Recipe: Apple Caramel Cake With Oatmeal Cookie Crumble

Makes one 7-inch, 3-layer cake

In this recipe, freshly grated apple cake and caramel buttercream team up with oatmeal cookie crumbles to create a perfect fall vibes cake. Bonus: leftover oatmeal cookie crumbles are a sheer delight layered in yogurt parfaits or liberally sprinkled on top of ice cream.

Ingredients

Apple cake

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated apple

Oatmeal cookie crumbles

• 5 tbsp granulated white sugar
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted plant-based butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

Frosting

• 1 recipe salted caramel buttercream

Make It

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans by spritzing them with vegetable oil and lining with parchment paper circles cut to size. Spray again with oil to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the vegetable oil, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute).

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined (15 to 30 seconds). Fold in the grated apple.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. Give the pans a light tap on the counter to reduce any air bubbles. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the cake edges are lightly browned, the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with only moist crumbs.

Set the pans on wire racks and let the cakes cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, rolled oats, flour and salt. Sprinkle in the butter, toss to coat, and then mix until well incorporated.

Using a spatula, spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely in its pan set on top of a wire rack.

Once cooled, break up into cookie crumbles with your hands or lightly bash it with a rolling pin.

Fill and frost the cake using the salted caramel buttercream. While building the cake layers, follow the dugout pool method, carving out a small pool in the centre of the buttercream and adding some extra salted caramel to the layers. Continue on until the final frost stage.

Decorate the cake with a piped salted caramel buttercream border on top, or an artful array of piped dollops or drop stars. You can also add drips of salted caramel to the outside of the cake. To preserve maximum crispness, add the oatmeal cookie crumbles in various-sized pieces to the top of the cake just before serving.