Sticky Toffee Apple Cake is what happens when you give a simple apple cake the sticky toffee pudding treatment. Warm toffee sauce gets poured over apple cake to create the most incredible moist and flavourful dessert. Shredded apples melt into the batter to keep it tender while diced apples add texture to each bite. Reserve some of the toffee for serving for an extra boost of the buttery, caramelized brown sugar sauce.
What’s great about this recipe is that you don’t even need to have a candy thermometer to make the toffee sauce. The recipe makes one batch — half that is poured over the cake and half for serving. Keep a lid on the reserved toffee so that it stays warm. If it cools too long, the toffee may separate or lose its glossy texture. Gently reheat and whisk to combine.
Related: Apple Cider Coffee Cake
ingredients
Apple cake
Toffee Sauce
directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Peel the apples. Dice 1½ apples into small pieces. Grate the other 1½ apples on the large holes of a box grater, rotating around the core. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer (a handheld or stand mixer will do), mix the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the brown and granulated sugars. Mix for another 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract then mix on medium speed until creamy and combined.
Stop the mixer. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, folding together until just combined. Add the diced and shredded apples and fold until the batter is all incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread until smooth. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
During the last 10-15 minutes of baking, make the toffee sauce. Place the heavy cream, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until the butter melts and the mixture simmers. Continue cooking, stirring every so often, for 8-10 minutes or until the toffee sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
When the cake comes out of the over, prick it all over with a wooden skewer.
Pour half of the toffee sauce over the warm cake. Allow the toffee to soak into the cake as it cools, waiting at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
Slice and serve with a pour of reserved toffee sauce on top.
