Swedish Apple Cake

Mom’s Old Fashioned Swedish Apple Cake recipe makes the most amazing Fall desert. So moist with flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and the best caramel topping. Chunky apple bits and pecans makes this cake over the top delicious.

This Swedish Apple Cake recipe was one of those cherished treasures. It was passed down to my mom from one of her aunts and God only knows how old this recipe really is.

I have made only a few small changes that improves the cake slightly, but on the whole, this cake is amazing.

It is super moist, incredibly flavorful and just tastes like home. If you need a delicious Fall dessert and you love apples, this cake is for you.

Ingredients Needed

Cake

• Unsalted Butter– Butter adds moisture, richness, and amazing flavor to this apple cake.
• Granulated Sugar– Provides sweetness and moisture by attracting and retaining hydration.
• Eggs– Binds the ingredients together providing structure and moisture.
• Vanilla Extract– Adds a delicious vanilla flavor that enhances the apple and caramel flavors.
• All-Purpose Flour– A common flour that most of us have on hand that yields a tender and yet sturdy cake.
• Salt– A small amount of salt balances sweetness and enhances other flavors.
• Baking Soda– When combined with acidic ingredients like apples, baking soda produces carbon dioxide bubbles that makes cakes rise.
• Nutmeg and Cinnamon– Adds warmth, spice, and subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with apples.
• Granny Smith Apples– Chopped apples add chunks of sweet fruit and moisture throughout. Apples soften as they bake while retaining a bit of texture.
• Pecans– Provides a nice crunch while also contributing a nutty richness.

Caramel Topping

• Brown Sugar– An important part of the caramel topping that provides a molasses flavor while also contributing the rich color and flavor to the caramel.
• Milk– Adds creaminess to the caramel and helps to prevent the caramel from hardening too much.
• Butter– Provides a silky texture to the caramel while booting the richness and depth of flavor.

How To Make

Instructions for the Cake

• Preheat oven 350°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan.
• Cream butter & sugar. Beat in eggs & vanilla.
• Sift dry ingredients in separate bowl.
• Add dry to wet in 2 batches. Mix just until blended.
• Stir in apples & nuts.
• Bake 40 mins.

Caramel Topping Instructions

• After 30 mins baking, melt butter in saucepan with brown sugar & milk. Mix well.
• Remove cake at 40 mins. Put pan on cookie sheet.
• Pour caramel over top. Bake 20 more mins.
• Cool and serve.

Swedish Apple Cake

Print Recipe

Mom’s Old Fashioned Swedish Apple Cake is rich and moist with the best buttery caramel topping. This dessert is like Apple Pie and Apple Cake married and this is their baby.

• Author: Julia
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 10 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter * room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups chopped and paried apples *small chunks, about 2 1/2 med apples, see Note #1 below
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans *see Note #2 below

Caramel Topping

• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar *lightly packed
• 2 tbsp milk *or half and half
• 3 tbsp butter

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.
2. Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well
3. In a seperate medium bowl sift flour, salt, spices and baking soda. Stir well.
4. Working in 2 batches add dry mixture to wet. Mix just until incorporated making sure to scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Stir in apples and nuts.
6. Bake for 40 mins before adding topping.

Caramel Topping

1. After 30 mins of baking add caramel topping ingredients to a small sauce pan.
2. Heat on low until butter is melted and sauce is well blended. See Note #3 below.
3. Once the first 40 mins of baking is done, remove cake from oven and place springform pan onto sided cookie sheet (to help prevent any spillage from caramel sauce).
4. Pour caramel topping evenly over the top of cake and return cake to oven. Bake for an addittional 20 minutes.
5. Let cool enough to eat. Serve either warm or cool.

Notes

Note #1– Because this cake is on the sweeter side, I do recommend using a tart apple such as Granny Smith, Mcintosh or Braeburn apples.

Note #2– If you would like to substitute or add different nuts to the Swedish Apple Cake recipe, there are several options you can consider. Here are a few nut suggestions that could complement the flavors of the cake:

• Walnuts- Walnuts have a mild, slightly bitter flavor and a nice crunch. They are a common choice in apple desserts and would work well in this cake.
• Almonds- Almonds have a subtly sweet and slightly nutty flavor. Chopped or sliced almonds can add a pleasant crunch to the cake.
• Hazelnuts- Hazelnuts have a rich, slightly sweet flavor. They can be toasted and roughly chopped to add a delightful texture and nuttiness to the cake.
• Cashews- Cashews have a creamy and buttery taste. While they have a milder flavor compared to other nuts, they can still add an interesting texture and a touch of sweetness.

Note #3- The sugar in the sauce does not have to be melted. The ingredients just need to be well incorporated.