Slow Cooker Apple Caramel Cake

I’ll get to the Slow Cooker Apple Caramel Cake, but first  I’d like to explain something (in case you’ve ever wondered).

What exactly is a Maritime kitchen, and why is it something special?

I live in a corner of the planet that is buffeted by wind, rain, ice or snow during much of the year.

The economic outlook is perpetually dismal.

And many people from the rest of the country have this idea that those of us ‘down east’ are quaint but backwards and lacking in diversity.

But here’s the thing.

People on the coastal edge of this vast continent survived by engaging with people from around the globe. While the powers that were might have resented some of who gained access to these ports, they couldn’t keep out the flow of ideas, or the realization that the world is a big place.

Invisible threads connect this region to almost every place in this country and on this planet.

And while we cannot deny the ugliness of racism and discrimination that exist here as elsewhere, we can look to the patchwork of cultures and communities that have built this region and to the willingness of many to open their arms still to those in need, even as they struggle themselves.

A Maritime kitchen is a place stocked as much with spices as it is with ideas from around the world.

Where people debate politics and wrestle with the world’s problems, but make time to celebrate its beauty and bounty too.

Slow Cooker Apple Caramel Cake is perfect for just such a celebration. It is simple and takes care of itself while you busy yourself with other things.

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Slow Cooker Apple Caramel Cake

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

Total Time

4 hrs 15 mins

 

This recipe works best in a 4 quart / 4 liter slow cooker. You can use pears or peaches for a change in taste. If you are using very crisp apples in this recipe, like Granny Smiths or Fujis, you might want to simmer them for a few minutes before using to ensure that they soften up during cooking. I like to use Cortlands or Gravensteins, or apples that are slightly past their prime for this cake.

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

Caramel Apples:

• 1/2 cup / 125 ml brown sugar
• 1/3 cup / 60 ml butter
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml cream or evaporated milk
• Pinch salt
• 4 cups / 1 liter thinly sliced peeled apples about 4-5 medium apples
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml flour to toss with apples

Cake:

• 1-1/2 cups / 375 ml all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml white sugar
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml baking powder
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml vegetable oil

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml white sugar
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups / 310 ml apple juice

Instructions

Caramel Apples:

1. Melt brown sugar and butter over medium heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to keep cream from foaming over top of pan.
2. While cream is simmering, toss apples with 2 tablespoons of flour and place in bottom of slow cooker.
3. Pour prepared caramel sauce over apples and stir.

Cake:

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add milk and oil and stir to combine.
2. Spread batter over apples in slow cooker.

Sauce:

1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cake batter.
2. Heat apple juice to boiling point on stove or in microwave, and pour carefully over ingredients in slow cooker. The apple juice should sit on top of the ingredients.
3. Cover cake and turn slow cooker to high setting.
4. Cook for 3-1/2 - 4 hours (exact time will vary depending on your cooker). Test cake with a toothpick or skewer. It should come out clean with no batter clinging to it. If not quite done, cover and continue cooking. When done, turn off heat and let cake sit until ready to serve. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.