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Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake

September 8, 2022 by Elizabeth Buuck 30 Comments

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This is the BEST caramel apple gooey butter cake! It’s like a french apple cake and a caramel cheesecake had the most delicious baby. Is that a weird thing to say? Oh, well you get it. The cinnamon apple cake layer on the bottom is moist and tender and the caramel cheesecake top is creamy and indulgent with a crackly top. It’s a show stopper of a dessert that will impress, but is actually quite simple to make.

What is Gooey Butter Cake?

If you’ve never had a St Louis Gooey Butter Cake, you’re in for one delicious treat. As the name suggests, it originated in St. Louis, MO in the 1930s. It’s a delicious dessert mashup of dense yellow cake and creamy cheesecake that’s best served warm or room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar, and is out of this world delicious.

My caramel apple version is a twist on the classic that’s perfect for the start of the fall baking season. I love fall baking, but I’m not quite ready to bake all things pumpkin when it’s still 90 degrees out. This is the perfect answer for that. It has all the cozy fall flavors you want, but isn’t too overboard for September. However, this cake is so good I’d be happy to eat a slice any day of the year.

How to Make Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake

While this cake looks and tastes like it took a lot of time and skill to make, it’s actually SO easy! You don’t even need a stand mixer. Just grab your hand mixer and a rubber spatula, whip up the apple cake layer in one bowl and the caramel cream cheese layer in another, pour into a springform pan, bake, chill, and enjoy! To ensure your gooey butter cake turns out just perfect, here’s my top tips!

Caramel Apple Cake

  1. Weigh your ingredients. I always suggest weighing your ingredients when baking. It’s the only way to make SURE your recipe turns out exactly the way the recipe author intends. However, it’s especially important with this recipe because not only do you want to make sure you have the correct amount of flour and sugar, but also the apples! Apples vary so much in size that I can’t just list that I used 5 apples. It’s the weight of the apples that’s important.
  2. Macerate the apples. When baking with fruit, I like to macerate it first. This basically means we’re going to extract all of the excess liquid from the fruit before baking. It will intensify the flavor of the fruit and also ensure you don’t end up with a soggy cake. Simply toss the sliced apples with sugar and lemon juice and pop them into the fridge for about an hour, then strain off the juices.
  3. Use a variety of apples. For this cake I used both granny smith and honey crisp apples. They are both great choices for baking and one brings the tartness while the other is more sweet.
  4. Use high quality butter. Another tip I bring up in almost every recipe. My favorite butter is Kerry Gold, and I always grab the salted. Choosing a high quality butter with a higher fat content will bring so much flavor to your bakes. And don’t be afraid of salt!

Caramel Cream Cheese

  1. Grab the Philly. Philadelphia cream cheese is the best. I always grab it especially for baked recipes, where the flavor is really going to come through.
  2. Salted Caramel Sauce. I tested this recipe with both homemade salted caramel sauce and a store bought version. Either will work as long as the caramel is a pourable consistency. You can find my recipe for homemade salted caramel sauce here.
  3. Room temperature ingredients. Baking with room temp ingredients isn’t anything new. But its ESPECIALLY important with cream cheese based desserts. The only way you’re going to end up with a dessert that’s perfectly smooth with ZERO lumps of cream cheese is by letting it come to room temperature first. I let mine sit on the counter for at least 2 hours.

How to tell when a gooey butter cake is done.

Typically when baking a cake, you’d insert a toothpick and make sure it’s coming out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Since this cake it topped with a gooey cream cheese layer, that method won’t work. Instead, you want to bake it until the edges are a golden brown and the entire top of the cake has a crackly golden skin. The middle will still be very wobbly, but it will set up as the cake chills.

Chilling and serving the apple gooey butter cake.

Chilling this cake is essential for the cream cheese layer to set. It’s so hard not to dig right in, but trust me it’s worth the wait. Chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, let the cake set out on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. You could also pop it in the microwave for 10-12 seconds and serve it warm! Then dust the top with powdered sugar and slice into 8 pieces. For clean cuts, make sure to wipe off your knife in between!

Tools & Equipment

  • Stand or Hand Mixer. I used my hand mixer for both the cake layer and the caramel cream cheese layer. But feel free to use your stand mixer if you prefer.
  • Springform pan. I like to bake this cake in a 9″ springform pan. It makes it super easy to remove the cake from the pan for serving. If you don’t have a springform, you could also bake this cake in a parchment lined 9″ round or square baking pan. Just be sure to leave an overhang of parchment so that you can easily lift the cake out once it has chilled.
  • Rubber Spatula. Is it weird to be obsessed with a kitchen tool? Regardless, I love me a rubber spatula. I like the standard sized ones for doing a final mix on cake batters and cookie doughs, and the mini ones for stirring caramel, spreading batter into pans, and melting chocolates.
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Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Elizabeth Buuck
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 9″ Cake 1x
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Description

A ooey gooey dessert mashup of cinnamon apple cake and caramel cheesecake that’s rich and indulgent and SO delicious!


Ingredients

Scale

For the Cinnamon Apple Cake Layer

  • 1 lb Thinly Sliced Apples, (about 2 medium sized honey crisps and 3 small granny smiths)
  • 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 Lg 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 Lg Egg, at room temperature
  • 3 C (350 g) Powdered Sugar + more for dusting
  • 1/3 C Salted Caramel Sauce (*homemade or store bought is fine. My salted caramel recipe can be found here.)

Instructions

  • Core your apples and slice them to 1/8″ thick slices. Once sliced, you should have 1 lb of apples. Place them into a bowl with 2 TBSP of sugar and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour. After an hour, remove from the fridge and drain off the excess liquid.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray.
  • In a large skillet, melt 2 TBSP of the butter. Add the brown sugar, allspice, ground cloves, and cinnamon. Whisk until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
  • Add the apples and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Melt the remaining 8 TBSP of butter and add it to a large mixing bowl with the granulated sugar. Use a hand whisk to combine.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until the eggs are fully incorporated.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and fold until just combined with a few streaks of flour remaining.
  • Add in the slightly cooled apples and fold until combined and no flour streaks remain.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spread into an even layer, and prepare the cream cheese layer.
  • In a medium mixing bowl use a hand mixer to whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg and mix to combine. Be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the powdered sugar 1/2 at a time, mixing for 2 minutes after each addition or until smooth. 
  • Add the salted caramel sauce and mix to combine.
  • Pour the caramel cream cheese mixture onto the apple cake batter and use a small offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
  • Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. It will still be wobbly in the center, but as long as the edges are golden and the top has a crackly skin, it’s done.
  • Let cool on the counter for 10-15 minutes, then place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours to allow the cream cheese layer to set.
  • When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and slice into 8 pieces.

Notes

  • Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Keywords: gooey butter cake, gooey butter cake recipe, caramel apple gooey butter cake, gooey cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @buuckfarmsbakery on Instagram and hashtag it #buuckfarmsbakery

If you loved this recipe for my Caramel Apple Gooey Butter Cake, be sure to leave a star rating and review below and tag @buuckfarmsbakery on Tiktok and Instagram. To save this recipe for later, click on the Pinterest icon on the recipe card above or on any of the images throughout this post.

More Fall Recipes You’ll Love

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  • Salted Caramel Banana Snack Cake
  • Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel
  • Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pretzel Cheesecake
  • Pumpkin Pretzel Brownies

Filed Under: Cakes & Pies, Recipes Tagged With: apple gooey butter cake, butter cake, cake photography, caramel apple cake, fall cake recipes, gooey butter cake, gooey cake, paula dean butter cake, st louis gooey butter cake

Previous Post: « Salted Caramel Banana Snack Cake
Next Post: Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cassie

    September 11, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    Can I make these in a large muffin tin? If so how long would you guesstimate to bake then for?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 16, 2022 at 7:43 pm

      Hey! To make like individual portions of it? Love that idea! I would guesstimate about 25 minutes, but just keep and eye on them and remove from the oven when the edges are golden and its crackly on top. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  2. Emily Nielsen

    September 12, 2022 at 3:42 pm

    Came out perfectly. I added nutmeg to the spice mix. Usually gooey cakes are too much butter, but this one uses cooked icing instead and it’s wonderful. I will be making this all fall

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 16, 2022 at 7:42 pm

      Ahh yay so happy to hear this! I like the nutmeg add!

      Reply
  3. Emily

    September 14, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    This looks amazing! Is there any way to do substitutions to make it plant based? ☺️🙏🏼 Thank you

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 16, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      I am not sure. I’m no pro at vegan baking, but I would love to hear how it turns out if you try it!

      Reply
  4. Hadeel Alzahrani

    September 15, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    I just baked this caramel gooey apple cake and OMG!! It smells amaaazing!! it was a little wobbly in the center after 45 mins like you said I just left it in the oven for another 10 mins with the door cracked open and the oven turned off just what I do with all my cheesecakes and it was perfect, I made the caramel sauce with kraft caramels and a little water and milk to use for the recipe, and I had a little left over so I just drizzled it all over the cake and it was delicious!! 10/10 !!!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 16, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      Hey there! So happy that you loved it! Drizzling the caramel on top was THEE move!

      Reply
  5. Nancy

    September 16, 2022 at 12:01 am

    I want to save this I want to try this one day

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 16, 2022 at 7:44 pm

      You can click on the Pinterest icon on the recipe card or print the recipe if you’d rather have a paper copy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  6. Melissa

    September 18, 2022 at 11:09 pm

    Made this today with my 9 year old, love that she was able to make this recipe with me.
    The recipe was easy to follow and all the timing was spot on.
    My family loved it! Will definitely add this as a fall dessert go-to. ♥️

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 19, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      Yay! So happy to hear that you guys loved it!

      Reply
  7. Natalie

    September 20, 2022 at 1:07 am

    Looks so good! Do you serve this cold from the fridge or at room temp?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 20, 2022 at 1:07 am

      I like to let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come up closer to room temp!

      Reply
  8. Katie

    September 22, 2022 at 11:31 pm

    I saw this on my explore page on Instagram this morning and knew I had to make it. I don’t eat eggs, but didn’t want that to stop me. I substituted sour cream (it’s what I had on hand) for the eggs. While the consistency may be a little different, it was still delicious and I will definitely be making again. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 23, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      Ahh yay I’m happy you were able to adjust it for your needs!

      Reply
  9. Julia Y

    September 23, 2022 at 7:42 pm

    Can we substitute for full fat yogurt instead of cream cheese?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 23, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      No that would not work.

      Reply
  10. Amy

    September 25, 2022 at 2:14 am

    After 50 min it’s wobbly in middle yes but not exactly that dry crackly top. Should it still be okay to take out?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      September 25, 2022 at 2:14 am

      Yes I would take it out as long as the edges have started to brown!

      Reply
  11. Roxana

    October 8, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    Hi, this looks amazing and I want to try it.
    Would you be able to specify the weight of the butter as well? I’m not sure how tablespoons should like like, I’m from Europe.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      October 8, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Hi! 1 TBSP is about 14 grams

      Reply
  12. Bryana

    October 9, 2022 at 6:58 pm

    Can a crust (graham or pie) be added to this?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Roza

    October 16, 2022 at 7:18 pm

    Hi, I’m not an experienced baker so I must made some mistakes…Is the bottom “crust”/layer supposed to be fluffy at all? Mine was just one big solid gue…like it smells and takes amazing but the texture was very..offputting.. Where did I made mistake? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      October 25, 2022 at 4:46 pm

      Hey Roza,
      Hmm I’m not sure what could have happened but I would guess maybe you over mixed the apple cake batter or under baked it. I would also recommend making sure to weigh your ingredients rather than using cup measurements (not sure if you did or not) because baking is such an exact science and it’s really easy to improperly measure when using cups to measure. The cake is a little more dense than a traditional sponge cake, but should still have a light crumb.

      Reply
  14. Liv

    October 24, 2022 at 3:13 pm

    Made this for my brother and sister when they came to visit my kids and my brother almost left none for anyone else🤣 everyone said it was delicious and I was only able to get a small bite before my toddler stole my piece too🤣 definitely making this every fall and also making it as an alternative dessert bc people sometimes don’t like usual cake and my second born girl’s birthday is the 28th and this seemed perfect!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      October 25, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      Ah yay I’m so glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  15. Suya

    March 6, 2023 at 12:19 pm

    This is my first time trying a more complex recipe and I loved it! So easy to follow and absolutely delish and moist!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Buuck

      March 6, 2023 at 4:23 pm

      Hi Suya!! I’m so glad you were able to follow this recipe and loved it!!

      Reply

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Hey y’all. I’m Liz. I’m here to satisfy that sweet tooth, and teach you all the tips and tricks to make your desserts next-level drool-worthy.

Here, you’ll find comforting, decadent desserts, and the occasional savory recipe with humble Midwest roots.

Oh and baby hands grabbing cookies. You’ll also find lots of that.

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