Cozy Whole Wheat Apple Cake with Easy Caramel Sauce
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You won’t be able to stop eating this warm, gooey whole wheat apple cake with self-saucing caramel. And the best part? It only takes 15 minutes to prep!
For more whole wheat treats, try my whole wheat banana muffins, healthy pumpkin muffins, banana carrot muffins, or pumpkin spice whole grain English muffins!
Recipe at a Glance: Whole Wheat Apple Cake
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: 40 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 55 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 9
👍 Difficulty: Easy
😋 Recipe Highlights: Whole grain & fresh milled flour friendly
🛒 Featured Ingredients: Whole wheat pastry flour, apples, apple sauce, apple pie spice, brown sugar, avocado oil
🍎 Dietary Swaps: See the swaps and substitutions section for notes on making this vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
The scent of apples and cinnamon drifting from this golden cake in the oven on a crisp fall night is nothing short of pure comfort. This warm, gooey caramel apple cake is one of my favorite fall desserts - and it pairs beautifully with hearty fall recipes like my Barley & Bison Stew and healthy sweet potato carrot casserole.
This caramel apple cake is made with whole wheat pastry flour, freshly milled from soft white wheat right in my kitchen with my Mockmill 200. This special flour gives the cake a delicate texture and a nutty, wholegrain flavor.
As it bakes, the rich caramel sauce comes together on its own right in the cake pan. That’s right, this is a “self-saucing” cake! The sugar and the boiling water poured on top create a caramel sauce under the cake itself, just like fall magic!
If you love baking with fresh-milled grains, be sure to check out my Guide to Baking with Fresh Milled Flour- it's packed with tips on how to get started (and why fresh-milled flour makes a big difference).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hot, delicious, effortless caramel sauce.
- Nutrient-packed and fiber-rich from the whole wheat pastry flour, pecans & avocado oil.
- This dessert draws the whole family to the kitchen with excitement.
- Only 15 minutes of prep time!
Featured Ingredients
To make this delectable whole wheat caramel apple cake recipe, you need:
Whole Wheat Pasty Flour – Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is milled from a soft wheat berry. In my home kitchen, I make my own by grinding soft white wheat berries with my Mockmill. I have also used Kamut berries with success.
See more fresh milled flour recipes for whole grain baking for other ideas using fresh milled pastry flour.
Apples – You can use your favorite baking apple for this recipe. Baking apple varieties have good firmness and withstand cooking better than softer varieties. Great baking apples include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, and Pink Lady.
Apple Pie Spice – Apple pie spice blend just makes it easy! It’s a premade blend of delicious fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. You can make your own easily if you don’t have it.
Avocado Oil – I use avocado oil in this recipe for a nutritious fat profile that is lower in saturated fat. It has a more neutral, mellow flavor than other heart-healthy oils, such as olive oil.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients.
Swaps & Substitutions
- Replace avocado oil with melted butter or melted coconut oil–both are higher in saturated fat, but absolutely delicious.
- Make this vegan or dairy free by using your favorite alternative non-dairy milk.
- Use a gluten free pastry flour that can substitute 1:1 with regular flour if needed.
This recipe has not been tested with any alternative sweeteners. Given the nature of the caramel in this self-saucing cake, I do not recommend using alternative sweeteners.
How to Make Whole Wheat Apple Cake
Step 1: Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish and set aside.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour (or freshly milled soft white wheat berries or Kamut), baking powder, salt, apple pie spice, and 3/4 cup white sugar. Set aside.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, avocado oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix into a batter. Set Aside.
Step 4: Chop & Fold in Apples
Peel the apples and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Fold them into the bowl of batter. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and spread into an even layer. The batter will be thick.
Step 5: Make & Sprinkle Topping
Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of the batter, followed by the white sugar, and finally the pecans.
Step 6: Heat Water & Pour on Cake
Heat 1 1/2 cups of water until almost boiling by heating in a pot on the stove or microwaving for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour right on top of your batter.
Step 7: Bake the Apple Cake
Very carefully place the baking dish into the oven. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until the middle of the whole wheat apple cake is completely set.
Step 8: Serve with Ice Cream
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving–the caramel sauce can be hot! I highly recommend serving this with ice cream!
Expert Notes
Note that the caramel will be absorbed by the cake if not stored properly. Moving the cake to the refrigerator after serving will help prevent that. To serve later, the cake is best when warmed up again by doing one of the following:
- Microwave in individual portions for 30-60 seconds, or
- Heat the whole 8×8 dish back up in the oven at 350F until warm in the center.
This cake can be frozen, but the texture will not be quite the same as it was when fresh. While freezing is a great way to preserve leftovers, I don’t recommend it for make ahead dinner party prep.
To freeze, make sure the cake is completely cooled first, then store in an airtight container, ideally in individual portions if possible. Thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat following the steps above.
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Serving Suggestions
This delicious autumn dessert is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
I recommend serving this after any of these hearty fall dinners: barley & bison stew, chicken wild rice soup, Instant Pot Sirloin Tip Roast, or my bison osso buco.
If you want some more sweet treats, you will love my healthy banana muffins with whole wheat flour, my dark chocolate crockpot candy clusters, and my whole wheat cinnamon buns- simple, wholesome, and great for a breakfast sweet treat.
All of those meals are hearty, wholesome, and comforting. Following any of them up with this incredible caramel apple cake will be the cherry on top!
Fresh Milled Apple Cake FAQs
I recommend using soft white wheat, kamut, spelt, or even einkorn. These varieties of wheat berries are lower in protein, making for a softer and fluffier end result, perfect for desserts. However, if you only have hard wheat, I would recommend hard white wheat for a milder flavor.
Whole wheat apple cake is made with many nutrient-dense ingredients, such as freshly milled whole wheat flour, avocado oil, crunchy pecans, and wholesome apples. These ingredients provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. That said, it is still a dessert and is best consumed in moderation, just like any other sweet treat.
You will want to use a baking apple variety in this cake recipe. Baking apples are firm and able to withstand cooking without turning mushy. Some of the best varieties of baking apples are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Fuji, or Pink Lady.
Avoid using apple varieties like gala, Macintosh, or Golden Delicious. They are too soft for baking.
Many components contribute to a moist apple cake in this recipe, including the addition of avocado oil and apple sauce. But another major component is the boiling water added on top before baking. This will provide plenty of moisture for both the cake and the caramel sauce as long as you do not over-bake it.
Other Delicious Fall Recipes
If you love whole grain baking, you’re going to LOVE this caramel apple cake. You will not regret making this! After you try it, come back and let me know how it went–I love to hear from you, and I try to reply to every comment!
📖 Recipe
Easy Whole Wheat Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Pan
- Knife
- pot or microwave safe dish for heating water
Ingredients
Apple Cake
- 160 grams whole wheat pastry flour such as soft white wheat or kamut (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or other neutral tasting oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large apple or 2 small/medium
Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8×8 baking pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice, and 3/4 cup white sugar. Set Aside.160 grams whole wheat pastry flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, avocado oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix into a batter. Set Aside.1/2 cup apple sauce, 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Peel the apples and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Fold them into the bowl of batter.1 large apple
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer. The batter will be thick.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of the batter, followed by the white sugar, and finally the pecans.1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- Heat 1 1/2 cups of water until almost boiling by heating in a pot on the stove or microwaving for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour right on top of your batter.1 1/2 cups hot water
- Very carefully place the baking dish into the oven. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until the middle of the cake is completely set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving–the caramel sauce can be hot! Serve with ice cream if desired.
Video
Amazing caramel apple pudding cake! Absolutely perfect served hot with some vanilla ice cream in the fall. It’s so simple to make and is a real crowd pleaser!