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Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake

Caramel apple cinnamon roll cake bakes tender apple-studded cake with a buttery cinnamon-brown sugar swirl in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Finish it with warm caramel sauce for a golden cake with moist crumbs and a sweet drizzle.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 42 minutes
Cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 22 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 426
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil for the pan
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil for the batter
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 apples medium, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
For the cinnamon swirl
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the caramel topping
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce store-bought

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking dish

Method
 

Mix the cake
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until no dry flour remains.
  6. Fold in the apples.
  7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Make the cinnamon swirl
  1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  2. Spoon the cinnamon mixture over the batter.
  3. Gently drag a knife through the cinnamon mixture to create swirls.
Bake the cake
  1. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into a cake portion comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  2. Let the cake cool in the dish for 20 minutes.
Finish with caramel
  1. Warm the caramel sauce in a microwave-safe bowl in 10-second bursts, stirring until pourable.
  2. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cake.

Notes

For tender cake, stir the batter just until no dry flour remains. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; freeze wrapped portions for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free variation, use dairy-free milk, butter, and caramel sauce.