Description
An ultra-gooey cinnamon roll cake layered with fresh apple slices and homemade caramel sauce, perfect for cozy fall gatherings and indulgent desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tube store-bought cinnamon rolls (about 8 rolls), with icing packet
- 2 medium apples (about 10 oz / 280g), preferably Granny Smith
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100g)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (80ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Optional: handful of chopped pecans or walnuts
- Optional: pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep Your Apples (5 minutes): Wash, core, and thinly slice your apples. Toss them in a bowl with lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Make the Caramel Sauce (10 minutes): In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and salt until sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles gently, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Baking Dish: Grease a 9×13-inch pan lightly with butter or cooking spray. Unroll the cinnamon rolls and set aside the icing packet.
- Layer the Cake (10 minutes): Place half the cinnamon rolls in the bottom of the pan, spaced evenly but close together. Spoon half the caramel sauce over the rolls. Scatter half the apple slices evenly over the caramel. Repeat with remaining cinnamon rolls, caramel sauce, and apples.
- Bake (25-30 minutes): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake until rolls are golden and cooked through and caramel bubbles around edges.
- Add the Icing and Serve: Remove from oven and immediately drizzle the included cinnamon roll icing over the top. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use thin apple slices for best texture. Don’t skip lemon juice to prevent browning. Stir caramel constantly over medium heat to avoid burning. Let cake cool 10 minutes before slicing to prevent caramel from running. Add nuts for crunch if desired. Reheat leftovers gently with extra caramel or butter to revive gooey texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 35
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Protein: 5
Keywords: caramel apple cinnamon roll cake, fall dessert, cinnamon rolls, caramel sauce, apple dessert, easy fall recipe, gooey cake