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Butterscotch-Apple Cake + VIDEO

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This light and airy apple cake filled with chunks of fresh apples and butterscotch morsels is the ultimate fall season dessert. Each slice finished with a drizzle of caramel and a dollop of whipped cream is decadence you need to experience.

Apple desserts are the best way to celebrate the fall season. You can never get enough fresh apple bars, mini apple crumble pies or caramel apple crumble during apple season and beyond. This list of apple desserts also comes in handy when you are craving anything apple in your life.

Apple Cake on a white plate.

Butterscotch Apple Cake Recipe

One of the best ways to enjoy apple season is to make this Butterscotch Apple Cake with fresh, in season green apples.

Yes, it’s a decadent cake and should be reserved for those occasions where indulgence is key. If you or someone you know has a fall season birthday coming up, I highly recommend celebrating with this very popular cake.

The added caramel drizzle and whipped cream put this cake over the top when it comes to enjoying a naughty dessert.

Cake batter in a bowl.

Ingredients for Butterscotch Apple Cake

Pantry Ingredients

  • vegetable or canola oil
  • granulated sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder and baking soda
  • table salt
  • ground cinnamon
  • pure vanilla extract
  • pecans – you could substitute walnuts if you prefer them
  • butterscotch morsels
  • prepared caramel

Fresh Ingredients

  • eggs – large sized
  • green apples
  • whipped cream – you can use store bought, but freshly whipped is best

Cake batter ingredients in a bowl.

How To Make Butterscotch Apple Cake

Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in vanilla, apples and pecans. (Mixture will be thick).

Step Three: Spread mixture evenly in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle butterscotch morsels over top. Bake for 55 minutes.

Step Four: Cool completely in pan. Garnish with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Cake batter ingredients in a bowl.

What Does Butterscotch Taste Like

Describing what butterscotch tastes like is difficult, but it does have a very different complexity in comparison to caramel, which is often confused with butterscotch more frequently than you would think.

Butterscotch is a mix of browned butter, caramelized sugar and molasses, whereas caramel is caramelized sugar independent of molasses and butter. The brown sugar is what really gives butterscotch the it’s complexity and amazing taste.

Cake ingredients in a baking pan.

How to Select the Perfect Apple in the Grocery Store

  1. Check its firmness. Pick up the apple and feel its skin. Gently press a small area of the skin to make sure it’s firm to the touch. Try to avoid apples that are noticeably soft, mushy, or indent easily after you press the skin.
  2. Look at the apple closely. Turn the apple completely in your hand to visually check for quality. Avoid apples with visible scuffs or bruises.
  3. Make note of the apple’s color. Apples with full color have absorbed lots of sunlight and that leads to great flavors.
  4. Smell that apple. A fresh, high-quality apple should have a pleasant aroma.

Apple cake on a plate with whipped cream.

How Long Can I Store This Cake?

This cake stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Apple cake on a white plate with whipped cream.

Apple cake on a white plate.
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Butterscotch Apple Cake

This light and airy apple cake filled with chunks of fresh apples and butterscotch morsels is the ultimate fall season dessert. Each slice finished with a drizzle of caramel and a dollop of whipped cream is decadence you need to experience.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time55 mins
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Butterscotch Apple Cake
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 422kcal
Author: Cathy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups peeled and finely chopped green apples
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup butterscotch morsels
  • prepared caramel sauce and whipped cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in vanilla, apples and pecans. (Mixture will be thick).
  • Spread mixture evenly in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle butterscotch morsels over top. Bake for 55 minutes.
  • Cool completely in pan. Garnish with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Butterscotch Apple Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 422 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Polyunsaturated Fat 18g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 280mg12%
Potassium 10mg0%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

  1. OHMIGAWD. I think I gained weight just looking at the pictures…and I don’t even care. That looks DELISH and I can hardly wait to make it. (I’ll bet even a spoonful of the uncooked batter would taste great.)

    As always, your photos are fabulous. The apples do look pretty!

    Reply

  3. Oh. My. GAWD. You’re trying to kill me, you know that? I just read the name of this recipe to my husband who said “Nice….”. I’m so making this cake this weekend. We’re having dinner at a friends house and it might be perfect to take over. Or maybe I’ll just make it and keep it all for myself. 🙂

    Reply

  4. absolutely, positively sinful. this has the potential to be my favorite cake ever, and there’s not even any cream cheese icing involved! i think i’ll wait until i’m feeling particularly underweight to make it. 🙂

    Reply

  6. WOW WOW WOW!! Butterscotch and caramel are my fave flavors. I might like this one. And hey, I appreciate that the caramel is fat-free- just had my gallbladder removed and nothing with fat sounds particularly appetizing right now!! Love your humor (and your cake.)

    Reply

  7. I just knew when I opened your blog today, that you were going to make me drool & I’ll be damned if I didn’t. From the second I saw that decadent dessert. If you’re not making me drool over gorgeous land & fine wines, it’s desserts!

    Reply

  21. Oh my god. I once (when I was little) Ate an entire bag of butterscotch chips. Instead of making me never eat them again, it really just sealed my lifelong love affair with them. This is a cake for the ages.

    Reply

  23. I just ‘stumbled upon’ your blog and couldn’t believe my eyes! That cake!! And I really enjoyed the humor you injected, too. This will be a priority on my baking list-hopefully this weekend. Thanks!

    Reply

  24. wwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!stumbled across this cake and man does it look sooooooo gooooodddd…..and the great part about it is the step by step pictures you put here….great for those who are visual learners… great job…props to you…..ps…I think I just gained about 20 pounds just looking at the pictures also

    Reply

  26. I like your style.
    No, wait, i LOVE your style!!

    Spring is here. I’m gonna set the windows slightly ajar, put all kinds of gardening tools by the door and bake the cake.
    Then I’ll just lean back and listen to all the garden-work-noises my neighbors make as they struggle to earn a tiny bit.

    Mwahahahaha !!

    Thanks and keep up the good work =o)

    Reply

  27. OH my god! That looks scrummy. I love the apple joke by the way. What are the caramel morsels? We don’t have them at my local supermarket. Believe me I’d have some in my cupboard if they did! I’ll have to track some down and try this as it looks just right!

    Reply

  29. You are SOOOO wrong to have posted this! Oh my goodness! I LOOOOOOOVE caramel and apples together, and then you had to add butterscotch chips and pecans!!!!! I am trying to lose weight, and “Stumbling” upon blogs like this do NOT help!

    Still, I think I may just have to try it when I have company, or need to take a dessert somewhere. That way it’s not just sitting at my house taunting me!

    Reply

  30. Oh my!

    I have stumbled on hundreds of pages in my stumbling life and never have felt the need to leave a comment before seeing this cake…

    I practically licked my screen…

    Need help though I’m in UK and we have two types of flour here…plain and self raising?? which would be the equivalent of your all purpose? I’m not thinking of cleaning jobs here but something far more pleasant to persuade my partner to do…wink wink!!

    Reply

  32. Mama mia! :-O

    I will say this as someone who loves to bake but has a diabetic mother:

    You *do* have an unfair advantage with this cake–especially since diabetics would have to tweak the ingredients to this cake big time. And I can feel my own pancreas shrieking and holding its hands over its face (if it had a face and hands) and going “NOOOOOOO! Don’t do this to me!”

    Good thing there’s no calories in humor! And sis, you have plenty of that…

    Blessings,
    Kat ^.^

    Reply

  35. I can not wait to make this cake!! It has all of my favorites. And Cathy, I think I hate you. Everytime I come here and look at your recipes I gain a pound! Why must they all be so good?!?!

    Reply

  41. Good lord…that has to be the best cake ever created. I bow to you. No, really, I’m bowing. And typing. At the same time.

    It’s not easy, ya know.

    Brilliant recipe. I shall be making this. My poor husband won’t even know what hit him. This will get the spring cleaning finished, methinks.

    <3

    Reply

  43. Mmmm I made this today and I’m just eating it noww. One word: amaziinng. Soft but not too soft, sweet but not too sweet. Will definetely make again. =)

    Reply

  46. Surprised there was no comment about the umbrella girl on her back. Are you her? Just asking. I am 71, married and not a rain maker.

    Suggest improvement by using Cadbury Carmel Bars instead of Nestle Butterscotch, and adding ground Cardomon.

    Absolutely loved your approach.

    Reply

  48. Wahoo! Come to mama! That cake is ace!

    I absolutely loved the comments too. I think I’m in love with you just reading your demonstration of the cake making. lol

    Makes for a very interesting read (as opposed to boring ‘here are the instructions to bake’).

    Simply lovely!

    French bird.

    Reply

  49. I’ve stumbled upon the most amazing cake in the world. I almost cried when I realised that butterscotch chips are not made in Australia, and there isn’t really anything else like them that could be used to replace them. 🙁

    Reply

  51. It looked really good so I had to make it myself. It will be done shortly and I’ll see how mine turned out as I added a bit of nutmeg as well.

    Reply

  52. I found your site through StumbleUpon and despite the fact that I’m too sick to get out of bed, I had to make this cake. I dragged my ass out of bed, to the store to buy the apples and butterscotch, back home, into the kitchen, whipped it up in no time flat, and then slept all day, waking up at two hour intervals to eat another huge slice. It was awesome, and it made being sick in bed very, very enjoyable. Thank you!

    Reply

  54. I stumbled upon this and then made this cake for my junior prom dinner. Everyone who tried it agrees that it’s the most delecious thing ever.

    Reply

  61. Not only does this dessert look absolutely decadent, but you have to be the most entertaining recipe giver I’ve ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed the recipe and plan to make it this weekend. TFS!

    Reply

  63. As I can’t get butterscotch morsels in any store here in the UK… I will have to resort to buying them off eBay…

    My wife is begging me to make this cake… Now _I_ am the master!

    Reply

  69. omg… much like the others i stumbled upon this…. and all i can say is thank you. I’m with the reader who wanted to lick her screen… however i’m on the master cleanse! so it’ll be another week or so before i get to make it. So i’ve bookmarked and will be back! Time to sadly stumble away.

    Reply

  70. Thank you for this creative and entertaining presentation of your recipe! I stumbled on it and gave it a “thumbs-up”. That was a good start for my morning. =)

    Reply

  71. I’ve made this desert for every BBQ I’ve been to this summer. It is SPECTACULAR!!! It needs no improvements. However, I have a knack for making butterscotch chocolate. So, for those of you who would like an extra butterscotch kick… I removed half a cup of sugar and flour… replaced it with a package jello butterscotch instant pudding/pie filling mix which makes it even more delightfully soft and chewy for days. (Not that there will be any left over to last that long). Cathy you are fantabulous and wonderful for posting this heavenly recipe!

    Reply

  72. My boyfriend and his mom made this cake the same day he StumbledUpon it. I must say that I dunno what is my favorite dessert is way up there. Moist, delicious, kinda crumbly top, apples, caramel sauce, and cool whip…..YUM.

    Reply

  73. I think I have a new party favor.

    The only problem I see is it’s a little too messy for finger food.

    Ahhh, screw ’em. That’s what sinks are for.

    Great recipe.

    Mark

    Reply

  75. Oh that’s just hardcore food porn, right there. Awesome.

    I’ve never been much of a baker or cook – I read sites like this and FX Cuisine mostly to shame myself into picking up some culinary skills – but I think even I could do this one without messing it up too badly. Definitely giving it a try.

    Reply

  76. I’ve made this recipe a few times for family occasions, and I have to say– I always come home with an empty pan.
    My family has nicknamed this dish “Evil”, as in “Do you want some more Evil?”, because they cannot stop eating it.
    Two thumbs up!!!

    Reply

  77. Just wanting to say I made this today and WOW!! OH MY!! The dough tasted great! The smell while cooking was wonderful! THEN, eating it was even better! We topped it off with some vanilla ice-cream. Everyone really enjoyed it! Thanks for the “picture by picture” steps too!

    Reply

  79. I am now racking my brain for chores to line up so I can maximize the impact of this cake when I bake it. Do you think it has the potential to work on a global scale? Because if so, perhaps we can band together and bake some for the Senate. The House. The Middle East! Oh, the possibilities!! On the other hand, if it gets the backyard mowed, I’ll be pleased. Thanks so much for sharing!!

    Reply

  80. OOOOOOOOOOOOOH. so do i make it first, then ask the favor…or promise to make it?

    all i can think about is how good this would be combined with my newfound power to make homemade caramel sauce. do you think there’s any good sub for butterscotch morsels? i don’t think i can get them here (norway) and i am also not too keen on them.

    cute blog! i enjoyed your write up. 🙂

    Reply

  81. I made this tonight for my family and they were all quite impressed! Especially since the only other thing I can make is Kraft Dinner with Wieners. very easy to make and well worth it!

    Reply

  82. looks good.

    But why the hell do you need all the pictures? I know what a can of baking powder looks like! I gotta scroll through 500 lines of picture for one line of text. I think we can all read.

    Reply

  87. Oh sweet sugary heaven! this is the best cake ever!
    Soooo very worth the wait! (I can’t get the butterscotch bits in Scotland so I was relying on my friend bringing me some from his trip to Texas. This page has been bookmarked for months!)
    thanks for posting this and for making it so easy to follow! you’ve a great style!

    @TJ it’s great with the brown sugar! Brown was all I had in the day I finally got the long awaited butterscotch bits so that’s what I used and it worked great.

    Reply

  88. OM with a G! (as my kids say) I made this w/o the butterscotch was in a hurry everyone loved it and thought I was the greatest chef on earth! The second time I didn’t use the nuts or butterscotch, ( my son doesn’t like either) and it was still devine!! My husband thanks you!

    Reply

  92. Oh my God. It’s in the oven right now and I’m dying.

    I replaced half the sugar with brown sugar (and added a little extra oil to make up for it), left out the walnuts, and sprinkled more brown sugar on top instead of butterscotch morsels. And I don’t measure when adding cinnamon – I throw in as much as looks good.

    Still – awesome recipe and great starting point for other cakes.

    Reply

  93. Everyone found this much too sweet. I triple checked the recipe, I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just a really, really, really sweet cake. The flavor and texture were very nice, but it actually hurt my teeth! I served it with whipped cream, and that wasn’t enough to cut the sweetness. Had it the next day with vanilla ice cream, and that was more tolerable. I had to leave off the caramel syrup though. With it, the whole thing was almost inedible.

    I like the concept, and the flavor was so nice. I don’t want to give up on this cake! I might try it again with less sugar.

    Reply

  95. Holy friggen goodness, this looks delicious! Thanks much for the detailed instructions (and all of the pics!!), I am for certainly going to have to mix-up and bake this here cake. No worries, I’ll send all credit back this way 😉

    PS – So glad I snooped around stumbleupon for some tasty food blogs, I’m totally hooked on what’s cooking and being served here. Chow on now, Cathy, chow on 😉

    Reply

  96. I too want to be a professional photographer, even though I am currently working in an IT company, but my affinity towards photography is as it was since my college day. Daniel I ask you wihout professional traning can one be an excellent photographer and can be hired by an organization in print.

    Reply

  98. I just popped it in the oven and I’m covered in flour somehow. I’m not much of a baker but I think this will convert me. I can’t wait until my fiance gets home. It’ll be done just as he gets out of work. Heehee.

    Reply

  100. I cannot believe I copied the recipe and going to make this cake. I am a food professional and I have an enormous repertoire of recipes but after reading your great and very funny description and watching the show, I cannot resist.

    Excellent job! Very cute!

    Check out Tried and True Recipes from a Caterer’s Kitchen—Secrets of Making Great Foods

    On Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

    Reply

  101. I’ll get right on it. How could I not make this cake after such a detailed, torturous narrative? This has got to be the most entertaining apple ANYTHING I’ve ever read. Your pics aren’t bad, either.

    Yum.

    Reply

  107. OMG! I made this last night for guests. OMG! This is, without a doubt, the best dessert I’ve ever had! Guests couldn’t believe it! OMG AGAIN! Do it! Yum! This’ll make a bang for the party I’ll attend on the 4th!

    Reply

  108. OMG! I made this last night for guests. OMG! This is, without a doubt, the best dessert I’ve ever had! Guests couldn’t believe it! OMG AGAIN! Do it! Yum! This’ll make a bang for the party I’ll attend on the 4th!Thank YOU!

    Reply

  109. OMG! WTF were you thinking! This is heaven on a plate. WELL DONE my friend. I’ll do whatever you need just bake for me please. And I’m not a Johnny One Time.

    Reply

  111. OMG–I first made this because your site was smart &funny- but it has been a hit..with my family, my co-workers & friends. I also made this for a bake sale and it was the first to be sold out!!!!
    LOVE YOUR STUFF!!!!!!!! keep it up!!!

    Reply

  116. I made this cake for my first Thanksgiving with my fiance’s family. Everyone absolutely LOVED it! His grandmother (matriarchal cook of the family) even had seconds. They all requested that I bring it to every subsequent Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for the good impression!

    Reply

  122. Thank you for the recipe. I made it today for after dinner dessert. I skipped the pecans (sister with allergies), and I didn’t have baking soda, whipped cream or caramel syrup but it still turned out nicely. Everyone loved it.

    Reply

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