Apple Cake with Condensed Milk: No Sugar or Butter, Plus Caramel

Apple cake with condensed milk is one of the easiest cakes you can bake: a can of condensed milk, three eggs, a handful of flour, and apples. No sugar is needed at all because the condensed milk acts as the sweetener, part of the liquid, and the fat source. Butter isn't needed either, and the batter is mixed with a single spoon in just a few minutes.

It differs in texture from a standard sponge apple cake. The condensed milk gives the batter a dense, moist crumb that slightly resembles milk caramel. The cake doesn't rise as high as a sharlotka, but it stays soft longer and has a light caramel, milky candy flavor. The apples are layered twice, so every slice is packed with them.

Below you will find the basic recipe, and in the second half of the article, a caramel version with dulce de leche and caramelized apples. It's a more festive dessert—the one to make when you're craving caramel apple cake.

The full recipe is in the card: you can recalculate the amounts for a different pan size, check off completed steps, and print it. After the card, each step is explained in more detail.

Ingredients and how to choose them

Condensed milk. You need regular sweetened condensed milk, about 8% fat, in a standard 14 oz (397 g) can. Dulce de leche (boiled condensed milk) is not suitable for the main batter: it is much thicker, which would make the batter heavy and dense. It is only used for the caramel topping. Check the label: the best cans contain only milk and sugar. Versions made with vegetable fat also work, but the flavor won't be as milky.

Eggs. They are responsible for the fluffiness, so they must be at room temperature. Cold eggs don't whip as well, and the batter with thick condensed milk will become denser.

Flour. You need 1 ½ cups (180 g) of all-purpose flour. The most important thing is not to add too much: the batter should be like thick sour cream, running slowly off the spoon. If the batter is too thick, it won't seep between the apple layers, resulting in a drier cake.

Apples. Because condensed milk is very sweet, tart baking apples like Granny Smith work best for this cake. Their tartness balances the sweetness of the batter, and lemon juice further enhances the flavor while preventing the apples from browning.

How to bake an apple cake with condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper, and dust the sides with flour or breadcrumbs. Condensed milk batter, which is high in sugar, sticks to the pan more than regular batter.

Peel the apples, core them, and cut them into thin, ⅛-inch (3–4 mm) slices. Thin slices are important in this cake: the batter is dense, so thick chunks will remain hard, and the batter around them might not bake through. Drizzle the apples with lemon juice and toss with cinnamon.

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt for 2–3 minutes until frothy and slightly lightened in color. Pour in the condensed milk and beat for another minute until the mixture is smooth. There's no need to beat it longer: the fluffiness of this batter comes mostly from the baking powder, not from whipped-in air.

Mix the flour with the baking powder, sift it into the mixture, and fold it in with a spatula just until no lumps remain. If the batter seems too thin, add 1–2 more tablespoons of flour; if it's too thick, add a tablespoon of milk.

Arrange half of the apples on the bottom of the pan and pour half of the batter over them. Spread it with a spoon so it gets between the slices. Add the remaining apples and cover with the rest of the batter. If you want a pretty top, save a few slices and arrange them in a circle on the surface.

Bake for 40–45 minutes on the middle rack. Because of the sugar in the condensed milk, the cake browns faster than usual, so check through the oven window after 30 minutes. If the top is already dark golden, cover it with foil. It's done when a wooden toothpick inserted into the batter comes out dry and the center of the cake no longer looks jiggly.

Leave the baked cake in the pan for at least 20 minutes. Hot condensed milk batter is soft and fragile, but it firms up as it cools.

Caramel apple cake with dulce de leche

If you want a more festive cake, top it with a caramel layer and caramelized apples. For this, you will need an additional 5 oz (150 g) of dulce de leche, 2 apples, 1 ½ tbsp (20 g) of butter, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

While the cake is baking, slice the extra apples. Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the brown sugar, and when it starts to bubble, add the apples. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, turning them, until the slices soften and are coated in caramel but still hold their shape.

Stir the dulce de leche with a spoon or warm it slightly to make it spreadable, and spread it over the completely cooled cake. Arrange the caramelized apples on top. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour—the caramel will set, and the slices will be neat.

Ready-made dulce de leche in cans or jars is the easiest option. If you make it yourself from a can of sweetened condensed milk, the can must be completely submerged in boiling water for about 2–3 hours, constantly monitored so the water doesn't evaporate, and opened only when completely cooled. An exposed, heated can may explode, so it's safer to buy it ready-made.

Common mistakes

The cake is burnt on top but wet inside. Condensed milk has a lot of sugar, so the surface browns quickly. Bake on the middle rack, not higher, and cover the browning top with foil in time.

The cake is dense and rubbery. Too much flour was added, or the batter was mixed with the flour for too long. The batter should be as thick as sour cream, and the flour should only be folded in, not beaten.

The cake is too sweet. Sweet apples were used, or the batter was made with dulce de leche. Choose tart apples, don't skimp on the lemon juice, and use dulce de leche only for the topping.

The cake stuck to the pan. The sugar caramelizes and sticks. Always line the bottom with parchment paper and don't remove the cake from the pan while it's hot.

The apples remained hard. The slices were too thick. For this cake, they must be thin—about ⅛ inch (3–4 mm).

Variations and substitutions

• Replace some condensed milk with yogurt. 8.8 oz (250 g) of condensed milk and 3.5 oz (100 g) of plain yogurt: the cake is less sweet, lighter, and slightly tangy.
• All-purpose flour – half and half with whole wheat or spelt flour. The cake will be darker with a richer flavor.
• With cocoa. Replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cocoa powder to get a chocolate apple cake.
• With nuts. Sprinkle ½ cup (50 g) of toasted walnuts or sliced almonds between the apple layers.
• With pears. Replace half of the apples with firm pears, but slice them thinly as well.

How to serve

A simple cake with condensed milk is already quite sweet, so it pairs best with accompaniments that have a bit of tartness or bitterness, rather than sweet ones. A cup of black coffee or strong tea, a dollop of Greek yogurt, a dollop of sour cream, or unsweetened whipped cream balances the caramel flavor of the batter.

The warm cake can be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but then it's better to choose the version without the caramel topping—otherwise, the dessert will become too sweet. Slice the caramel cake with a sharp knife, dipping it into hot water and wiping it dry each time: the caramel won't drag, and the cuts will be clean.

For guests, the cake can also be baked in a rectangular pan. Double the ingredients (two cans of condensed milk, six eggs), pour into a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan, and bake for about 45–50 minutes—the layer will be the same height as in a round 9½-inch (24 cm) pan. Cut into squares, it's easy to eat by hand and perfect alongside coffee.

Lighter version

Condensed milk is the most calorie-dense ingredient in this cake, so the biggest savings come from replacing it. Here is how the calories per slice (dividing the cake into 12 slices) change with the most common modifications.

By replacing about 5 oz (150 g) of condensed milk with plain yogurt, each slice becomes about 34 kcal lighter, and the cake is less sweet. Many find this version with tart apples even tastier. The caramel topping, on the other hand, adds the most: about 40 kcal per slice, so it's worth saving for holidays. Whole wheat flour barely changes the calories but adds fiber.

How many calories are in an apple cake with condensed milk

One slice (about 4 oz / 110 g, dividing the cake into 12 slices) has about 205 kcal—roughly the same as a regular apple cake with butter. There is no butter or added sugar here, but condensed milk replaces both, providing more than half of the cake's total energy on its own.

How to store and can you freeze it

A simple cake with condensed milk stays fresh covered at room temperature for 1–2 days, and in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. On the second day, it is even tastier: the moisture distributes more evenly, and the flavor becomes more caramel-like. Always store the cake with the caramel topping in the refrigerator.

The cake without the caramel topping can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cut it into slices, wrap each in plastic wrap, and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. It's better to spread the caramel topping on the already thawed cake.

If you don't have condensed milk, bake an easy apple cake—it only requires everyday ingredients. If you like moist and filling cakes, try the apple cottage cheese cake, and caramel lovers will enjoy the French apple tart with upside-down caramelized apples.