Description
A moist and flavorful Apple Spice Cake featuring a perfect blend of warm spices and double apple goodness. This cake is easy to prepare with a tender crumb and pairs wonderfully with buttermilk syrup, caramel sauce, or vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (113 grams/8 Tablespoons)
- 1 3/4 cups sugar (350 grams)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup applesauce (preferably unsweetened)
- 2 cups peeled & grated or finely diced apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith preferred)
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour or gluten-free flour* (270 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
To Serve
- Buttermilk Syrup
- Whipped Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch metal pan with butter or nonstick spray, or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully blended. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Finish Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Then stir in the applesauce until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients, Then The Apples: Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined. Next, add the grated or diced apples and stir evenly to distribute throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Remove the pan and cool the cake on a wire rack.
- Serve & Store: Cut the cake into 15 slices. Serve each slice topped with buttermilk syrup, caramel sauce, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Leftovers store best covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
- This apple spice cake combines grated apples and applesauce for a moist, tender texture and rich apple flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with your preferred gluten-free blend measuring the same amount.
- If the cake browns too quickly in the oven, tent with foil partway through baking to avoid burning.
- Feel free to frost the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting for an extra indulgent treat.
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith or sweet-tart varieties like Honeycrisp for the best flavor contrast in the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/15th of cake)
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Sugar: 26.7 g
- Sodium: 293 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
