Apple Spice Cake
This Apple Spice Cake is a moist, one bowl fall cake packed with grated Granny Smith apples and warm apple pie spice, finished with a silky brown sugar frosting. Baked in an 8x8 dish and easy enough for any weeknight.
Servings 9 servings
Calories 560kcal
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 8x8 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
Calories: 560kcal