Every time I make this apple spice cake I am blown away at how delicious it is. It has the perfect blend of warm Fall spices, amazing apple flavor, and that moist, stick-to-your-fork crumb that keeps you coming back for another bite. If you’ve made my salted caramel apple cake or my apple crisp cake recipes, you know. But all fancy toppings aside, it’s about time this apple spice cake gets its very own blog post. She’s a star!
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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.
Another interesting thing about this recipe in regards to applesauce is that it helps with the rise and bonding in this cake. Notice that in the ingredients list there is only one large egg. Yep, just one. That’s because the pectin in applesauce acts as a binding agent, just like the proteins in egg whites. Pretty fascinating stuff.
To make the flavor extra cozy, I’ve added cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the batter. Together with the apple, it’s basically Fall in cake form. Your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing while you bake and decorate, and if you put on your favorite autumn playlist it will become a whole experience. Highly recommend it!
I paired this apple spice cake with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream to really enhance the warmth of this cake and it is so delicious! It really helps amplify the overall flavor and is just so perfect for Fall. If you’re looking for other frosting options for this cake, here are my recommendations (be sure to double any of these recipes to have enough for filling, frosting, and decorating):
- Brown Butter Frosting
- Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Vanilla Buttercream
- White Chocolate Buttercream
To decorate this cake, I wanted to really showcase the little flecks of cinnamon in the buttercream so I went with a smooth buttercream finish. Then I wanted to make it look a little bit rustic (but also a little bit fancy) so I piped a shell border around the bottom of the cake with Wilton Tip 4B, then used that same piping to create a braided buttercream border around the top edge. I finished the look with some apple slices and some Biscoff cookie crumbs (just for extra texture, not at all mandatory!). She turned out so pretty!
Regardless of how you decorate, this cake will satisfy all the Fall lovers. It’s the perfect cozy cake to enjoy with a cup of tea while you watch the leaves change color, or display as a centerpiece for your next autumnal garden party. I can’t wait for you to make this!
Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
Apple Spice 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
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
Additional garnishes (optional)
- 3 apple slices
- 1 Biscoff cookie, ground into crumbs
Instructions
Make the Apple Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax or parchment paper circle.
- 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.
- Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans (fill no more than 2/3 full) and smooth the tops, then bake for 36-42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before filling and frosting.
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 cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Fill and stack the cake layers with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with more cinnamon-vanilla buttercream. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting firm up.
- To create the design pictured, use the cinnamon-vanilla frosting to create a smooth finish on the cake. Refrigerate the cake for an additional 10-15 minutes to let the frosting firm up while you prepare a piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and add the rest of the frosting into it. Pipe a shell border around the bottom of the cake, then pipe a braided buttercream border along the top edge of the cake. Garnish with apple slices and Biscoff cookie crumbs, if using.
Notes
- The cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers 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.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me! I love to see your bakes.
If I freeze the cakes individually, how best to thaw before frosting them? Can they be frosted while still frozen?
Hi Niki! You can thaw the frozen cakes at room temperature and they’ll be thawed in about an hour. You can alternatively frost the cakes while they’re still frozen, some bakers like to do a partial thaw (15-30 minutes at room temp) to prevent the extreme temp change if you’re working in a warm kitchen.
Can I add chopped apples without any changes to the recipe?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried this recipe with chopped apples but after researching similar recipes it seems like you should be able to add them without any changes to the recipe. Enjoy!
We are going to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving and she asked me to bring an apple dessert. I’m not a pie baker and wanted the right dessert to follow a heavy meal. Not a quick bread or bread pudding, etc. This seemed like the way to go. I “test drove” it today to see what we thought and IT’S FANTASTIC. Texture is wonderful and flavors are great. The only thing I changed was I used five cups of confectioners sugar in the frosting instead of seven and it was totally fine. Can’t wait to bake it again for Thanksgiving.
Yay, Clio! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!
Is this for 2″ pans?
Hi Jen! This recipe is written for 3 6-inch cake pans or 2 8-inch cake pans. I use 2″ tall cake pans for both diameters.
Also can I use less sugar in the cake itself
Hi there! I haven’t tried this cake recipe with less sugar so I can’t recommend it. Sugar not only sweetens the cake, it creates a tender crumb as well, so reducing the sugar by too much may negatively affect the texture of this cake. That said, feel free to experiment! For the buttercream, you can try using up to 1/2 cup less powdered sugar. Any more than that and the buttercream might end up too thin. But again, feel free to experiment.
Can I use less sugar for the butter creams
Have u tried adding canned apples to the batter?
Hi Crystal! No, I haven’t tried that.
I made this in a 9×13 and topped it with cream cheese frosting! So moist, tender, and delicious! Thank you!
Could this recipe be made as cupcakes?
Yes! Fill your tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 15-18 min. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe!! It won me 1st place in spice cakes in the North Carolina state fair! It truly is a winner!
That’s so incredible, Julie!! I’m so proud of you and so happy to hear this cake is a truly a winner!
Hello,
I’m planning to bake this cake for my daughter. I was wondering if the baking time mentioned is suitable for the 6 inch cake pans. Thanks.
Hi Jamie! Yes. It does sound like a long time, but for this recipe 36-42 minutes is the baking time I use for 6 inch cake pans.
Ok. Thanks for answering my question. I know it’s thick. I can’t wait to make this.
Made this last night as a sheet cake for a birthday party today, it turned out devine! Great tastes of fall but not too heavy or claggy like fruit-based cakes can be.
This looks amazing! Same recipe if you want to do a 9×13 version? Maybe less frosting? Thanks!
Thanks, Cassie! Yes, make the same amount of batter for a 9×13 pan. I think you could get away with half the amount of frosting.
What would the cook time be on a 9 x 13?
Hi Holly! I believe the bake time will be 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!