Caramel Apple Cake



Nom nom nom!!  This cake is sooo good.  And it is ....*a cheater cake*!!!  Normally I bake my cakes from scratch, but this recipe uses a box mix and let me tell ya, it was so nice how quickly I had this ready to go into the oven!  I don't think there's anything wrong with "cheating" sometimes, especially because I added other yummy ingredients to it.

This cake is great for any occasion, because seriously, who doesn't like apples and caramel together?!  It's one of my personal favorite combinations, along with chocolate & peanut butter, chocolate & mint, chocolate & cherry, wavy lays & french onion dip...

Sorry about that.  Excuse my rambling.  : )  Anyway, my hubby LOOOVED this cake.  He was actually surprised at how much he loved it.   It's moist & delicious, PRETTY, and has great flavors perfect for fall or even your Thanksgiving dessert table!  

Hello delicious cake!  Do you see all that gooey caramel on the outside??  Heaven.  Someone couldn't control themselves from eating a bunch of the melted caramel before it even made it on the cake, but I won't mention my any names.  ; )  I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but there are nice chunks of tender apple throughout the cake.  This really is an awesome treat! 

Caramel Apple Cake

adapted from Kraft Foods

1 yellow cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)

1 package (3.4 oz) JELL-O Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 cup water

4 eggs

1/3 cup oil

Dash of nutmeg

Cinnamon (as much as you want)

3 Gala apples (or 3 of any apple you like) peeled, and coarsely chopped

20 Kraft Caramels, unwrapped

3 TB milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl with mixer until well blended.  I then added 1 dash of nutmeg and many sprinkles of cinnamon (sorry I don't have a exact measurement, I just sprinkled the cinnamon all over the top of the mixed batter, stirred it in, tested it, and loved it!).  Add as much nutmeg/cinnamon as you'd like and stir into the batter.  Stir in chopped apples.  Pour into a well-greased  fluted tube pan (mine was a Wilton silicone fluted tube pan). 

Bake 50 mins. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan 15 mins.  Loosen cake from side pf pan; invert onto wire rack.  Gently remove pan.  Cool cake completely.  Transfer to plate.

Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min., or until caramels are completely melted and sauce is smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.  Cool 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Drizzle over cake.  (If you make the cake ahead of time before you want to serve it, I would wait to put the caramel on until the day of, or right before serving it.  It tends to soak in a little bit as it stays on.)