. Apple Flapjacks
6. Stewed Apples
7. Eve's Pudding
8. Apple Sauce
😋 More easy loaf cake recipes
- Blackberry Loaf Cake
- Blackcurrant Loaf Cake
- Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
- Marzipan Loaf Cake
- Madeira Loaf Cake
- Golden Syrup Loaf Cake
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Recipe
Easy Apple Loaf Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the apple cake
- 175 g Salted Butter softened
- 200 g Caramel Sauce from a tin
- 50 g Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 175 g Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Bramley Apples peeled and chopped into small pieces
For the caramel drizzle
- 2 tablespoon Caramel Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Water
- 3 tablespoon Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non stick parchment paper.
- Place the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and caramel sauce into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until all of the ingredients are combined. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer.175 g Salted Butter, 200 g Caramel Sauce, 50 g Light Brown Sugar, 3 Eggs, 175 g Plain Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Fold in the chopped apple and pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.2 Bramley Apples
- Bake for 30 minutes then remove the cake from the oven and cover with foil. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool, then remove it from its tin onto a cooling rack and drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce (thinned to a drizzling consistency with a drop of water). Sprinkle over the walnuts and serve.2 tablespoon Caramel Sauce, 1 teaspoon Water, 3 tablespoon Chopped Walnuts
Notes
- Mix the cake ingredients together BEFORE peeling, chopping, and adding the apple to prevent the apple from turning brown.
- Make sure the baking powder is in date to ensure a good rise.
- Use a loaf cake liner to save time.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or mixed spice to the cake batter for a warming spice flavour. Vanilla extract could also be used.
- Chopped walnuts can be added to the cake batter as well as the topping (75g roughly chopped).
- Use sweet eating apples such as Pink Lady or Gala apples for a sweeter flavoured loaf cake.
- Dried fruit such as raisins or chopped apricots would be a nice addition.
- Add a crumble topping to the loaf cake rather than the caramel drizzle.
- Flavour with orange zest or lemon zest for a citrussy zing.
Joy
Moist and easy apple cake recipe. A great use for Bramley apples.
Kathleen
Oh my deliciousness! Apples, caramel in a moist and fantastic bread. I'm in!
Sandhya S
Easy peasy Apple recipe to use up all the apples from my tree. I am going to enjoy this apple cake with a drizzle of custard.
Carrie Robinson
I could go for a slice of this right about now! 🙂 That caramel sauce looks amazing.
Beth
I can't wait to make this! Everyone else goes crazy for pumpkin spice this time of year, but for me, it's apples!
Tayler
We are going apple picking this weekend so I am definitely saving this recipe to make. It looks incredible and I can't wait to try it!