Once September rolls around, my desires instinctively shift to all things fall, regardless of the current weather outside: Give me those cozy sweaters, mugs of warm apple cider, and piles of crunchy leaves. And while my go-to fall treat in my childhood was always a caramel apple, these days, rather than risk an expensive visit to the dentist, I prefer to fix my caramel apple in a different way. So I developed this recipe for Whipped Caramel Apple Tart.
This one-layer apple cake is moist and bursting with apple flavor thanks to it mulled cider AND Apple Pie Spicebut the real star of this cake is his Whipped Caramel Frosting.
Made by whipping up butterscotch sauce, this golden frosting has the rich, deep flavors of caramel, but the texture has completely transformed from thick and sticky to light and fluffy. With its silky smooth texture and balanced toasted sugar flavor, it's everything you love about caramel – without the heaviness, stickiness and overwhelming sweetness. For caramel obsessives, this cream will be a dream come true. And for those who have shied away from caramel in the past, I urge you to give it a try.
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
The frosting starts with a homemade caramel sauce made by cooking sugar and water together until it turns a light amber color. If you're afraid of caramel (or if you've only ever made it before only to catch it in the pan), take heart: It only takes about 10 minutes, and adding some cream of tartar to the mix prevents unwanted crystallization. Once the caramel is golden, finish by whisking together the butter, cream and vanilla, then refrigerate until completely chilled and thickened. (This usually takes about four hours, but the caramel sauce can be made up to a week ahead.)
Then it's time to whip: To make the frosting, you'll whip the caramel with the butter (in a ratio of 4:1) until the mixture turns into a light, fluffy, voluminous golden cloud. This step amazes me every time – I always feel like I've gone from baker to wizard, even for a few minutes.
The frosting is a dream to spread over cakes or cupcakes, swirling and swirling in a way you never imagined caramel could. After testing this cream dozens of times, here are my pro tips: If the cream feels thick, curdled, or greasy, it's too cold. Gently heat the mixture by placing the bowl over a pan of steaming water for a few minutes (just until you see the edges start to soften/melt), then whisk again until smooth. If the cream feels sour or loose, it is too warm. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator before whipping again.
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
And if you don't want to make your own caramel sauce, I'm excited to share this Caramel block it is an excellent substitute. Gently melt a portion of the block caramel with cream over a water bath, or in a microwave at 50% power, cool completely and then beat in some butter on high speed. That's it! For exact amounts, see the tips at the bottom of the recipe page.
What about store-bought caramel sauce? Unfortunately, I do not recommend it. When I was fine-tuning this recipe, I tried several store-bought caramel sauces and my results were inconsistent and disappointing. These sauces usually have a thin consistency and a common first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. This meant I had to add a lot more butter to the mixture to properly aerate and stabilize the whipped toffee sauce, but doing so made the frostings taste more like butter and less like caramel.
Crowned with its whipped caramel cloud, this cake has quickly become my new favorite fall cake, capturing the essence of the season in every fluffy bite. But icing isn't just good for apple pie; try it in your next batch of vanilla cupcakes, pan brownies, or as a pasta topping. Regardless of the baking, this cream will leave everyone wanting more.
Conquer your caramel fear with ours step by step guide on how to make caramel.
Cover photo (Whipped Caramel Frosting) by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
