I’m going to warn you up front: this cake is rich. It’s made with a pound of butter, nine eggs, a pound of sugar and a pound of flour. Then the cake is sliced, spread with butter and griddle-fried until crisp. It’s drenched in caramel, piled with tender apple slices and finished with crème fraîche. This is not a low-fat dessert—far from it—but it’s utterly irresistible. My husband, who had been dieting, was reduced to pleading looks and fork gestures. I didn’t tempt him on purpose; we had guests I wanted to impress, but one bite and he couldn’t help himself.
He finished his plate, sneaked back for more and groaned with pleasure. No shame whatsoever—only delighted surrender. Now let me explain why this dessert is so addictive.
The base is a fine-textured vanilla pound cake gently scented with cardamom. That alone is delicious. Then we add a buttery, creamy caramel sauce that simmers with paper-thin slices of tart apples. The final, decadent step: thick slices of the pound cake are buttered on one side and fried on a hot griddle until the surface is golden and slightly caramelized. Each fried slice is placed fried-side up, spooned with warm apples and caramel, and crowned with a dollop of crème fraîche. It’s a dramatic, comforting dessert that balances rich butteriness, bright apples and silky caramel.
One more caution: make this when you have hungry friends or family. Otherwise you might find yourself eating it for breakfast—and honestly, that’s not the worst outcome.
This recipe has several steps, but each one is straightforward. Follow them in order and you’ll end up with an impressive dessert that’s well worth the effort.
Vanilla Bean Cardamom Pound Cake with Apples in Caramel Sauce
Ingredients for the Pound Cake (adapted from Martha Stewart Living):
- 1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 cups)
- 14 ounces (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 pound softened unsalted butter (4 sticks)
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 9 large, room-temperature eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Ingredients for the Apples in Caramel Sauce:
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 medium tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Also needed:
- additional softened butter for frying
- crème fraîche for garnish
To Prepare the Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Whisk the flour and sugar together in a bowl and set aside.
Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Use butter wrappers or a little of the softened butter to grease two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy—this takes time (about 8 minutes), so don’t rush it. Scrape down the bowl.
Use the dull edge of a knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the butter along with the cardamom. Beat on high for another minute, then scrape down the bowl.
Add the eggs in batches: beat two eggs in, scrape the bowl, add two more, scrape, add two more, scrape, then add the final egg(s) and beat on high until even. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in four additions, mixing until incorporated and scraping the bowl between additions.
Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans, tap the pans several times to release air bubbles, then smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake for about 60–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. While the cakes cool, prepare the caramel and apples.
To Prepare the Apples in Caramel Sauce:
In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, melt the butter with both sugars over low heat. When the butter has melted, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil vigorously for exactly four minutes.
Carefully pour in the heavy cream—it will splutter—then whisk until fully combined. Add the thin apple slices, lower the heat to medium-low, and partially cover the pan. Let the mixture return to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the apple slices are tender but still hold their shape. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
To Plate Your Dessert:
Slice the pound cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Butter one side of each slice and fry them butter-side down on a hot griddle until the underside is golden brown with a few caramelized spots. Transfer the slices to plates with the fried side up.
Spoon generous portions of the warm apple-caramel mixture over each fried cake slice. Top with a spoonful of crème fraîche and serve while still warm.
Prepare to be adored—the contrast of crisp, buttery cake, warm caramel apples and tangy crème fraîche is unforgettable.