Cinnamon Apple Cake with Buttermilk Caramel Sauce
Cinnamon Apple Cake with Buttermilk Caramel Sauce
Deciding what to bring to book club is a big deal. We read books, but we also eat really yummy food and there are amazing cooks in this group. We’ve often wonder if we should just call ourselves a food group who happen to read a few good books now and then!
I chose to bring this luscious apple cake.
I love apple cake; it reminds me of fall when the apple tree limbs are weighted down with their bounteous harvest. I wanted to find one with a healthier bent because after all, this is a healthy food blog, so I looked to Cooking Light for a little inspiration and found this one HERE. I modified it by using whole wheat pastry flour, but otherwise I pretty much left it as is. Even with additional reductions like reduced-fat cream cheese and 3 cups of sliced apples this dessert is still full of calories. But then I thought, “wouldn’t it be awesome to add a homemade caramel sauce; you know, because you can’t have enough sweet with your apple cake?” So I’ll cut a small piece and drizzle a little caramel sauce on top . . . and enjoy every bite!
- Cinnamon Apple Cake with Buttermilk Caramel Sauce
- 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, and beat at low speed until blended.
- Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon mixture and apples in a bowl; stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into a 9-inch spring-form pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cake pulls away from the sides of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife. Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- For the Sauce: In a large saucepan (mixture will bubble up so use a large saucepan), combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter and corn syrup and stir over low heat until well blended. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Stir continuously for 5-7 minutes to keep sugar from scorching on the bottom (mixture will start to turn a golden brown). Remove from heat and whisk in soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a lot. As it cools and as you give it a good stir, the bubbles will go away. In case the sauce is too thick, just add a little half and half to thin it out. (Makes 2 cups or 32 servings)
You might also enjoy:
Classic Pumpkin Roll
Apricot Raisin Bars