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Caramel dripping down the sides of an apple butter cake with mascarpone whipped cream
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Apple Butter Cake with Bourbon Caramel & Mascarpone Icing

A moist, lightly spiced apple butter cake made with homemade apple butter, frosted with mascarpone whip and finished with bourbon caramel sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12
Author: Karie

Ingredients

Apple Butter Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups apple butter
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs

Bourbon Caramel

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar or vanilla sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

For apple butter cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray three 6" cake pans (or 2 - 9" pans) and line with parchment.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together thoroughly. Add soft butter; mix until coarse crumbs.
  • Combine the apple butter and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Add to butter and flour mixture and blend on medium speed for two minutes. 
  • Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat on medium speed another two minutes.
  • Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cakes will be nicely browned and starting to pull away from edges of the pan. Allow to cool completely.

For the bourbon caramel:

  • Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add just enough water (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) to hydrate sugar, stirring gently to combine.
  • Allow sugar to boil, without stirring, until it reaches a dark amber color. Begin whisking to incorporate browning evenly.
  • Remove from heat and very carefully add cream while whisking - the mixture will expand and steam quite a bit.
  • Add bourbon and salt; stir to blend. Pour into a clean container and allow to cool. 

For the mascarpone whip:

  • Place mascarpone, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high until soft peaks form.

To assemble cake:

  • Cut tops of cakes flat to even out, if needed.
  • Remove about one cup of the mascarpone and place it in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of caramel and gently fold in. Use about half of this mixture to spread on the first layer of cake. 
  • Top with a thin layer of caramel. Add second layer of cake and repeat.
  • Add final layer of cake and press gently to seal.
  • Apply a thin layer of mascarpone whip to outside of cake. Chill at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Apply final layer of icing and frost as desired.
  • Pour caramel over cake, starting in center and swirling out towards the edges. Start with less than you think - the caramel will flow and cascade over the edges on its own. Tilt the cake lightly if needed for desired effect.

Notes

Cake will be best eaten at room temperature, but should be stored in the fridge if you're not eating it right away.