Caramel Apple Honey Bun Cake 🍎 – Black Foodie Finder

A Gooey Apple-Cinnamon Twist on Classic Honey Bun Cake

This Caramel Apple Honey Bun Cake by Zakia Boyd brings together everything you want in a cozy fall dessert: tender cake, fresh Honeycrisp apples, ribbons of cinnamon-brown sugar, honey, and a warm caramel glaze.

Starting with yellow cake mix keeps things easy, while sour cream adds richness and moisture. The apples and cinnamon sugar are layered throughout the batter and gently swirled before baking, then the still-warm cake gets covered in homemade caramel glaze. It’s the kind of simple, crowd-friendly dessert that fits right in at fall gatherings, holiday dinners, and Sunday dessert tables.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
• 2–3 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
• About 1 tsp ground cinnamon, for the apples

For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the Caramel Glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 tbsp butter, softened, salted or unsalted
• 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature, plus more if needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4–3/4 cup powdered sugar

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Apples & Filling

• Toss the diced apples with about 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Separately, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling.

2. Make the Batter

• Mix the cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla, and honey until combined.

3. Layer the Cake

• Add half the batter to a greased 9×13-inch pan, followed by half the apples and cinnamon filling.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

4. Swirl & Bake

• Gently swirl with a knife.
• Bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

5. Make the Caramel Glaze

• Heat the butter, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla until combined.
• Simmer for 1 minute without stirring, remove from heat, then gradually mix in powdered sugar.

6. Glaze the Cake

• Cool the cake for no more than 10 minutes.
• Pour the caramel glaze over the cake while it’s still warm.

Pro Tips & Suggestions

• Use room-temperature eggs, sour cream, and milk for easier mixing.
• Gently swirl the layers instead of fully mixing them.
• Check the cake at 35 minutes to avoid overbaking.
• Add powdered sugar gradually to control the thickness of the caramel glaze.

About the Creator

This recipe is by Zakia Boyd, the creator behind @zeetheintrovert. Zakia shares approachable, crave-worthy recipes with comforting flavors and creative twists on familiar favorites.

Zakia Boyd | @zeetheintrovert