salted caramel apple cider layer cake
My first of two planned fall layer cakes, and dudes, if you have eyes, you’ll see that she is a BEAUTY.
This cake…I am enamored with it. So much so that I misspelled enamored three times before autocorrect finally screamed the right answer at me.
It is autumn stored in cake layers. Encapsulates everything cozy in the season: spiced apple cider, fluffy cream cheese frosting, festive salted caramel, not to mention the stunning aesthetic it creates for your tabletop should you choose to serve at a gathering. I guarantee no one will turn their nose up at this stunner. She is just as delectable as she is stylish.
The Salted Caramel Apple Cider Layer Cake has a few more moving parts than my usual layer cakes – I’m often a bake-frost-done type of guy – mostly due to the homemade caramel sauce we blend into the cream cheese buttercream and swirl into the finished and frosted layers. An extra step, sure, but one that you really shouldn’t skip. In part because you’ll then have extra caramel sauce for any random ole dessert, or a homemade latte, or just to spoon down while you cry over how shit life can be.
Valid. We’ve all been there. It’s okay to cry over a jar of caramel. But you won’t be crying over this cake, unless it’s merely in acknowledgement of how incredible it tastes.
Cider House Rules
The title of one of my top 5 favorite books, as a matter of fact.
This time, though, the cider house rule is to reduce and cool your apple cider before mixing it into the cake batter. Boiling down the liquid creates a more concentrated flavor that pops out in the finished layers more. No complex step here: just pour the cider into a sauce pan and boil until the volume reduces by half. Takes about 15-20 minutes, but watch it closely. If you’re not mindful it will all boil away and leave nothing but scorched residue at the bottom of your pan. Been there done that, sister.
I Care-amel About You
Next up: our salted caramel. You will have some leftover, and I’d like to point you to my Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate as a solid experiment for your remaining sauce.
Caramel is not difficult, but it is finicky. You need both eyes on the process the entire time. Start by melting down lots of sugar. Whisk or stir it constantly to ensure it doesn’t stick on to the side of your pan (some probably will anyway).
Then, throw in some butter and let it melt while continuing to agitate the sugar. When the butter is melted down, pour in heavy cream and simmer for a few minutes until the caramel thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Move the pan off the burner and stir in some salt and vanilla. Let the pan sit off the hot stove – the caramel will continue to cool.
When no longer scalding hot, transfer the caramel to an airtight jar or storage container. It will keep up to a week in the fridge.
Cake in the Face
With those extra little side-recipes done (well, I guess reducing cider isn’t a recipe, but it is a process), it’s finally time to cake it up! Woo! We’re talking about a warming cider-infused spice cake here. Chock full of autumn flavor, but nothing you can’t easily find in your pantry.
Or someone else’s pantry.
Cream butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar until light and fluffy. Whip in two eggs, one at a time, then vanilla extract and Greek yogurt.
Dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a little salt. With the mixer running, stream in your apple cider, then buttermilk. Beat gently until the batter is just combined. Some lumps and bumps are a-ok as lon as there’s no visible flour.
Pop the batter into two greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until your toothpick slides out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then flip onto a wire rack to cool completely. Or, as I like to do, cool for a little on the counter, then slide into a couple ziptop bags and refrigerate a day or two before decorating.
Icing in My Veins
The caramel cream cheese frosting is just something. Something else. Something more. I could not resist a few spoonfuls while spreading it onto the cake. Just don’t double dip if you’re serving to other people. That’s unnecessarily gross.
The basic formula is the same as all my other cream cheese frostings, except we’re adding some of that salted caramel sauce for a lovely muted hue and a salty-sweet essence. Whip up some softened butter with cold cream cheese, the caramel, and some vanilla.
Add in lots of powdered sugar, crank up the speed, and blitz up until silky and floofy. Start with 4 cups of powdered sugar and work your way up. Much easier to moderate the texture of your frosting if you begin with a lower amount and adjust later.
Set one layer down on a flat plate or cake stand. Frost generously, then place the second layer atop and frost the bottom and all around the sides. When the frosting looks pretty enough for your liking, gently swirl in some extra caramel in various increments. The finished pattern looks gorgeous, and come on, who wouldn’t want a little more caramel on their slice?
This cake needs to be stored in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting. It keeps well for 3 days. You can stretch it to 5 if looks don’t matter to you. Which, honestly, I’d pitch a fit if someone tossed this cake just because it hit the 3 day marker even when it was still perfectly tasty.
If you’re gonna pull that shit, just give the rest to me, damn it.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Fall in your mouth:
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
salted caramel apple cider layer cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
salted caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
salted caramel cream cheese frosting
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the apple cider to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the burner and let cool.
- Next, make the caramel sauce. Melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. When the granules are totally dissolved and turn a rich golden color, add the butter. Be VERY careful – it will probably splatter! Melt the butter while stirring constantly. Carefully pour in the heavy cream, stirring, and simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla. Let cool – the caramel will continue to thicken. Unused caramel will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans with butter or oil.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the cooled and reduced cider and the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. In a bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, caramel, and vanilla on low speed until combined. Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix to combine, then increase the speed to medium high and whip until very light and fluffy. If needed, pour in more sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the frosting is soft and spreadable.
- Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Frost the top generously, then add the second layer. Frost all the way around the cake until completely covered. If you have extra frosting, feel free to pipe little decorations onto the cake. Finish by swirling some extra caramel into various parts of the frosting.
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