This apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting is packed with flavor, filled with cinnamon, and has a delicious caramel undertone thanks to brown sugar. Then topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting – it’s the perfect cake for fall!
This apple spice cake is incredibly moist. It has warm spices, a hint of brown sugar, and a delicious texture thanks to grated apple in the batter. It tastes comforting, homey, and is the delicious dessert for fall. I love how the tangy cream cheese frosting isn’t too sweet. Instead it pairs perfectly with the apple cinnamon flavor and lets the cake shine on its own.
I know people typically think of apple crisp when it comes to apple desserts – but I urge you to try this apple spice cake.
What Makes it So Delicious?
This apple spice cake is super moist with the softest crumb for a few key reasons:
- We start with oil (don’t worry, you can’t taste it at all)
- 3 large eggs for tenderness
- Apple sauce
- And sour cream.
Then it’s packed with flavor.
- Brown sugar adds a delicious almost butterscotch undertone to the flavor
- Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are the trifecta of spices – please don’t leave them out
- Then apple sauce and grated apple come into play
- And tangy cream cheese frosting that’s not too sweet makes the perfect topping.
A Few Notes for Making this Apple Spice Cake
- When baking, I recommend using a tart, crunchy apple because the flavor will mellow as it bakes. Granny Smith or Honey Crisp work perfectly. I do not recommend using Red Delicious or McIntosh.
- Sour cream can be substituted with plain Greek yogurt.
- Make sure to use unsweetened apple sauce.
- For the cream cheese frosting – use full fat, brick-style cream cheese.
Don’t feel like Cream Cheese Frosting on Your Spice Cake?
It’s also delicious with:
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A drizzle of butterscotch sauce or caramel sauce
- A light dusting of powdered sugar if you’re eating it for afternoon tea
- Or how about caramel cream cheese frosting?
This cake is perfectly dense, moist, filled with an apple cinnamon flavor and completely perfect for fall. And if you love carrot cake or zucchini cake – I definitely recommend trying this apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting.
Love apple desserts? Be sure to try:
Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Apple Spice Cake
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 1 ½ cups grated apple
- ⅓ cup sour cream
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese brick style, full-fat
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream as needed
- chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
For the Apple Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat together the oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Then stir in the apple sauce, grated apple and sour cream.
- Slowly beat in the flour mixture, turning off the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl beat together the butter until soft. Then beat in the cream cheese until no lumps remain.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time. Beat in 1-2 tablespoons cream as needed until the desired sweetness is reached.
- Frost the cooled cake, then top with chopped walnuts.
Notes
Nutrition
This looks absolutely perfect. I think I just felt a touch of fall in the air! (ok, maybe not literally but this cake definitely brings on feelings of newly sharpened pencils and back to school vibes!) <3
Haha! I don’t like back to school, but apple season definitely makes it better 😉
The cake batter will look soupy, but it turns out just right after baking! I was so nervous, not knowing if maybe I hadn’t added the correct amount of flour. Just wanted to relieve any fears of others baking this cake for the first time. It is amazing!!!!
I’m so glad you love the cake! And I’m sorry for any stress caused by how the batter looked – thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Did you use sweet or unsweetened applesauce?
I used unsweetened 🙂
Could you omit the grated apple and just use all applesauce?
I haven’t tried it – so I’m not 100% sure of the results. My concern would be that using all apple sauce might add too much moisture to the batter. So you might not need quite as much. I’d maybe try 2 cups total of apple sauce instead of 1 cup apple sauce and 1 1/2 cups grated apple.
I am baking mine in a bundt pan. How long should I bake it?
Also, what do you mean by “cream”? Is this a seasoning or a liquid? I’ve never heard of it before
What type of apples did you use?
You could use golden delicious, honey crisp, galas, granny smith – it’s really up to you. The only one I wouldn’t recommend is red delicious since the flavor isn’t as strong 🙂
I haven’t tried making this in a bundt pan, so I’m not sure of the bake time. I’d guess around 1 hour – or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and if you gently nudge the pan it doesn’t wobble. For the cream in the frosting, you can use whipping cream, heavy cream, or half and half cream.
I need to make the cake on Wednesday and won’t serve it until Saturday. Should I freeze it without frosting — or just refrigerate (with or without frosting)? I def don’t want it to dry out for sure. Thank you!!!!!
I’d make the cake on Wednesday, let it cool, wrap it tightly and then freeze (unfrosted). Then on Friday night thaw it in the fridge and then frost on Saturday. 🙂
Would gluten-flour blend work just as well?
To be 100% honest, it’s a little hard to know because different gluten free flour blends behave pretty differently. If it’s a brand that you’ve substituted for all-purpose flour in other recipes before and it’s worked well, then go for it!
This was excellent! I cut the recipe in half- well I used 2 eggs- but everything else I cut in half and this was so delicious! I only have my husband and I here because the kids are grown and living on their own, but by cutting it in half- it worked perfectly as a snack cake and my husband really loved it. That is a huge compliment because he didn’t think he liked apple cakes.
Can these be made into cupcakes? If so, how long should they bake?
I’d try these apple cupcakes instead – https://www.justsotasty.com/apple-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ . Because the recipe was designed for cupcakes, it will provide a better texture and rise for making cupcakes 🙂
It says cream, do you mean heavy whipping cream? Or half and half?
Sorry for the confusion! I prefer heavy whipping cream in frosting, but if you have half and half on hand already, it will be fine. The frosting may just be a little thinner.
Did you peel the apple?
I did, but it wouldn’t really matter too much either way.