This is the BEST caramel apple gooey butter cake — a decadent blend of cinnamon apple cake and a caramel cream cheese topping. The bottom layer is a moist, tender cinnamon apple cake while the top is a rich, creamy caramel cheesecake with a crackly golden skin. It looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to make, and it’s an ideal dessert for fall (or any time you want a comforting, indulgent treat).
What is Gooey Butter Cake?
Gooey butter cake is a classic St. Louis dessert from the 1930s that combines a dense yellow cake base with a creamy, almost cheesecake-like top. The texture is famously soft and slightly gooey in the center, with edges that bake up golden and slightly crisp. This caramel apple version keeps the signature gooey texture and adds tender, spiced apples and salted caramel for a seasonal twist that’s perfect for autumn baking.
If you enjoy apple desserts but aren’t ready to dive into full pumpkin season, this cake delivers cozy fall flavors without feeling over the top. Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar for a beautiful presentation.
How to Make Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake
Though it looks fancy, this cake comes together with basic tools and straightforward steps. You don’t need a stand mixer — a hand mixer and a spatula will do. Make the cinnamon apple cake layer in one bowl and the caramel cream cheese layer in another, assemble in a prepared pan, bake, then chill. Below are the key tips and steps to ensure success.
Caramel Apple Cake Tips
- Weigh ingredients when possible. Weighing flour, sugar, and especially the apples helps make the results consistent. Apples vary in size, so the weight of the sliced apples is more reliable than a count.
- Macerate the apples. Toss the sliced apples with sugar and a little lemon juice and let them sit in the fridge for about an hour. This draws out excess liquid and concentrates the apple flavor. Drain off the juices before using to avoid a soggy cake.
- Use a mix of apple varieties. A combination of tart and sweet apples (for example, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp) gives balanced flavor and texture.
- Choose good butter. Using a high-quality butter with a higher fat content improves flavor and texture. Salted butter works well in this recipe.
Caramel Cream Cheese Tips
- Use full-fat cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese gives a smooth, stable filling with better flavor for baking.
- Salted caramel sauce should be pourable. Whether you use homemade or store-bought caramel, it should be a pourable consistency so it blends evenly into the cream cheese layer.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature. Especially the cream cheese and eggs — room temperature ingredients combine much more smoothly, preventing lumps in the filling.
How to Tell When a Gooey Butter Cake Is Done
Because the top is a gooey cream cheese layer, the usual toothpick test won’t work. Bake until the edges are golden and the top has a crackly golden skin. The center will still be noticeably wobbly; that’s normal. The filling will set as the cake chills, so avoid overbaking.
Chilling and Serving
Chilling is essential so the cream cheese layer firms up. Cool the cake on the counter for 10–15 minutes after baking, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for easier slicing, or warm individual slices briefly in the microwave (10–12 seconds) if you prefer warm cake. Dust the top with powdered sugar and slice into 8 pieces, wiping your knife between cuts for clean slices.
Tools & Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer. A hand mixer works fine for both layers; use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- 9″ springform pan. A springform pan makes removal easy. If you don’t have one, use a parchment-lined 9″ round or square pan with an overhanging flap to lift the cake after chilling.
- Rubber spatula. Useful for folding batter and scraping bowls clean.
Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake
- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 9″ Cake
Description
An ooey-gooey mashup of cinnamon apple cake and caramel cream cheese — rich, indulgent, and perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Apple Cake Layer
- 1 lb thinly sliced apples (about 2 medium Honeycrisps and 3 small Granny Smiths, or equivalent by weight)
- 10 TBSP salted butter, divided
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 TBSP light brown sugar
- 1/2 C + 2 TBSP (130 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 C (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Caramel Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz (1 block) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3 C (350 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 1/3 C salted caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought), pourable consistency
Instructions
- Core and slice apples to about 1/8″ thickness. You should have about 1 lb of sliced apples. Toss with 2 TBSP sugar and the juice of 1/2 a lemon, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. After an hour, drain off excess liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 TBSP of butter. Add brown sugar, allspice, ground cloves, and cinnamon; whisk until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the apples and cook 8–10 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 8 TBSP of butter and combine in a large bowl with the granulated sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and vanilla; whisk until the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined, with a few streaks of flour remaining.
- Fold in the slightly cooled apples until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the egg and mix to combine, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the powdered sugar in two additions, mixing about 2 minutes after each addition until smooth.
- Mix in the salted caramel sauce until fully incorporated.
- Pour the caramel cream cheese mixture over the apple cake batter and spread into an even layer with a small offset or spatula.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. The edges should be golden and the top should have a crackly skin; the center will still be wobbly.
- Let cool on the counter for 10–15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the cream cheese layer to set.
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut into 8 slices.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If you try this Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake, consider leaving a review and sharing a photo on social media tagging @buuckfarmsbakery. Save the recipe for later by bookmarking or saving any of the images in this post.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love
- Dirty Chai Whoopie Pies
- Salted Caramel Banana Snack Cake
- Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel
- Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pretzel Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Pretzel Brownies
