Description
Enjoy a creamy no-bake caramel apple cake. Layers of spiced apples, rich caramel, and a buttery crust. Perfect for fall, no oven required!
Ingredients
Scale
- Crust & Base:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10–12 full sheets)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- Caramel Apple Filling:
- 4 medium apples (I use 2 Granny Smith, 2 Fuji), peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup good quality caramel sauce, plus extra for drizzling
- Cream Cheese Topping:
- 8 oz (1 block) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- Garnish & Finishing Touches:
- Extra caramel sauce for drizzling
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Crust Chaos, I Mean Creation:: First, let’s tackle that crust. Get your graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. Melt your butter – I usually just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, watching it like a hawk. Pour that golden liquid over the crumbs, add a tablespoon of sugar, and mix it all together until it looks like wet sand. This is where I always forget to really press it down. Use the bottom of a glass or your knuckles and really compact it into a 9-inch springform pan. Pop it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to firm up. You want it nice and sturdy for the next layers, trust me on this one.
- Apple Adventure Begins:: While the crust chills, let’s get those apples ready for your No-Bake Caramel Apple Cake. Peel, core, and dice your apples into small, uniform pieces. This step is where I sometimes get a little impatient and make them too big, which means they don’t soften evenly. In a saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Toss in the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir it all together until the apples start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. You want them tender but still with a little bite, not mushy! Let them cool completely before the next step, or you’ll melt everything, oops!
- Caramel Apple Layer Love:: Once the apples are cool, it’s time to marry them with that glorious caramel. Pour about half a cup of your favorite caramel sauce into the cooled apples and stir gently to coat. This smells absolutely heavenly, by the way, like a crisp fall day. Now, carefully spread this apple-caramel mixture evenly over your chilled graham cracker crust. I like to make sure it reaches the edges, creating a beautiful, sweet layer. If you’re feeling extra, drizzle a little more caramel over this layer. Into the fridge it goes again, for another 30 minutes, just to let everything settle.
- Cream Cheese Cloud Creation:: Now for the fluffy, tangy topping! In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it’s smooth and lump-free. I use my hand mixer for this, it makes it so much easier. In a separate, very cold bowl (I sometimes pop mine in the freezer for a few minutes), whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. This is where you want to be delicate; you’re trying to keep all that beautiful air in there. I’ve definitely overmixed before and ended up with a slightly denser topping, still good, but not quite the cloud I was aiming for.
- Assembling the Masterpiece:: Retrieve your crust and apple layers from the fridge. Carefully spoon the cream cheese topping over the caramel apple layer, spreading it out evenly. I like to create little swirls or peaks with the back of my spoon to give it some visual flair. This is where your inner artist can come out! Make sure the topping covers everything beautifully. It’s starting to look like a proper No-Bake Caramel Apple Cake now, isn’t it?
- The Waiting Game (and Garnish):: This is the hardest part, honestly – waiting! Pop the entire No-Bake Caramel Apple Cake back into the fridge for at least 3-4 hours, or even better, overnight. That chill time is crucial for everything to set up perfectly. When you’re ready to serve, carefully remove the springform pan sides. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce and sprinkle with some chopped pecans or walnuts if you like a little crunch. It should look absolutely stunning, and smell even better, like fall just moved into your kitchen!