Caramel Apple Cake

Homemade caramel sauce, cake made from scratch, apple cinnamon streusel, topped off with creamy vanilla ice cream...who could ask for anything yummier?  This is a sweet twist on a classic coffee cake.  The cake is fluffy but sturdy, the streusel adds great flavor and texture while the caramel satisfies your every sweet tooth.  I made this cake for a dinner at my boyfriends brother's house and served it with ice cream, and let's just say more than one person went back for seconds.  This cake is even great on its own without any caramel sauce added and can be served at breakfast, brunch, or dessert.  Here is the recipe below for you to try this caramel apple cake!

Caramel Apple Cake

Caramel Sauce:
1/4 Cup butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1/4 Cup cream
1 Cup brown sugar

Apple Streusel:
1 Granny smith apple, cored and finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cake:
1/2 Cup butter, softened
3/4 Cups granulated sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1) To make caramel: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring all ingredients to a low boil stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and set aside still stirring occasionally (caramel can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge and reheated later if necessary)
2) To make streusel: In a medium bowl cream butter then stir in all remaining ingredients into the butter until evenly combined and set aside
3) To make cake: Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8in square pan with parchment paper and grease lightly
4) In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until color is pale
5) Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for a few minutes each until batter is light and fluffy
6) In a separate medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then in a separate small bowl, combine milk and vanilla together
7)  Add both mixtures alternatively to butter mixture (add 1/3 of flour mixture to batter and beat on low speed until just combined, then add 1/2 milk mixture to batter and beat on low speed until just combined, then add another 1/3 of flour mixture to batter and beat on low speed until just combined, then add remaining 1/2 of the milk mixture to batter and beat on low until just combined, then add remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture to batter and beat on low until just combined) scraping the sides of bowl when necessary
8) Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan (batter may be sticky so just try your hardest to make the layer even)
9) Then add half of the apple streusel mixture on top of the batter
10) Then add remaining batter on top of apple streusel layer (still trying to keep an even layer of batter), then sprinkle remaining apple strusel on top of cake
11) Bake for about 45min until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake is evenly browned, top with caramel sauce (I reheated mine a bit right before serving it) and ice cream then enjoy!