I’ve been loving this apple spice cake recipe for years (and so have you readers!), so I decided it was about time to create a sheet cake version! It still has that perfect blend of warm spices, amazing apple flavor, and a moist, stick-to-your fork crumb that keeps you coming back for another bite. The only difference here is this sheet cake variation is baked in a 9×13 pan, serves up to 20 people, and is much quicker and easier to decorate. Topped with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream that perfectly amplifies the apple flavor, this cake is sure to be a hit at your next Fall or Winter gathering!

apple spice sheet cake recipe with cinnamon vanilla buttercream

apple sheet cake recipe with cinnamon vanilla buttercream

Why You’ll Love this Spiced Apple Sheet Cake

Quick and easy. Baking this recipe in a 9×13 pan simplifies things quite a bit. You can keep it in the pan to decorate (like I did), or turn it out onto a large rectangular cake board or serving platter to frost it. Either way, it’s much faster than baking and decorating a layer cake.
Warm spiced apple flavor. The apple flavor of this cake comes from TWO CUPS of applesauce. That sounds like a lot of applesauce but that’s how much you need to create apple flavor in a bake. To enhance that apple flavor, you’ll add cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to create notes of warm spices. This flavor is so cozy.
Supremely moist texture. All the applesauce in this recipe makes the texture of this cake extra EXTRA moist, yet somehow not too moist – you still get a cake-like crumb that is so enjoyable to eat.
Fun to decorate. Without the pressure of decorating a layer cake, you can really have fun with this one! Keep it simple with a rustic buttercream finish or add a decorative border like I did – you really can’t go wrong with decorating a sheet cake.
Perfect for feeding a crowd. Not only is a sheet cake easy to transport to an event, it’s so simple to slice into squares and serve up to 24 people.

Deliciously Moist Apple Spice Cake

This apple spice cake could not be easier to make with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and store bought applesauce. The applesauce lends incredible moisture to the texture of the crumb and is responsible for all of the apple flavor. If you live in a part of the world where applesauce isn’t common in your grocery store, you can absolutely purèe some apples and make a homemade version. That will take some more work, but it’s worth it for this cake.

Silky Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream

I paired this apple spice sheet cake with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream to really enhance the warmth of this cake and it is so delicious! It’s essentially my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, but with cinnamon added in. I absolutely love seeing the little flecks of cinnamon in this frosting, plus it’s super silky and ideal consistency for cake decorating.

apple sheet cake with cinnamon vanilla buttercream

If you’re looking for other frosting options for this cake, here are my recommendations:

Brown Butter Frosting
Cream Cheese Buttercream
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Salted Caramel Buttercream
Chai Buttercream (from my chai cupcakes recipe)
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting (from my pumpkin cupcakes recipe)

How to Decorate a Spiced Apple Sheet Cake

There’s no wrong way to decorate a sheet cake! Since you don’t have the added steps of filling and stacking a sheet cake, or the need for a smooth buttercream finish, you really have flexibility with the decorating process. Here’s how I decorated mine:

I used about ⅔ of the cinnamon-vanilla buttercream frosting to create a rustic finish on the sheet cake using an angled icing spatula. You can either do this with the baked (and cooled!) cake in the pan or turn it out onto a flat surface (like a cake board or rectangular serving platter) and frost it that way.

I placed the rest of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and piped a braided border around the edges of the cake. The technique is essentially piping diagonal overlapping shells to create a braided look. To finish the look, I sliced up some apples and placed them in a fanned-out formation in two opposite corners. Easy peasy!

how to pipe a braided border with buttercream

*NOTE that the recipe card below yields enough of this buttercream to frost the sheet cake and pipe a braided border around the edges. If you’d rather not do the braided border, here are the ingredient amounts to make less buttercream:

1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
pinch of salt

More Sheet Cake Ideas

If you want more decorating inspiration for your sheet cake, or simply want to see more sheet cake flavors, check out these other recipes:

I hope you love this spiced apple sheet cake recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make them in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

apple sheet cake with spiced buttercream

Equipment

9×13 baking pan

Ingredients

Spiced Apple Sheet Cake

2 1/2 Cups (332g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 Cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 1/4 Cups (250g) granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2 Cups (500g) unsweetened applesauce

Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream*

1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt

Additional garnishes (optional)

8 apple slices

Instructions

Make the Spiced Apple Sheet Cake

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Prepare a 9×13 metal baking dish* by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Whisk together and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and a large bowl), beat the butter on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown and white sugars and continue to beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla and the egg. Turn the mixer to medium and beat for one full minute.
Turn the mixer back to low speed and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. When it begins to come together after the last flour addition, turn off the mixer and give it a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated. The batter will be very thick.
Add the batter into your prepared cake pan and smooth the top, then bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the baking pan until room temperature.

Make the Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream

In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Cream butter on med-high until light and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle a few times in between.
Add powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated.
Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Assembly

Once the apple sheet cake has cooled completely, frost with the cinnamon-vanilla buttercream. To create the look pictured, use 2/3 of the buttercream to frost the cake surface with rustic texture. Add the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe a braided border around the edges. Garnish with sliced apples.

Notes

*Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream Amount: This recipe makes enough to frost the sheet cake and pipe a braided border around the edges. If you’d rather not do the braided border, here are the ingredient amounts to make less buttercream: 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 Tablespoons whole milk, pinch of salt.

*9×13 Baking Dish: I used a metal pan for this sheet cake, but a ceramic or glass baking dish will work just fine if you add 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Make Ahead Tips:

The sheet cake can be made ahead and stored in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover the cake tightly and store in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
The cinnamon-vanilla buttercream frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.

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