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Perfect Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

brown butter apple cinnamon sheet cake - featured image
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A moist and flavorful sheet cake featuring nutty brown butter, fresh grated apples, warm cinnamon, and topped with a luscious salted caramel frosting. Perfect for cozy fall gatherings and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups grated apples (about 2 medium apples), peeled and finely shredded (Fuji or Honeycrisp recommended)
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (or plain yogurt mixed with a splash of milk)
  • For the Salted Caramel Frosting:
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) heavy cream
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Melt unsalted butter over medium heat in a light-colored saucepan, stirring constantly until golden brown with a nutty aroma (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly (about 5 minutes) without solidifying.
  2. Prep the apples: Peel and finely grate about 2 medium apples. Press with paper towels to remove excess moisture if very juicy.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Cream sugars and eggs: In another bowl, combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugars. Beat until creamy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter-sugar mixture, starting and ending with dry. Mix gently after each addition to avoid overmixing.
  6. Fold in apples: Gently fold grated apples into the batter with a rubber spatula.
  7. Transfer and bake: Pour batter into a prepared 9×13 inch pan lined with parchment or greased. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and cake springs back lightly.
  8. Cool completely: Let cake cool on a wire rack for 1-1.5 hours before frosting.
  9. Make frosting: In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring until bubbling and thickened (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in heavy cream and vanilla, then cool to room temperature.
  10. Beat frosting: Beat powdered sugar with cooled caramel mixture until fluffy. Mix in flaky sea salt gently.
  11. Frost the cake: Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Optionally sprinkle extra flaky sea salt on top.

Notes

Use a light-colored pan for browning butter to avoid burning. Press grated apples to remove excess moisture to prevent soggy cake. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to keep batter tender. Cool caramel base before mixing with powdered sugar to avoid runny frosting. Tent cake with foil if browning too fast.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, apple cinnamon cake, sheet cake, salted caramel frosting, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, moist cake, autumn baking

Find it online: https://prismtaste.com/perfect-brown-butter-apple-cinnamon-sheet-cake-recipe-with-salted-caramel-frosting-made-easy/