With the feeling of fall, comes a uniquely gooey chocolate apple cake. This is a super moist cake with all the feels and flavors of crisp cooler weather. Cinnamon, allspice, and apples are baked in a chocolate cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and topped off with the easiest and creamiest homemade caramel frosting.
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An easy chocolate apple cake that will make your home smell incredible while it's cooking and tastes even better.
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Why this recipe works
- This chocolate apple dessert is a great use for fresh fall apples.
- The size of the cake makes it perfect for potlucks or church suppers.
- This anytime cake is delicious with your morning coffee or an afternoon snack in the afternoon.
- An easy apple chocolate cake square perfect to wrap in wax paper and put into school lunch boxes.
- The recipe includes an easy-to-make homemade creamy caramel frosting.
This easy cake recipe has undertones reminiscent of the holidays like allspice and cinnamon baked with gooey melted chocolate, tender apples, and frosting where each bite is as good as the last.
🔪 Ingredients
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- Eggs
- White Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Water
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Kosher Salt
- Gala Apples, or any apple that you enjoy that holds up to baking.
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Light Brown Sugar
- Whole Milk
🍲 Equipment
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- 9" x 13" baking pan with lid
- Stand Mixer
- Hand Mixer
- Spatula
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13"x 9" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Use a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
STEP 3: Using a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the eggs, sugar, butter, water, and vanilla until combined and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture.
Step 5: Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Step 6: Pour half the batter into the pan and sprinkle the apples evenly over the batter.
Step 7: Pour remaining batter over the apples.
Step 9: Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 10: Remove and allow to cool on a wire cooling racj while you make the caramel frosting.
Step 11: Using a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, and milk whisking constantly until it starts to boil.
Step 12: Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 13: Once the cake is cool, pour the frosting onto the top of the cake and evenly smooth on the cake.
Optional, sprinkle chocolate shavings over the top of the cake.
How to store, reheat and freeze
- Store the cake at room temperature, in a covered airtight container for up to 3 days.
- If you prefer to store it in the pan, wrap the top lightly with plastic wrap but be careful that the plastic does not drop onto the frosting.
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: Expert Tip: To make sure your cake doesn't stick, after spraying the pan with non-stick spray, use a pastry brush to get the oil into all the corners of the pan
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any type of apple but look for apples that hold their texture when cooking and don't get mushy.
Some of my favorites for this chocolate cake recipe are Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious.
The cake is done after about 50-60 minutes of cooking. However, because ovens and pans vary you can also check it by inserting a toothpick, wooden skewer, or even a thin knife inserted in the center of the cake and it comes out clean. You can also look at the center of the cake. When you touch it lightly, it should spring back.
We enjoyed this chocolate apple cake with the chocolate chips folded in as stated in the recipe.
However, I have also added in the chips last and found that it does help with preventing all the chips from falling to the bottom. Plus, it creates a delicious extra chocolatey layer. Experiment and see which you prefer!
Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways that you increase the flavor of this dish.
Add cranberries, nuts, or even raisins to the batter.
Add different types of chocolate chips (milk, dark, semi-sweet).
You can change up the fruit and add pears, strawberries, or bananas.
Serving Suggestions
Once the cake has cooled and frosted, cut into squares. Add shaved chocolate to the top.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the top (before serving) for extra gooey gooeyness.
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Eileen xo
📖 Recipe
Gooey Chocolate Apple Cake
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups Gala apples
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- non-stick baking spray
Caramel frosting
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 Tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate shavings optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Spray a 13"x 9" baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Using a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- Use a standing mixer, with the beaters attachment, cream together the eggs, sugar, butter, water, and vanilla until well combined and fluffy.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, about ⅓ of the dry ingredients at a time.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
Preparing cake pan
- Pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the apples evenly over the batter.
- Pour remaining batter over the apples.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove and allow to cool while you make the caramel frosting.
Caramel frosting
- Use a medium pot over medium heat, and combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk whisking constantly until the mixture starts to boil.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the frosting onto the top of the cake and smooth evenly.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the top of the cake.
NOTES
- Add dried cranberries, nuts, or even raisins to the batter.
- Add different types of chocolate chips (milk, dark, semi-sweet).
- Once the cake has cooled and it’s frosted, cut into squares to serve.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the top (before serving) for extra gooey gooeyness.
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