Apple Pecan Sheet Cake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dense, moist cake studded with crisp apple chunks and toasted pecans. Starts with a simple oil and butter mix, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Dry ingredients whisked separately, then folded gently. Holes poked after baking hold a warm caramel sauce simmered from brown sugar, milk, butter. Baked until edges brown and center springs back slightly—look for moist crumbs, never wet batter. A rustic, tactile dessert balancing tart fruit, nutty crunch, and rich caramel. Cool before slicing. Store chilled covered. Sub brown sugar with coconut sugar for deeper notes or swap pecans for walnuts if needed.
Prep:
22 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
72 min
Servings:
12 servings
#American
#Sheet Cake
#Fall Baking
#Pecans
#Caramel
#Apple Desserts
Not your everyday cake. Dense with apple chunks that sneak out moisture slowly. Pecan crunch interrupts soft crumb. Butter and oil combo keeps texture rich without being greasy—a trick learned after many too-dense attempts. Baking soda is essential, balances acidity from apples and brown sugar caramel. Poke holes? Easy, but often skipped. Big mistake. That caramel sinks in, coats every bite with syrupy pockets. Stuff to try: swap milk for cream in caramel for richer finish or add cinnamon to batter for warmth. I learned early—watch caramel closely. Overcook it, tastes burnt, overlooked by newbies like me. This cake’s a dance between softness, crunch, caramel sweetness, and spicy tang from apples. Makes kitchen smell like autumn with every bake. Worth every minute.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups peeled and chopped tart apples (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Caramel sauce ===
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
About the ingredients
Using half oil and half butter melds moistness and flavor. Oil alone can leave it oily; butter alone dries out. Apples matter—choose tart and firm ones like Granny Smith or Braeburn. Soft apples turn mushy too quickly, ruin crumb integrity. Pecans toasted gently bring the nuttiness up front; raw nuts fall flat. Brown sugar can be light or dark—dark pushes molasses notes in caramel, subtle depth. Milk or cream intensifies caramel consistency; milk keeps it lighter. Vanilla extract—don’t skimp, it adds backbone. Flour must be sifted with leaveners to avoid lumps and ensure even rising. You can swap pecans with walnuts or even chopped hazelnuts for texture variation. Always measure flour with spoon and level, not scooping heavy, prevents dense cake.
Method
- Heat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 pan thoroughly with nonstick spray or butter; no shortcuts or crust sticks.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, melted butter, sugar till grainy but combined. Add eggs one by one, stirring well after each. Vanilla follows, splash and mix.
- In separate vessel, sift flour with salt, baking soda. Gives cake lift, prevents lumps. Fold dry into wet in stages; avoid overmixing. Lumpy better than tough.
- Gently fold in apple pieces and toasted pecans. Apples release moisture, pecans add crunch. Fold slowly, ensure even distribution without beating batter.
- Spread batter evenly into pan with spatula. Bumps flatten under spatula pressure. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes—eyes on edges, golden and pulling from sides. Cake center springs back gently. Toothpick should come out with few moist crumbs, no wet batter.
- Cool slightly, then poke deep holes all over with skewer or toothpick. Big enough for caramel to seep in but not tearing cake apart.
- Simmer caramel sauce: combine brown sugar, milk, butter in small pan over medium heat. Stir constantly, watch bubbles build to gentle boil. Once mixture reaches about 200 Fahrenheit or thickens slightly (around 90 seconds), remove from heat. Too long and it burns bitter.
- Drizzle hot caramel evenly, making sure liquid dribbles into each hole. Smells rich, buttery, with caramelized sugar notes. Let cake cool completely to absorb, then slice into squares.
- Serve room temp or gently warmed; cold cakes mute flavors, but warmth awakens aromas and soft snaps from nuts.
- Store leftovers covered in fridge. Warmer climate? Refrigerate immediately or caramel gets sticky and cake soggy. Reheat briefly before eating for best texture.
Cooking tips
Preheat is non-negotiable—oven needs steady heat for even baking. Combine wet first, helps sugar dissolve and emulsify butter, or you get gritty bites. Whisking eggs one by one ensures they’re fully incorporated; skips curdles. Folding dry avoids tough crumb; mix just enough to combine. Poke holes as soon as you pull cake from oven; hot cake is soft, easy to pierce without shattering. Caramel thickness cues—should coat back of spoon, not runny, not grainy. Timing the boil strictly ruins it; watch for color change hints—a golden flush signals readiness. Drizzle quickly but methodically, cover all holes so sauce pools. Let cake cool completely to let caramel set; warm cake causes sauce to run off sides. Store covered to prevent cake from drying but refrigerate if warm or caramel will get sticky. Reheat slowly with foil cover to avoid drying.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Oil and butter balance moisture and texture; oil alone can leave greasy feel; butter alone dries crumb. Melt butter gently, cool slightly before mixing with oil. Apples need to stay firm; tart varieties like Granny Smith hold shape better. Chop evenly, no mushy bits. Toast pecans lightly, smell nutty but not burnt; raw pecans flatten flavor profile. Poke holes while cake still warm; cake soft but not crumbly. Allows caramel to seep deeply. Caramel sauce thickens fast—remove heat on first boil bubbles then slight thickening to avoid burn. Timing crucial. Drizzle slowly, cover every hole to avoid dry bites.
- 💡 Mix dry ingredients last and fold with care; avoid overmixing. Lumpy batter better than tough crumb. Sugar dissolves better when combined then eggs added one by one, watching texture. Use a whisk for wet, gentle spatula for dry. Cake’s done when edges brown and pull slightly from pan; center springs back gently, toothpick test critical: no wet batter but crumbs left. Cool just enough before holes; too hot cake breaks, too cool cake too stiff. Store covered in fridge if warm climate or caramel gets sticky fast.
- 💡 Caramel can use cream instead of milk for richer flavor but watch thickness—it thickens faster. Dark brown sugar shifts caramel tones deeper, more molasses notes. Vanilla is backbone not garnish; use full tablespoon, no skimp. Pecans may be swapped for walnuts or hazelnuts but note flavor and texture change. Sifting flour with leaveners is step skipped too often; prevents dense cake. Measure flour with spoon and level carefully to stop heavy batter. Oven preheated fully for even bake; no shortcuts here.
- 💡 Batter spread smoothly with spatula pressure, bumps flatten out. Hard to get flat top but tap pan gently before baking if uneven. Check cake center by eye: springs back slightly rather than firm or wet. Wait full bake time once edges pull back. Skewer holes evenly across cake; holes too big tear cake, too small block caramel. Caramel thickness cues: coats spoon back fully, no runny drips, not grainy. Drizzle quick but methodical or caramel pools unevenly. Let cake cool fully before slicing for caramel to set or it runs off sides.
- 💡 Storage is key: cover cake airtight to avoid dry crust but cold climate fridge okay; warmer climates need immediate refrigeration. Otherwise caramel gets sticky and cake soggy quickly. Reheat wrapped in foil briefly to reactivate softness, avoid drying. Leftovers last 3-4 days max. If cake seems dry next day, microwave short bursts, no power ups. Poking holes after cooling impossible, or caramel pools on top rather than sinking in. Timing in baking, cooling, caramel making all matter.
Common questions
How to tell cake doneness?
Edges turn golden, pull from sides slightly. Center springs back with gentle press, not firm. Toothpick test best; crumbs, never wet batter. Look for dry top with small cracks. Smell caramelizing sugar, nutty hats off.
Can I swap pecans?
Use walnuts or hazelnuts but expect change in crunch and flavor. Toast same way, watch burn. Pecans lighter, sweeter. Nuts raw or untoasted flatten flavor, no crunch. Skip nuts? Cake denser, less texture contrast.
Caramel sauce burnt?
Remove promptly once it hits gentle boil with bubbles building. Watch color, honey-golden signals ready. Burn smells acrid, bitter taste. Restart if burnt; taste test key early. Use medium heat, stir constantly, adjust timing to pan and stove variance.
How store leftover cake?
Cover tightly prevents drying, fridge best for warm spots. Cold dulls aroma but stops caramel stickiness. Wrap foil for reheating. Room temp for day, but humidity ruins texture fast. Cake dries, caramel hardens if left out long.
