Chaos Cake Apple Pie Bars (Print)

Decadent dessert bars fusing buttery cake, spiced apples, and crunchy cinnamon crumble for a perfectly chaotic treat.

# Components:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Apple Pie Layer

08 - 4 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
09 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Cinnamon Crumble

13 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
03 - In a medium bowl, toss diced apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Evenly distribute the apple mixture over the cake base.
04 - In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and rub with fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumble evenly over the apples.
05 - Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake base comes out clean.
06 - Cool completely in the pan. Lift the bars out using the parchment overhang. Slice into 12 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in just over an hour
  • Uses basic pantry ingredients most bakers already have
  • Perfect make-ahead dessert for gatherings
  • Easier than making a traditional apple pie
  • Satisfies both cake and pie lovers simultaneously
02 -
  • These bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days
  • Each bar contains the perfect balance of cake apple and crumble in every bite
  • The recipe doubles easily for larger gatherings just use two pans
  • These bars freeze beautifully for up to 3 months

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