Every year we drive north of Sacramento to a beautiful area known as Apple Hill. The views of fall foliage are what first captured my heart, and soon I discovered the charming apple and fruit farms and small bake shops that serve some of the best apple desserts I’ve ever tasted. We make a day of it: pack a picnic, visit several farms to enjoy the activities for kids, and wander among the bakeries. We usually end up at a quiet pond surrounded by those bake shops — a place where my apple cravings are always satisfied. It’s a family tradition we treasure, and I’m already looking forward to going back in a few weeks. Until then, I’ve been making a simple cinnamon apple topping to use on almost everything. Recently, everyone wanted a seasonal dessert but the heat made baking unappealing. My solution was to use a frozen Sara Lee pound cake, thawed and topped with warm cinnamon apples and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
This is one of the easiest recipes I’ve shared, and I love how quickly it comes together. I simply thawed a Sara Lee pound cake, prepared the homemade apple topping, and assembled everything in under 15 minutes. I used the family-size pound cake available at many grocery stores — it’s the perfect size for this topping. Keeping a ready-made pound cake on hand is great when you want a fast dessert without heating the oven or when you’re entertaining. You can spoon the cinnamon apples over the whole cake or add a scoop to each slice — either way, the pound cake and cinnamon apples pair wonderfully. A light drizzle of caramel sauce finishes this quick, seasonal treat.
Cinnamon Apple Topping
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- Sara Lee pound cake thawed
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, diced
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons water
- caramel sauce
Instructions
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Thaw the frozen pound cake according to package directions.
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In a medium saucepan, combine diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
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Top the pound cake with the warm cinnamon apples and finish with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
