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caramel apple poke cake
cookingwithmykids

Caramel apple poke cake

Your kids will love helping you poke holes in this cake to pour the gooey caramel inside. It makes the perfect autumnal treat!
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, British
Calories: 458
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 270 g (1 ¼ cup) unsalted butter (softened)
  • 270 g (1 1/3 cup) golden caster sugar
  • 5 eggs large
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 270 g (1 1/3 cup) self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 cooking apples
  • For the Caramel
  • 50 g (1/4 cup) light muscovado sugar
  • 100 g (1/3 cup) golden syrup
  • 35 g (1/6 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
  • 80 ml single cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
  • 300 g (2 cups) icing sugar
  • 90 g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
  • 300 g (1 cup) cream cheese
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method
 

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/ 375F. Grease and line a 23cm x 33cm baking tin with baking paper.
    Cook the apples
    1. Peel, core and chop the apples into small pieces. Cook them in a small pan with a tbsp of butter and a splash of apple juice until they are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
    Make the cake
    1. Measure the butter and sugar out and add to a mixing bowl or freestanding mixer. Cream them together until they are well mixed.
    2. Measure the flour in a small bowl.
    3. Break the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to your mixture one at a time along with a spoonful of flour to stop it curdling. Give it a good mix in between the addition of each egg.
    4. Add the vanilla and mixed spice and beat well.
    5. Add the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mixture
    6. Lastly add the milk and the cooked apples and give it one final mix.
    Bake your apple poke cake
    1. Pour the cake batter into your prepared baking tin and smooth down the top.
    2. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. It’s ready when the cake is golden and springy to touch. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin.
    Make the caramel
    1. While the cake is cooling, make the caramel sauce. Measure the sugar, syrup and butter and add to a pan. Heat is gently until the butter has melted then allow it to bubble for around three minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream and vanilla. Give it a stir then put it aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.
    Make the icing
    1. While the caramel is cooling make the icing.
    2. Weigh the icing sugar and butter then mix together using a stand mixer or wooden spoon until they’ve come together.
    3. Add the cinnamon and cream cheese and beat together until it is combined. Don’t overbeat it as it can make the mixture go runny. Pop it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the cake.
    Assemble the cake
    1. Remove the cake from the tin.
    2. Using a straw poke holes all over the cake that go about ¾ through. Pour half of the cooled caramel over the cake making sure it goes into the holes.
    3. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake, then drizzle the remaining caramel over the top.