When I think of Autumn and Winter food, apple and cinnamon is a combination that automatically comes to mind. They evoke feelings of being cosy and warm - which is very much needed at this time of year! I've made this Apple Cinnamon Cake with a moist apple sponge, a cinnamon buttercream and lashings of salted caramel sauce. It's a winter warmer in a cake!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used unsalted butter for the buttercream and for the cake I used a baking spread.
I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the cake a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
If you need a caramel sauce recipe, try my Homemade Caramel Sauce.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Apple Cinnamon Cake

To make the sponge, mix the butter and sugar together. The add the eggs, and whisk well.

Mix in self raising flour, grated apple and cinnamon. Divide the mixture between three 8" tins and bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. To make the buttercream, mix together butter, icing sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Stack up the sponges, pipe buttercream and drizzle caramel sauce between each layer. Finish the Apple Cinnamon Cake with more cinnamon buttercream on top, more salted caramel sauce and some chopped pecans in the centre.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What caramel sauce should you use?

My favourite caramel sauce to use is my Homemade Caramel Sauce, it's rich, smooth and absolutely divine! You can also easily add salt to it to make it into a salted caramel sauce. If you don't want to make your own, it's quite easy nowadays to find a good quality ready made caramel (or salted caramel) sauce in the shops or online. I have used Tesco's Finest, Bonn Maman and Carnation Caramel in the past with great results.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place and will last for 3 days. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¾ tsp Xantham Gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. You will also need to use a dairy free caramel sauce.

Can this cake be made in different size cake tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

What kind of apples should you use?

I have used Bramley, Jazz and Pink Lady apples to make this cake, but any sweet eating apples will work.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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