Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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!
Servings: 15 pieces
Equipment
- 9x13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Apple Spice Cake
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (312 grams)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil (160 ml)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (158 grams) light or dark
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (240 ml) if using sweetened, you may want to reduce the sugar and use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups grated apple (about 1 1/2 large apples) peeled first, I recommend chopping the grated apple so that you don't have long strands
- 1/3 cup sour cream (80 ml) or plain Greek yogurt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese (226 grams) brick style, full-fat
- 2-3 cup powdered sugar (220-330 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or whipping cream, if needed
Instructions
Apple Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm cake pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg.
- In a separate large bowl using an electric mixer or wire whisk, mix together the oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla. There should be no lumps of sugar of pieces of egg.
- Mix the applesauce, sour cream and grated apple into the oil mixture.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Gently mix together. I always stir by hand using a wooden spoon first, then do a few whisks with a wire whisk to remove any lumps of flour.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The cake should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl butter until soft. Then beat in the cream cheese until no lumps remain.
- Add in 2 cups powdered sugar along withe the vanilla and salt. Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. Stop mixing as soon as the powdered sugar is incorporated. If you overmix the frosting, it will get too thin. If the frosting is too thin, beat in 1 tablespoon of cream.
- Frost the cooled cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. I sprinkle the top with a little nutmeg, sifting it through a metal sifter as I go.
Notes
- Applesauce: If using sweetened applesauce, you may want to reduce the sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup. I'd use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in total.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Set cake sit on the counter for about 15-30 minutes before enjoying.
- Make Ahead Tips: Cake can be made 1 day in advanced, covered and stored at room temperature. Then make the frosting the day you plan to serve. Unfrosted cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months (cool cake completely before wrapping and freezing). Thaw in the fridge, then frost before serving.
- Nutrition: Details are an estimate only, based on 1 slice of cake with cream cheese frosting, assuming the cake is sliced into 15 uniform pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg