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Apple Spice Cake is the coziest thing I bake all fall, a soft one bowl cake loaded with grated apples and warm spice under a silky brown sugar frosting that tastes like a caramel apple grew up. I made this on the first chilly Saturday of the season and Maddie declared the frosting its own food group while Lizzie quietly claimed the corner piece before it was even sliced. If you love our pumpkin spice cake, this is its apple orchard cousin.
One bowl for the batter, a quick stovetop frosting, and an 8×8 dish is all it takes to fill the whole house with that warm bakery smell.
Apple Spice Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 2 hours (includes cooling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 9 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 560kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist apple cake with warm autumn spice and a fluffy brown sugar frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about the same effort as our pumpkin snack cake
Quick Answer
Whisk together flour, apple pie spice, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk apple sauce, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients and 1 1/2 cups of grated Granny Smith apples just until combined. Pour into a greased 8×8 dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake completely, then top it with a whipped brown sugar frosting and slice into squares.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Grated apple keeps it genuinely moist. Both the apple sauce and the 1 1/2 cups of grated Granny Smith apples soak the crumb with fruit and moisture, so this cake stays tender for days instead of drying out by the second morning.
- Apple pie spice does the heavy lifting. One jar of apple pie spice carries cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in the right balance, so the whole cake tastes warm and layered without you measuring four separate spices.
- Buttermilk and baking soda make it rise soft. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for a gentle lift and a fine, cakey crumb. It also adds a quiet tang that keeps all that sugar from tasting flat.
- The frosting is a brown sugar ermine, not a sugar bomb. Cooking milk and flour into a thick paste first, then whipping it into creamed butter and brown sugar, gives you a frosting that is silky and light like whipped cream, with deep caramel flavor and none of the gritty sweetness of a basic buttercream.
- One bowl for the batter means no fuss. Dry into wet, apples folded in, done. There is no creaming butter and no mixer needed for the cake itself, which makes this a true weeknight bake.
- Granny Smith apples balance the sweetness. Their tartness cuts through the brown sugar cake and the brown sugar frosting so every bite tastes like apple, not just sweet. Any firm baking apple works, but Granny Smith is the one I reach for.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in one bowl with no mixer for the batter, so it is easy enough to bake on a busy weeknight and still feels like a special occasion.
- That whipped brown sugar frosting tastes like caramel and is the reason this cake vanishes faster than anything else on the cozy crockpot fall dinners table.
- It stays moist for days, which makes it a make ahead dream for potlucks, bake sales, and lazy fall weekends.
Key Ingredients
A short, cozy shopping list with a couple of ingredients that really carry the flavor. Here is what each one is doing.
- Granny Smith Apples: Grated on the large holes of a box grater, they melt into the batter and keep it wonderfully moist. Their tartness keeps the cake from tasting like straight sugar.
- Apple Pie Spice: The whole warm spice cabinet in one jar. If you are out, a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a pinch of ginger stands in perfectly.
- Apple Sauce: Doubles down on the apple flavor and adds moisture in place of some of the oil, so the crumb stays soft and light.
- Buttermilk: Reacts with the baking soda for a tender rise and adds a gentle tang, the same trick that keeps our lemon blueberry coffee cake so soft.
- Light Brown Sugar: It sweetens the cake and becomes the star of the frosting, giving both a deep, caramel note. It is what makes this feel richer than a plain spice layer cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This is a forgiving one bowl cake, which means it takes swaps and add ins beautifully.
- Switch the frosting. A tangy cream cheese frosting is a classic partner for spice cake. Our chocolate cream cheese frosting works if you leave out the cocoa, or use a plain cream cheese version.
- Bake it as a layer or bundt. Double the batter and turn it into a taller cake the way we do with our banana bundt cake for a birthday-worthy version.
- Add texture. Fold in a half cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins with the grated apple for a chewier, nuttier bite.
- Lean into the spice. Add an extra half teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of ground cloves for a deeper, gingerbread-leaning flavor like our gingerbread bars.
- Make it cupcakes. Scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 18 to 20 minutes for grab and go frosted apple spice cupcakes.
- Go rustic. Short on time? Skip the frosting, dust with powdered sugar, and serve it warm like a spoonable apple and blackberry crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to Make Apple Spice Cake
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, apple pie spice, baking soda, and salt so the spice is evenly distributed, then set it aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the apple sauce, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the grated Granny Smith apples just until no dry streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into a greased 8×8 baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then let the cake cool completely in the dish.
- For the frosting, whisk the whole milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until thick, about 5 minutes, and let it cool. Whip the softened butter and brown sugar on high until fluffy, then beat in the cooled milk mixture until it looks like whipped cream.
- Spread the brown sugar frosting over the completely cooled cake, slice into 9 squares, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grate, do not chop, the apples. Grated apple disappears into the batter and releases its juice into the crumb. Big chunks sink and leave wet pockets.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry patches vanish. Overmixing builds gluten and turns a tender cake dense and gummy.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting. A warm cake melts the brown sugar frosting into a slick puddle. Give it a full hour, or chill it to speed things up.
- Cook the flour paste all the way. The milk and flour mixture for the frosting should be as thick as pudding before it comes off the heat, the same patience that pays off in our banana nut muffins.
- Whip the butter and sugar the full 10 minutes. That long whip dissolves the brown sugar so the frosting turns silky instead of grainy. Do not rush it.
- Use room temperature butter. Cold butter will not whip up light, and it can seize when the cooled milk mixture goes in.
- Store it covered in the fridge. It keeps for up to 4 days and the flavor deepens overnight, just like our baked cake donuts.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This is a coffee and cozy blanket kind of cake, so I cut a square and pour a mug of coffee or hot apple cider and call it a perfect afternoon. It is right at home on a fall dinner spread dessert table, and it holds up beautifully as the sweet ending to a big pot of chili or soup on game night. Set it out at your next Halloween party food and watch it go.
For a full dessert spread, it plays well next to bite sized treats. I like to serve it alongside a tray of mini cheesecakes and a big glass bowl of lemon blueberry trifle so everyone can grab a little of everything. A slice of sweet potato pie rounds out that classic fall lineup.
It travels well too, which makes it a go to for potlucks and school events. Frost it right in the 8×8 dish, snap on a lid, and it is ready to bring to a game day spread or a neighbor’s porch. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, and a slice warmed for a few seconds tastes like it just came out of the oven.
Apple Spice Cake FAQs
Granny Smith is my top pick because its tartness balances the sweet spiced cake and brown sugar frosting, and it holds its shape when grated. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Gala, or any firm baking apple will also work well. Avoid soft apples like Red Delicious, which turn to mush and add little flavor. Grate the apples on the large holes of a box grater and stir them in juice and all.
Absolutely. For the 2 teaspoons this recipe needs, whisk together 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and a pinch of ground ginger and cloves. Homemade blends are great because you can lean into whichever spice you love most. Pumpkin pie spice is a fine substitute in a pinch since the blends overlap.
Yes, and it actually gets better. Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered at room temperature, then frost it the day you serve it. The whole frosted cake also keeps covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The crumb stays moist thanks to all that grated apple, so make ahead is the easy button here.
The two usual culprits are overmixing and too much apple liquid. Stir the batter only until the dry patches disappear, because overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb. Also measure the grated apple loosely rather than packing it, and do not add extra. If your baking soda is old it can also fail to give the cake its lift, so check that it is fresh.
It is a brown sugar ermine frosting, sometimes called boiled milk or flour frosting. You cook milk and flour into a thick paste, cool it, then whip it into creamed butter and brown sugar. The result is light and silky like whipped cream, with a deep caramel flavor and far less sweetness than a standard buttercream. It is the old fashioned frosting that makes this cake taste special.
You can, and it is a delicious swap. A tangy cream cheese frosting is a classic match for warm spice cake. Use a plain cream cheese frosting, or borrow the base from our soft frosted lofthouse cookies and skip any coloring. Cream cheese frosting is sweeter and richer, so it is a good choice if you want a more indulgent slice.
Looking for more cozy sweets to bake this season? Our fresh strawberry scones and the rest of our fall dinner spread ideas will keep your kitchen smelling like fall from now through the holidays.
Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour for the cake
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup apple sauce unsweetened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed, for the cake
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated Granny Smith apples from about 2 medium apples
- 1 cup whole milk for the frosting
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour for the frosting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, for the frosting
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed, for the frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, apple pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla until well combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no dry patches.
- Stir in the grated Granny Smith apples until evenly distributed through the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the dish before frosting. Frosting a warm cake will melt it.
- Once the cake is cooled, make the frosting. Add the whole milk to a small saucepot.
- Add the flour a little at a time, whisking it in completely to avoid lumps.
- Place over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
- Whisk in the vanilla and allow the milk mixture to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the softened butter until smooth.
- Add the brown sugar a little at a time until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides.
- Turn the mixer to high speed and whip for 10 minutes, scraping often, until there is little to no graininess left.
- Add the cooled milk mixture and whip on high for 3 more minutes, until light and fluffy like whipped cream.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, slice into squares, and serve.
Notes
- Grate the apples on the large holes of a box grater and do not drain them. That grated apple and its juice is what keeps the cake so moist.
- Granny Smith apples hold up best here. Their tartness balances the sweet spiced cake, but any firm baking apple works.
- The cake MUST be completely cool before you frost it. A warm cake will melt the brown sugar frosting into a puddle.
- The frosting is a brown sugar ermine frosting. Cooking the flour and milk into a thick paste first is what makes it silky and not too sweet, so do not skip it.
- Whip the butter and brown sugar the full 10 minutes to dissolve the sugar. That long whip is the difference between grainy and cloud-soft frosting.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let slices sit out for 15 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.
Nutrition
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