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Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip
As you probably noticed, this month we're celebrating all things apple. And you there's no better way to celebrate anything than with cake, am I right?!
Apple and cinnamon together also embody everything "Fall" for me, and is one of my favorite flavor combinations ever! Add salted caramel to the mix...and you have me hooked. For life.
So today I'm sharing with you my latest layer cake creation, which consists of a delicious, fluffy apple and cinnamon sponge cake filled with a gorgeous apple and cinnamon pie filling, frosted with a creamy cinnamon frosting, and topped off with a to-die-for salted caramel drip. You're welcome! 😁
Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip
My friend who comes from Bretagne in France, said my cake was divine...and since apples and salted caramel are Bretagne institutions, it's safe to say this cake will rock your socks off.
Seriously, it's probably one of my favorite cakes to date. And if you make nothing else from our apple-themed posts this month, then make this cake. You won't regret it!
This apple and cinnamon layer cake would be perfect for an autumnal birthday, baby shower, bridal shower or any other celebration you may be hosting this season.
I also think it would make a fab Thanksgiving dessert to serve to your friends and family. They're sure to be grateful for all that deliciousness! 😋
Layer cakes may seem like a lot of work, but my secret to making it a manageable and enjoyable process is to make the cake and its components in advance.
For instance, you can make the sponge cake layers at least 1 month ahead, wrap them in parchment paper and plastic wrap then freeze them until ready to decorate your cake.
For the apple and cinnamon compote for the cake filling, I also made it two weeks and advance and froze it along with the cake layers.
On the day of decorating your cake, simply take out the cake layers and apple compote and place it in the fridge to defrost for a few hours.
You don't need the cake layers to defrost completely, as they're actually easier to work with if they're slightly cold or frozen.
For the frosting, I made a batch of Swiss meringue buttercream on the day of decorating my cake and flavored it with cinnamon. SO good!
You can even make the salted caramel a few days in advance too, and keep it in the fridge inside a drip bottle. Then just before using, heat the bottle in the microwave for a few seconds to slightly warm up the sauce.
Check out the recipe below and quick time-lapse video to show you the decorating process!
Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip
Yield: 6 inch cake -serves 8-10
Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip - delicious autumnal cake perfect for a Fall dinner party, birthday or Thanksgiving!
ingredients:
Apple & Cinnamon Cake Sponge - for 3x 6 inch tins (double for 8 inch cake pans)
- 250 g butter
- 250 g soft brown sugar (dark or light)
- 4 eggs
- 250 g flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp apple sauce
Apple Pie Filling - makes about 2 cups
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped into small chunk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 25 g soft brown sugar (dark or light)
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 125 ml water
Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 5 egg whites
- 300 g caster sugar
- 452 g room temperature butter cut into small cubes
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Sauce - makes 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
instructions:
How to cook Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip
Apple & Cinnamon Cake Sponge
- Cream butter and sugar in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 8 minutes until creamy.
- Add one egg at a time to the mixer, mixing on medium speed until combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and apple sauce and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Fold this dry mixture into the butter mixture with a large metal spoon until combined.
- Divide the batter into 3 six inch cake pans lined with parchment paper and greased. You'll get approximately 320 g of batter in each pan. TIP: add a wet cake collar to your pans to ensure you get even cake layers.
- Bake at 180 deg. C. for about 20-22 minutes until a skewer come out clean when inserted into the center.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool complete.
- TIP: Once cooled, you can wrap the cake layers in parchment paper and then plastic wrap and freeze until ready to decorate. Then bring the frozen cake layers into the fridge for a few hours to defrost slightly before decorating.
Apple Pie Filling
- Toss chopped apples and lemon juice in a large bowl, set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
- Pour in water and whisk.
- Bring this mixture to a boil, then add apples. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to soften and are tender (10-15 mins).
- Let it cool completely.
- TIP: Once cooled, this filling can be refrigerated up to a week or frozen for longer, then brought into the fridge to defrost before using.
Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of your mixer and heat over a bain-marie or double-boiler until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Fit your mixed with whisk attachment, then whip the sugar and egg whites mixtures until thick, white and glossy, and your mixer bowl has completely cooled. This should take about 20 minutes. TIP: Use a bag of frozen peas to speed up the cooling of the bowl!
- Once your bowl is cooled, keep the mixer on medium speed and add the butter slowly, one cube at a time, until fully incorporated into your buttercream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.
- Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
- Reserve about 1 cups of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add sugar to a pan and heat on medium heat until fully melted and amber in color. You may swirl the pan around, but do NOT stir with a spoon as it will make the sugar crystallize.
- Take pan off the heat, then carefully add butter, cream and salt.
- Return pan to the heat and whisk continuously until all the sugar has melted for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the caramel into a measuring jug, then into a drip bottle and place in freezer for 20 minutes to cool.
- Ensure your cake is completely cold to the touch and the caramel is also cold but still has a pouring consistency before dripping onto the cake.
- TIP: The caramel drip will keep for several weeks in the fridge, and you can re-heat it directly in the drip bottle in the microwave for a few seconds before using.
Assembling and Decorating The Cake
- Place a little buttercream on a six inch cake board and place your first cake layer on top, with flattest side up.
- Add a ring dam of buttercream all around the edge of the cake and fill with about two tablespoons of apple pie filling.
- Add the second cake layer on top and repeat the filling process.
- Add the third cake layer on top.
- Add a generous amount of frosting on top and sides of the cake and smooth it with an offset spatula and cake smoother. Place cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Add a little buttercream to a six inch acrylic disc and add a circle of parchment paper on top. Place the parchment paper side onto the top of the cake.
- Frost the entire cake one again, then freeze it for about 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the acrylic disk and parchment paper, and touch up the top of the cake with more buttercream.
- Place the cake back in the freezer for another 10 minutes while you make or re-heat the caramel sauce.
- Drip the caramel sauce on the sides and top of the cake.
- Place cake back int he freezer for 5 minutes to set the caramel.
- Pipe a scalloped edge of buttercream around the top of the cake.
- Add apple slices to decorate in the center of the cake. TIP: Dip apple slices for a few seconds in a sugar syrup or lemon juice, then pat dry before using to avoid them turning brown.
Hope you like the ideas and feel inspired to have a go! If you do, tag us on social media #BirdsParty so we can see and share your creativity! 😍
This post Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip appeared first on Bird's Party Blog
That is so pretty AND it sounds delicious! Pinning to try, maybe as M's birthday cake!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is to profesional looking ! Amazing three layer cake.
ReplyDeleteHope I can come up with something so perfect !
Thanks for sharing.
Fabby
Congrats on your feature at Make It Pretty Monday! I understand why this was featured... it's so lovely! We'd love to have you join us at Tuesday Turn About, via myweeabode.com! Hope to see you there!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,450. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
ReplyDeleteMiz Helen
My son has requested this beautiful cake for his 16th birthday, and we've been having fun making it in stages, ready to be assembled for the big day. But I worked out it has 1400 calories per slice (based on 8 slices), so I think it will definitely be a one off for a special occasion!
ReplyDeleteHi, I'd like to make this cake but could you please specify the 2 brown sugars in the recipe? For the sponge it says soft brown sugar - I assume thats the light, not dark? Or perhaps it doesn't matter? And for the filling it says light brown sugar - is that the soft kind or the grainy kind? Thank you in advance and wish you a Merry Christmas! :)
ReplyDeleteHi, you can use either light or dark soft brown sugar (not the grainy stuff). Any soft brown sugar works and tastes grate in the cake and filling :)
Delete