My New Favorite? Caramel Apple Cake with Caramel Topping

This cake was as good as gone.

For Christmas Dinner, my awesome wife decided to make the Caramel Apple Cake with Caramel Topping from the Lady & Sons: Savannah Country Cookbook. It was our first time making it, and with the oven at peak capacity, we didn't think it would be done in time for dinner.

It was completed with just minutes to spare, and it was AMAZING.

Simply put, you make an apple cake with sugar, eggs, oil and flour (no baking soda/powder) and as soon as it comes out of the oven, you smother it in a hot caramel sauce that seeps into the cake, and also creates a layer of carameley (new word) gooey-ness on top. It's consistency is like bread-pudding. But REALLY good.

 If served warm with a scoop of ice-cream, you're looking at a cake that will have EVERYONE making "Nom-Nom" sounds at the dinner table.

Follow the jump for the recipe and details:




Ingredients:
Cake:
2.5 cups sugar
3 eggs
1.5 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
2.5 cups diced apples (I used fresh granny smith)

Caramel Topping: (please note, I'm listing 2/3 of original topping recipe. It's more than enough)
2 sticks butter
2.33 cups brown sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop about 2-3 granny smith apples. Cream together sugar, eggs and oil. Add flour and mix together until thoroughly blended. Add vanilla, nuts, and diced apples. Spread into a lightly greased and floured 11 x 9 inch dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Once removed from oven, punch holes with knife and pour hot topping over cake. Wait a few minutes and serve with ice cream.

Topping Directions:
Heat all ingredients together over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes and stir constantly. Pour over warm cake.

Final Directions:
Eat. Then cut another slice, add another scoop of ice cream and eat that serving, too!