Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cake

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla bean paste and mix on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 4 or 5 additions, mixing just until there are no streaks of flour left after each addition.

Divide the batter into two equal portions, about 2 1/2 cups (1 1/4 lb./625 g) each. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared springform pan. Use a spatula to smooth the mixture into an even layer. Set the other half of the batter aside.

Bake until the cake is lightly golden and puffed up but not baked through, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the apple filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, raisins, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss until the apples are evenly coated.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the apple mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to look translucent and release some of their juice but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat. Transfer the apples to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Return any liquid in the bowl back to the saucepan and set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven. Spread the apple mixture evenly on top of the hot cake. Pour the reserved batter on top of the apple mixture and spread evenly. Return the cake to the oven and bake until puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan, then remove the outer ring. Let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Meanwhile, make the salted caramel. Add the granulated sugar to the saucepan with the apple cooking liquid, if any. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar melts. Stir the sugar occasionally with a wooden spoon during the first 2 to 3 minutes, but do not stir after this point, instead swirling the pan to ensure even cooking. Continue cooking until the mixture turns an amber color; watch it carefully, as it will go from amber colored to burned in a few seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the cold butter to stop the caramel from cooking. Whisk until well combined.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream and vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.

Return the caramel to the stove over medium-low heat. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream, add the cream to the caramel and whisk until combined. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the caramel to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil until you see faint wisps of smoke coming from the caramel and it has a subtly smoky aroma, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the flaky salt.

Let the caramel cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully drizzle the caramel over the cooled cake. (If the caramel is too firm for drizzling, return it to the stove top over low heat and warm slightly.) Cut the cake in slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 10.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen