Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery tart shell cradles spiced apples under a glossy caramel glaze. This one demands homemade caramel, the kind that coats your spoon like liquid gold. Serve warm with a pour of that sauce, maybe some cream on the side.

Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

McIntosh and Golden Delicious apples go soft and sweet in a buttery tart shell, their edges caramelizing where they touch the pan. The trick is arranging the quarters snugly so they steam together and collapse into a yielding layer, then drizzling caramel sauce over the top to gild it all. It's the kind of dessert that looks fancy but asks very little of you once the dough is made.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 cupdark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 6 tbspunsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cupunbleached all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cuppowdered sugar
  • 1/4 tspcoarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 cupchilled unsalted butter, diced
  • 2 largeegg yolks
  • 2 tbspsugar
  • 1 tbspunbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tspground cardamom
  • 6 largeMcIntosh or Golden Delicious apples
  • 1peeled
  • 1quartered
  • 1cored

Instructions

  1. Combine the dark brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Keep it at a boil, whisking often, until the caramel thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily, about 10 minutes. The caramel sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead; cover and chill it, then whisk over low heat until warm before using.

  2. In a food processor, blend the flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. Drop in the diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and pulse again until moist clumps form. Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball, and flatten it into a disk. Wrap it up and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day ahead.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cardamom until combined. Add the apple quarters and toss until every piece is evenly coated.

  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round, then lay it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the overhang flush with the top of the pan sides, then press the dough up so it sits about 1/4 inch above the rim. Arrange the apple quarters cut side down in a tight circle around the outer edge of the pan. Slice the remaining apple quarters lengthwise in half and stand them snugly in the center to fill the tart.

  5. Bake until the apples are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Pull the tart from the oven and brush it generously with some of the caramel sauce, then let it cool to room temperature. Rewarm the remaining caramel sauce, drizzle a little over the tart, and bring the rest to the table for people to pour as they like.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Make the caramel and dough ahead, then the whole thing comes together in minutes. Both keep well chilled for days, so you can build the tart the morning of service.
  • Fit the apple quarters snugly into the pan, cut side down, so they steam together and soften evenly. Gaps mean they'll brown too fast on the edges before they're tender inside.
  • Brush the hot tart with caramel right out of the oven while it can still absorb some of the glaze, then drizzle more over the top once it cools. The double hit builds flavor and shine.
  • McIntosh apples break down into soft, almost sauce-like flesh, while Golden Delicious hold their shape better. Mix them if you want a tart that's somewhere in the middle.

Variations

  • Swap cardamom for nutmeg if you want a warmer, more familiar spice note.
  • Make it a galette instead of a tart by wrapping the dough around the apples on a sheet pan, letting the crust fold up naturally as it bakes.
  • Finish with a small pinch of fleur de sel over the caramel glaze to sharpen the sweetness and add texture.
  • Use Granny Smiths alone if you prefer apples that don't collapse, giving you a firmer, more structured tart.

Make ahead and storage

Store the cooled tart at room temperature for up to 1 day, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Caramel sauce keeps refrigerated for 5 days. Reheat gently in a low oven or serve at room temperature.