pumpkin apple cake with caramel sauce

I have a critical question for you this post Labor Day morning.

For serious.

Q: Do you like pumpkin beer? YAY or NAY?

If I was answering my own question, I would probably lean towards 3/4 of yay. Because I am not 100% sold on a pumpkin beer. Don’t get me wrong, I like pumpkin beer, but I am not crazy about it like I am with tater tots. Does that make sense?

But maybe I am doing it all wrong? I don’t even have a go-to pumpkin beer brand, which I think may be half my problem. So, if you are reading this post and wishing you had a pumpkin beer in your hand, what would it be? I NEED your pumpkin giggle juice wisdom.

Well, now that we covered the critical topic for today, let’s move onto something lighter like, CAKE. Friends, this Pumpkin Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce is what fall dreams are made of. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin, brown sugar all mixed together and topped with golden apples and caramel. It’s fall wrapped into a beautiful, edible package.

Grab a slice of this cake and wash it down with a pumpkin beer.

Eat Seasonal Series:

My talented and fantastic friend, Becky, author of The Vintage Mixer, is showing us that eating seasonally can be fun! Each month she provides a Seasonal Produce Guide, which you can save on your iPhone or desktop so you can get in the seasonal eating spirit.

Not only does she provide a beautiful illustration each month like the one above, you can also join me and a few fabulous food bloggers who are serving up seasonally inspired recipes. Follow us on Instagram and tag your photos with the #eatseasonal hashtag!

Shredded Hoisin-Blackberry Chicken Tacos with Crunchy Slaw by Floating Kitchen

Raspberry Peach Hand Pies by Foodie Crush

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup by Cafe Johnsonia

Zucchini Banana Brownies by Kitchen Confidante

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash by Cookin’ Canuck

Classic Carrot Cake by Vintage Mixer

Easy Roasted Vegetable Spaghetti by Simple Bites

Peach and Arugula Pizza by Letty’s Kitchen

Thai Carrot Cucumber Noodle Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing by Flavor the Moments

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry by Well Plated

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing by Mountain Mama Cooks

Pumpkin Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

for the topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed

for the cake:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large apples, sliced thinly
Caramel sauce, garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

for the topping:
In a food processor, add all the ingredients. Pulse until resembles course pea sized crumbs.

for the cake:
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the first eight ingredients. On medium speed, slowly incorporate the ingredients. Next, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixer a 1/3 at time and in between adding the buttermilk. Spray a nine-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Next, take the apple slices and arrange the apples spokelike. Top the apples with the crumb topping. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan and place on a serving dish. Garnish with caramel sauce.

recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

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