Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream

Layers of deliciously moist apple cake with warm spices and cinnamon-vanilla buttercream to amplify all the flavors. The perfect cozy Fall cake!

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Servings slices

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.

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.

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.

Make Ahead Tips:

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.