Description
A moist and flavorful Apple Spice Cake featuring warm spices and a double dose of apple goodness, perfect for an autumn dessert or cozy treat. This cake combines grated apples and applesauce for a tender texture and is topped optionally with buttermilk syrup, whipped cream, 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 recommended)
- 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
Optional Toppings
- Buttermilk syrup
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 inch metal pan with butter or cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper for easier removal.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well mixed. Set this aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar with a hand mixer or paddle attachment for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined.
- Finish Wet Ingredients: Add eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the applesauce until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients, Then The Apples: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently just until combined. Fold in the grated or diced apples evenly throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last few minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Serve & Store: Slice and serve the cake topped with buttermilk syrup, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or your favorite cream cheese frosting. Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, or keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This recipe uses both grated apples and applesauce to create a moist and flavorful cake with lovely texture.
- Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples work best to provide a tart contrast to the sweetness.
- To keep the cake from getting too dark, tent with foil if needed during the last minutes of baking.
- You can substitute gluten-free flour to make this cake gluten-free.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice (1/15th Recipe - Cake Only)
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Sugar: 26.7 g
- Sodium: 292.7 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 41.1 mg
