Apple Pecan Cake with Caramel Glaze
This is a moist, cozy cake packed with tender apples, crunchy pecans, and finished with a rich caramel glaze—perfect for fall vibes or anytime you want a warm dessert.
🛒 Ingredients
🍰 Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ½ cup milk (or buttermilk for extra moisture)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups apples, peeled and chopped (Granny Smith or Fuji work well)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
🍯 Caramel glaze
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp milk or cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Prep the oven
- Preheat to 175°C (350°F).
- Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or loaf pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Mix wet ingredients
- In another bowl, whisk sugars, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Combine
- Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined.
- Fold in apples and pecans.
5. Bake
- Pour batter into pan.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool 10–15 minutes before glazing.
🍯 Make the caramel glaze
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat.
- Stir until smooth and bubbling.
- Add milk/cream and cook 1–2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
- Let it thicken slightly before pouring.
6. Finish the cake
- Drizzle warm caramel glaze over cooled cake.
- Let it soak in slightly before slicing.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream 🍨
- Add extra toasted pecans on top
- Drizzle extra caramel for indulgence
🔥 Tips
- Use tart apples for better flavor balance
- Don’t overmix batter—keeps cake tender
- Toast pecans first for deeper nutty flavor
- Let glaze cool slightly so it clings instead of running off
🍏 Why it works
It’s basically a soft spiced apple cake loaded with buttery pecans, finished like a dessert version of classic caramel apple pie vibes—but easier to make and slice.
If you want, I can also make you a bundt cake version, a slow cooker apple pecan cake, or a cream cheese frosting variation instead of caramel glaze.