This Apple Spice Cake is moist and full of delicious apple and cinnamon flavor. Topped with luscious cream cheese frosting, this recipe is perfect for even a beginning baker.
This gorgeous Apple Spice Cake looks fancy but is really easy to make! Even if you never stray from boxed cake mixes, you can do this one, I promise! And you won’t believe how much better a fresh apple cake tastes when it doesn’t come from a box. The simple ingredients come together in a snap and the aroma that lingers in your house is something to treasure. Warm cinnamon, tart, sweet apples all baked together and topped with a dreamy cream cheese icing. Ahhh, friends I cannot wait until you try this one!
This cake just makes my whole house feel cozy and warm. Try it for yourself next time you’re in the mood for a succulent and simple treat. Then promise you’ll come back here and leave me a comment; I can’t wait to hear what you think!
HOW TO GET ALL THOSE LUSCIOUS LAYERS
So the inspiration behind this cake came from Dorothy’s Naked Carrot Cake. Dorothy is seriously the best. She is one of my favorite bloggers & real people combined! Anyway, I made it for my dad for his birthday over the summer. Old man, loves him some carrot cake! It was so yummy, and even better, she had this amazing method for cutting the two cakes you bake in half so that you get four sweet layers. Here’s what you do:
- Place toothpicks in the side of the cake all around. Use more if you’re worried about getting off track.
- Using a serrated knife, cut along where you placed the toothpicks.
- I like to cut a little on this side, turn, cut a little there, and kind of go from there.
- Then you very gently separate the layers and frost in between each one.
- Another tip is to freeze the cakes for a few minutes before slicing the layers so they’ll hold up a bit better.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FROSTING THIS EASY APPLE CAKE
- In my humble opinion, there is no better frosting in this world than my favorite cream cheese frosting. Spread some of this goodness in between each layer of the apple spice cake.
- Top it with some caramelized apples.
- You can even add bits of apples in between each layer too! So good.
- If you want even more flavor, add a pinch of cinnamon into the cream cheese frosting as you mix it.
EASY CARAMELIZED APPLES
I love to top this apple cinnamon cake with some sweet caramelized apples. They’re beautiful and add another dimension of flavor. Plus they’re really easy to make:
- Chop up one Granny Smith apple into bite size pieces.
- Add them to a sauce pan with brown sugar, cinnamon and a little butter.
- Stir over medium heat until they apples are soft and the sauce is thick.
- Then spread over the top of the cake. Delish!
MORE DREAMY CAKE RECIPES
There’s nothing like a delicious cake to celebrate any occasion, or even just a random Sunday night. Check out these moist, yummy, flavorful cake recipes and find your favorite!
- Caramel Zucchini Poke Cake
- Red Wine Chocolate Cake
- Cinnamon Cake Roll
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
- Homemade Carrot Sheet Cake
I hope you enjoy this warm, spicy, fresh apple cake recipe. Please leave me a comment below if you have any questions. Enjoy!
Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
- For Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsps cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 granny smith apples peeled and shredded (about two heaping cups)
- For Frosting
- 16 ozs cream cheese I always use Philadelphia, room temperature
- 8 TBSPs unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar not packed
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- For Apple Topping
- 1 apple peeled and diced
- 2 TBSPs brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 TBSP butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray.
- Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
- Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until the sugars are just about dissolved. Now add the oil about a half a cup at a time and whisk in until it’s combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in the shredded apple. Pour into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and transfer to cooling racks. Allow cake to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, insert a toothpick halfway up the side of the cake. Do the same two inches further down the side, and again two inches after that until you have toothpicks all around the edge of the cake. Use the toothpicks to guide a serrated knife in cutting the cake into half. Repeat with the second cake so that you have four layers. (See photo)
- To make frosting, cream together the cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Then add in the vanilla extract. Divide the frosting into four and top each of the layers with it. On the top layer, make the frosting thicker around the edges to make a rim to hold in the apple topping.
- To make the apple topping, combine the ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir consistently until the liquid thickens and the apples are tender. Remove from the sauce pan to a bowl and allow to cool completely before topping the cake with the apples.
- Serve immediately or cover loosely and refrigerate for up to three days.
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This is such a gorgeous cake, and it sounds so alluring since it’s naked ;) I want it!!
Kuklamou says
Oh that looks luscious. I will anything with apples and cream cheese frosting. Yum. I will make this for Thanksgiving to take to my Daughter’s house. She will love it.
I really hope you like it, it was SO tasty!
Mir says
I’ve always wanted to meet Dorothy, so there you go. Hope y’all had the best weekend, since you both seem to be so great!
And this cake seems great, too. Actually, not “seems.” Is. Full stop. :)
Sam Cady says
Can you use the same receipe to make cupcakes?
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Maria Weigel says
Will this work woth Fuji apples?
Those will work!
Mary says
I am a serious baker but I have to admit that I have never seen ingredient amounts listed as they are in your recipe for example what is 4.4 eggs or 1.38 teaspoons. Do you have this recipe with ingredients noted in normal measuring amounts and if so could you send it to [email protected]
When I signed up I accidently put 2 s’s on stuart. I really want to make this recipe as I think it will be delicious. Thank you.
Hi Mary! I’m pretty sure that you inadvertently tapped the serving size at the top of the recipe which changed all the ingredients. It should just be 4 eggs. I looked at it just now and it was as it should be.