Apple Dapple Cake (Old-Fashioned Recipe With Caramel Glaze)

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This apple dapple cake is an old-fashioned apple cake baked in a 9×13 pan and finished with a warm caramel glaze, a lot like this caramel apple dump cake but made completely from scratch. It’s easy to make, feeds a crowd, and has that nostalgic flavor everyone loves.

A slice of apple dapple cake on a white plate with cinnamon sticks, green apples, and the pan of cake behind it.

An Easy Apple Cake With Caramel Glaze That Feels Like an Old-Fashioned Favorite

The batter is thick, closer to cookie dough than cake batter, and it’s packed with cubes of granny smith apple and chopped walnuts. Spread into the pan it can look like too little for a 9×13, but it rises more than you’d expect. Once it bakes, all that fruit softens into the cake and keeps it moist for days. The caramel glaze goes on while the cake is still slightly warm, so some of it soaks down into the top instead of sitting on it.

Cakes like this one belong on the potluck dessert table. A 9×13 gives you 12 generous slices, and it travels in the same pan you baked it in. It’s an easy one to bring in the fall alongside a few other easy fall desserts.

If you bake sheet cakes, this one will feel familiar. It has the same appeal as the sock it to me cake and the German chocolate sheet cake, just with apples and caramel instead of cinnamon swirl or coconut pecan. For more apple desserts, there is also this apple snickerdoodle dump cake.

FAQs

What does apple dapple cake taste like?

It tastes like a spiced apple cake with a caramel topping. The cinnamon and nutmeg come through, the apples stay soft and a little tart, and the glaze adds a buttery brown sugar sweetness on top. The crumb is a little denser than a plain layer cake, which is part of why it stays so moist.

Why is it called apple dapple cake?

The name comes from the way the apples are scattered, or dappled, all through the batter instead of layered or arranged on top. Cut a slice and you’ll see chunks of apple in every bite.

What kind of apples should I use?

Granny smith apples work best here because they’re firm and slightly tart, which keeps them from turning to mush. Honeycrisp or braeburn will also hold up well.

How many apples do I need?

Three cups of half inch cubes takes about 3 small apples or 2 large ones, and plan on roughly 10 minutes to peel and cut them. Stick with 3 cups. Four is more than this amount of batter can carry, especially once the walnuts go in.

Can I leave the walnuts out?

Yes. The walnuts are optional and the cake works fine without them, though the texture and flavor they add are worth keeping if you have them. Pecans can be swapped in for the walnuts.

Can I use a different oil?

Any neutral flavored oil works in place of the vegetable oil, like canola or avocado oil.

Can I use salted butter in the glaze?

Yes. Use salted butter and leave out the pinch of salt.

Can I make it ahead of time?

You can. The cake is even more moist the next day, so baking it a day before you need it works in your favor.

How do I store apple dapple cake?

Cover it and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer than that, cover it and refrigerate for up to 5 days, then let slices sit out for a few minutes or warm them in the microwave before eating. Individual slices can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below that has the printable, full ingredient list and instructions.

For the Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour – Gives the cake structure so it can hold all of the apples.
1 teaspoon baking soda – Lifts the thick batter as it bakes.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – The main warm spice.
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg – Rounds out the cinnamon.
½ teaspoon salt – Keeps the sweetness in check.
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake.
1 cup vegetable oil – Keeps it moist for days.
¾ cup brown sugar, packed – Adds a little molasses flavor.
3 eggs – Bind the batter and lighten it up.
2 teaspoons vanilla – Warms up the flavor.
3 cups peeled, chopped Granny Smith apples, cut into about ½ inch cubes – The star of the cake.
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional – Adds crunch and flavor.

For the Caramel Glaze

¼ cup unsalted butter – The base of the glaze.
¼ cup brown sugar, packed – Gives the glaze its caramel flavor.
¼ cup granulated sugar – Sweetens and helps it set.
¼ cup heavy cream – Makes it smooth and pourable.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract – Finishes the flavor.
Pinch of salt – Balances the sugar.

A pan of baked apple dapple cake covered in caramel glaze.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan and set it aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, and ¾ cup packed brown sugar until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add 3 eggs one at a time along with 2 teaspoons vanilla, stirring well and scraping the bowl between each addition. The batter will smooth out and lighten as you go.

Egg added to sugar and oil mixture in mixing bowl.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, with no streaks of flour left. The batter will be thick.
Gently fold in 3 cups chopped apples and ½ cup walnuts.

Chopped apples and walnuts folded into thick apple dapple cake batter.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. The cake should be golden brown on top and starting to pull away from the sides.

Baked apple dapple cake cooling in a 9x13 pan.

Let the cake cool about 15 minutes before making the glaze.

How to Make the Caramel Glaze

Add ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan.
Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove it from the heat right away.
Cool the glaze in the saucepan for about 5 minutes.

Caramel glaze after boiling in a small saucepan.

Pour the glaze over the slightly warm cake and spread it evenly.
Wait until the cake is completely cool to slice and serve.

Warm caramel glaze being poured over a pan of apple dapple cake.

Tips

A light metal 9×13 inch pan works well here. A glass pan can be used, but the cake may need a little longer. Tested at high altitude in a glass pan it took about 44 minutes.
Grease the inside corners of the pan well so the cake doesn’t stick.
An easy way to cut the apples: slice a little off the top and bottom, peel them, then cut down each side around the core so you have four flat pieces. Dice those into half inch cubes.
Cut the butter for the glaze into cubes so it melts faster.
Use a wooden spoon to stir the batter. It’s thick enough to break a rubber spatula.
Boiling the glaze for one minute gives you a pourable glaze. Two minutes makes it noticeably thicker, closer to a frosting. Either works, but the longer you boil it the faster you need to spread it.
Small holes in the top after glazing are normal. The hot glaze sinks into air pockets in the cake, which is part of what makes it so moist.

A gold fork lifting a bite from a slice of apple dapple cake on a white plate.

More Recipes

If you love old-fashioned apple desserts like this one, then you’ll also love these easy recipes: