Sink your spoon into a bowl of this irresistible caramel apple pudding! Made with a light and airy sponge cake and a sweetly spiced caramel apple filling, this easy dessert is going to become your new favourite indulgence. Top with whipped cream, ice cream or warm custard for the ultimate winter dessert!
This apple and caramel pudding cake makes a superb treat on a chilly night.
The cake is soft and moist and the easy caramel apple filling is buttery, rich and indulgent. It is simple enough to serve after a family dinner, but also decadent enough to serve your dinner guests after a special meal.
If you love caramel apple desserts, give this delicious recipe a try- topped with a big scoop of ice cream, of course!
How to make caramel pudding cake
This recipe is so easy to make and only needs about 15 minutes of prep time, along with some common pantry staples. There are two components that need to be made;
- The caramel apple filling
- The sponge cake topping
For the caramel apple filling;
First, the apples are mixed with cinnamon and caramel sauce ingredients and cooked in a saucepan until tender. For the apple filling, I recommend using granny smith apples, or any other tart apple variety which will balance the sweet caramel sauce.
The sponge pudding;
A simple sponge cake batter is then made by beating eggs together with sugar and vanilla. The eggs are beaten for around five minutes, until they are pale and thick. This process adds air bubbles to the sponge batter, which is what makes the cake rise in the oven.
Self raising flour and melted butter are then carefully folded into the mixture. Folding helps to incorporate the ingredients without pushing out the air bubbles.
The simple sponge cake batter is spread over the cooked caramel apples. As it bakes, the sponge will soak in some of the apple sauce and become incredibly soft and fluffy!
Then, all you need to do is drizzle, pour or dollop your favourite sponge pudding toppings. I’m partial to homemade vanilla custard with some whipped cream or ice cream which soaks into the sponge while it melts. For extra indulgence, give this dessert a try with my homemade salted caramel sauce!
Tips for the best caramel sponge cake
To ensure that your sponge is perfectly fluffy and light, follow these tips below;
- Room temperature eggs. Bring your eggs to room temperature at least 30 minutes before beating. You can speed the warming process up by cracking the eggs into a clean bowl and setting aside to reach room temperature.
- Give it time. The secret to a light, fluffy sponge is to incorporate as much air as possible to the eggs. It is the air in the eggs that causes the cake to expand and rise in the oven. Beat the eggs for at least five minutes, maybe a little longer, until thick and fluffy.
- Fold like a pro! A good folding technique is required for a fluffy sponge. When folding the sifted flour into the egg, gently use a wide spatula to lift and fold the mixture.
- Don’t let the apples cook for too long, or the sauce will reduce too much. You want some of the delicious sauce to soak into the sponge while cooking!
- Don’t overcook. The pudding is ready as soon as a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Overcooking will result in a dry cake. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on the sponge to ensure that it doesn’t overcook.
This caramel pudding is best served immediately after baking. But it can also be cooled, covered and stored in the fridge and re-heated in individual serves in the microwave when required.
More easy desserts
If you love caramel apple recipes, then you will also love these caramel apple cupcakes!
Or try these easy, decadent desserts!
If you try this caramel apple pudding, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or rating below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Caramel Apple Pudding
Ingredients
For the caramel apple filling
- 6 apples Peeled, cored and thinly sliced. Granny Smith or other tart varieties of apples are recommended, but any apple type can be used.
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence
- ½ cup apple juice
- ⅓ cup cream
For the sponge
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla vanilla bean paste or essence
- 5 tbsp butter melted
- 1 cup self raising flour
To serve
- whipped cream, vanilla ice cream and/or warm custard
Instructions
For the caramel apple filling
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C° (356 F). Lightly grease a 20 cm x 20cm square baking dish or approx 17cm x 25cm rectangular dish.
- Add the sliced apples to a saucepan or frying pan, along with the butter, sugar, cinnamon, golden syrup and vanilla.
- Cook, stirring over medium to high heat until the apples become slightly tender and the sugar caramelises. Add the apple juice and cream and continue to continue to simmer (lid off) until the sauce becomes golden and thickens slightly. Be careful not to reduce the liquid too much.
- Add the apples to the baking dish and set aside.
For the sponge cake topping
- Place the sugar, eggs and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Using either electric hand held beaters or an electric beater, beat the eggs until they become pale and thick (around 5-10 minutes).
- Add half of the flour and gently fold it in with a spatula or large metal spoon. Fold in half of the butter. Then repeat with the remaining flour and butter.
- Gently spread the sponge mixture over the apples and place in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through. If the sponge starts to brown too much, you can cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Serve while hot with ice cream, whipped cream or custard. This sponge can also be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and re-heated when required. Enjoy!
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