Caramel Apple Cake

I love, love apple cake!  This is a dense pound cake type with tons of topping and homemade caramel sauce.  I think you could easily use store bought caramel sauce and save yourself the time...but it's kinda cool to make your own!

Let me save you some time on this cake.  I learned it the hard way and was all over the kitchen trying to put this together, when it fact it is just 4 easy steps.  Follow in this order and you will bang this out in half the time that I did...and probably make half the mess.

1.) Peel and slice apples
2.) Make caramel sauce
3.) Make topping while carmel sauce cools
4.) Make cake while topping cools

Sounds complicated...but it's not at all.  Your just preparing one part of the cake, while other parts of the cake are cooling.  Another hint, do not substitute a 7" Spring Form Pan for a 9" or you will have a mess in your oven...wonder how I know ???  I managed to save the cake but it took a little bit to get a decent picture of it. I think you could easily substitute a 9x9 square cake pan.

Since I wrote this in 3 sections, it's a bit difficult to get a decent ingredient list so I've listed the ingredients below.

Shopping List
3 Granny Smith Apples
3 sticks butter
3 cups Flour
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/4 White Sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cupWhipping cream 
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk


Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel and slice 3 Granny Smith Apples.  Set aside.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup honey

Mix it all up in a saucepan. Heat to boiling and boil 2 minutes. (note:  Do not boil more than 2 minutes or your caramel sauce will harden when poured on your cake)  Set aside to cool and prepare topping.

Topping

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup firmly  packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon salt

Mix until well combined and set aside.  As the butter cools down it will harden the topping so you can crumble it easily.

Cake

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter at medium speed until creamy.  Add sugar, beating well.  Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add remaining ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, milk and extract.  Pour into 9" Spring Form pan. 

Pour 1/2 cup of cooled carmel sauce over cake batter.

Top with sliced apples, then crumbly topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. (a wooden toothpick will come out clean).

Cool for 30 minutes and top with the remaining caramel sauce.

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