Apple Cinnamon Shortcake with Caramel and Whipped Cream

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 8 shortcakes
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes (includes 5 minutes cooling)

Quick Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: 2 cups (250 g)
• Granulated sugar: 3 tablespoons
• Baking powder: 1 tablespoon
• Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
• Kosher salt: 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter (cold): 6 tablespoons (85 g)
• Buttermilk (cold): 3/4 cup (180 ml)
• Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons (1 tsp for biscuits, 1 tsp for whipped cream)
• Apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith): 4 medium (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• Light brown sugar: 1/3 cup (70 g)
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
• Cornstarch: 2 teaspoons
• Heavy cream (cold): 1 cup (240 ml)
• Powdered sugar: 2 tablespoons
• Caramel sauce: 1/2 cup (120 ml), warmed

Do This

• 1) Heat oven to 425°F (220°C); line a sheet pan with parchment.
• 2) Cook apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of water until tender; thicken with cornstarch slurry (12–15 minutes).
• 3) Mix dry biscuit ingredients, cut in cold butter, stir in cold buttermilk + vanilla; pat and cut 8 rounds.
• 4) Bake biscuit rounds at 425°F until golden (14–16 minutes); cool 5 minutes.
• 5) Whip cold heavy cream with powdered sugar + vanilla to soft-medium peaks (2–4 minutes).
• 6) Split biscuits, spoon on warm spiced apple compote, top with whipped cream, drizzle with warm caramel.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Cozy, classic flavors: tender cinnamon biscuits, warm spiced apples, and caramel all in one dessert.
• Approachable for home cooks: no fancy techniques, just simple mixing, simmering, and assembling.
• Make-ahead friendly: bake biscuits and cook compote earlier, then assemble right before serving.
• Perfect texture contrast: flaky biscuit, glossy fruit, cloud-like whipped cream, and silky caramel.

Grocery List

• Produce: 4 medium apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or a mix), 1 lemon
• Dairy: unsalted butter, buttermilk, heavy cream
• Pantry: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves (optional), kosher salt, vanilla extract, caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)

Full Ingredients

Cinnamon Biscuit Shortcakes

• All-purpose flour: 2 cups (250 g)
• Granulated sugar: 3 tablespoons (38 g)
• Baking powder: 1 tablespoon (12 g)
• Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
• Kosher salt: 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, very cold and cubed: 6 tablespoons (85 g)
• Buttermilk, very cold: 3/4 cup (180 ml)
• Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
• Optional for finishing: 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon milk (egg wash), 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Spiced Apple Compote

• Apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or a mix), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces: 4 medium (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• Unsalted butter: 2 tablespoons (28 g)
• Light brown sugar (packed): 1/3 cup (70 g)
• Ground cinnamon: 1 1/2 teaspoons
• Ground nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground cloves (optional, for extra warmth): 1/8 teaspoon
• Kosher salt: 1/8 teaspoon
• Water or apple cider: 1/4 cup (60 ml)
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
• Cornstarch: 2 teaspoons (6 g)
• Cold water (for slurry): 2 tablespoons (30 ml)

Whipped Cream

• Heavy cream, very cold: 1 cup (240 ml)
• Powdered sugar: 2 tablespoons (16 g)
• Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
• Pinch of kosher salt: 1 small pinch

Caramel Drizzle

• Caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade): 1/2 cup (120 ml), warmed

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep your oven and pan

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or use an ungreased sheet pan if you don’t have parchment). Set aside.

If you’re using heavy cream for whipped cream, place a mixing bowl (and whisk/beaters) in the refrigerator now to keep everything cold.

Step 2: Cook the spiced apple compote

In a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter. Add the diced apples, 1/3 cup (70 g) brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water (or apple cider). Stir to coat.

Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape, 10–12 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons (6 g) cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water to make a slurry. Pour it into the apples and stir continuously until the juices turn glossy and thick enough to spoon, 1–2 minutes. Reduce heat to low to keep warm while you bake the biscuits (or remove from heat and rewarm later).

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (250 g) flour, 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

This quick whisk matters: it evenly distributes the baking powder and cinnamon so the biscuits rise and taste consistent.

Step 4: Cut in the cold butter and add buttermilk

Add the cold, cubed 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size bits of butter still visible.

Pour in 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. If there’s a little dry flour at the bottom, that’s fine—don’t overmix. Overmixing makes biscuits tough.

Step 5: Shape, cut, and bake the biscuit rounds

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Pat (don’t roll) it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold it in half, then pat it back to 3/4-inch thick; repeat this fold-and-pat one more time. This creates flaky layers.

Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut 8 rounds. Press straight down—don’t twist, which can seal the edges and reduce rise. Transfer rounds to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Optional: Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon milk, brush lightly over the tops, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar.

Bake at 425°F (220°C) until tall and golden, 14–16 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before assembling (warm is perfect).

Step 6: Whip the vanilla cream

In a chilled bowl, combine 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoons (16 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a small pinch of salt.

Using a whisk or hand mixer, whip on medium-high until soft-medium peaks form, 2–4 minutes. You want it billowy and spoonable (not stiff and buttery).

Step 7: Warm the caramel and assemble the shortcakes

Warm 1/2 cup (120 ml) caramel sauce until pourable: microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between, for 20–30 seconds total, or warm gently in a small saucepan over low heat for 2–3 minutes.

To assemble, split each biscuit in half horizontally. Spoon 2–3 heaping tablespoons warm apple compote over the bottom half. Add a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) of whipped cream. Drizzle with warm caramel. Cap with the top half of the biscuit (or leave it off for a more open, bakery-style look). Serve right away while the biscuits are still slightly warm.

Pro Tips

• Keep the biscuit ingredients cold: Cold butter + cold buttermilk makes the biscuits flakier and taller. If your kitchen is warm, chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.
• Choose apples on purpose: Use Granny Smith for tart structure, Honeycrisp for sweetness and crunch, or a 50/50 mix for the best balance.
• Control compote thickness: For a looser sauce, use only 1 teaspoon cornstarch. For a thicker, “pie-filling” spoon, keep 2 teaspoons.
• Don’t overwhip the cream: Stop at soft-medium peaks. If you go too far, it can look grainy.
• Assemble at the last minute: Biscuits can soak up moisture; keeping components separate preserves the best texture.

Variations

• Maple Apple Shortcakes: Replace the caramel drizzle with pure maple syrup and add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract to the whipped cream.
• Salted Caramel Pecan: Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon toasted chopped pecans and use salted caramel sauce.
• Apple Pear Compote: Swap in 2 pears for 2 of the apples (same total weight), and add an extra 1 tablespoon water if needed.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Biscuit rounds: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Rewarm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6–8 minutes (from room temp) or 10–12 minutes (from frozen).

Apple compote: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Rewarm on the stovetop over low heat for 5–7 minutes, adding 1–2 tablespoons water if it thickens too much.

Whipped cream: Best made the same day. If needed, refrigerate for up to 24 hours; whisk briefly to fluff before serving.

Best make-ahead plan: Make the compote up to 5 days ahead, bake the biscuits up to 1 day ahead, then whip cream and assemble right before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate (1 assembled shortcake, including caramel): 520 calories, 25 g fat, 70 g carbs, 4 g protein, 2 g fiber, 38 g sugar, 420 mg sodium.