Apple Spice Cake

This apple spice cake is filled with delicious apples, pecans, raisins, the sweetness of brown sugar, and classic fall spices like allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Once baked, it’s topped with a brown sugar frosting, creating a decadent, sweet dessert that just screams fall. 

Who’s ready for fall baking? I hope many of you raised your hands! I know August just started, but it’s never too early to start thinking about all the sweet delicious flavors of fall, in my opinion. Even here in Texas where summer seems to hang on until winter suddenly hits, I start thinking about fall baking right around July. Don’t judge me. I LOVE sweets! I especially love the kind of sweets we make during the autumn season. 

Nothing’s better than pumpkin, sweet potato, and apple cakes, pies, pastries, and even cookies when the cooler part of the year between summer and winter finally arrives. If it involves a large orange squash, a sweet tuber, or a fruit from the tree, I’m all over it, and one of my favorite fall desserts to make is this tasty apple spice cake. 

Apple Spice Cake

This apple spice cake is a frosted piece of fall in every bite. Everything about it makes me think of a cool autumn day and everything that goes with it – a crisp breeze, apples coming into season, the cozy feeling that fall spices give. Oh, I love it. 

This cake is so dense, but don’t let that fool you. It’s also very moist. It’s the perfect combo to create a wonderful feel with every bite you take. And what a bite! That dense, moist cake is absolutely overloaded with chunks of apples, raisins, and pecans throughout a batter that is just fall of the classic fall seasoning combo of allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. With those flavors alone, I’d it this cake with no frosting whatsoever, but why stop there? I didn’t. Instead, I finished the cake with a decadent cream cheese brown sugar frosting. Mmmm. 

Tips

This is one of the easiest from-scratch cake recipes you’ll ever make. It only takes a few ingredients, and as cakes go, it’s very straight ahead. If you have basic baking skills, you can make this apple spice cake. That being said, there are some things you can do to ensure that you get the absolute best cake possible. 

Fully Softened Cream Cheese

You’ll find this tip in any baked good I make that uses cream cheese. You have to fully soften your cream cheese if you want the best possible outcome. Fully softened cream cheese is smooth and easily blend with your other ingredients. If your cream cheese isn’t fully softened, you’ll end up with chunks of cream cheese in your mix. 

Room Temperature Eggs

Always let your eggs come to room temperature when you bake anything. Room temperature eggs incorporate more easily, emulsifying into the mixture more readily.

Be Cool with the Frosting

Be patient and let your cake cool completely before frosting it. If your cake is even just a little bit warm, the frosting will melt as you spread it on the cake, which means it won’t stick. Rather, it will slide down the sides and drift off of the top. 

Fold, Don’t Stir

When it’s time to add the apples, raisins, and pecans, it’s important to fold them in. Folding helps the batter retain the air that was whipped into it during the butter and sugar creaming process. It also ensures that you get a nice, even distribution of chunky goodness. 

Variations

I wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to this delicious apple spice cake, but then again, I made it! There are a few things you can do to change it up a bit to suit your particular needs. It won’t drastically change the cake, so feel free.

If you don’t like raisins, simply leave them out. I think they add a nice flavor to the cake, but they aren’t required to make something delicious. The same thing holds true for the pecans. If you don’t like nuts, simply leave them out. If you like nuts, but not pecans, consider adding walnuts. Both work very well. 

Serving Apple Spice Cake

Just put it on a plate! This apple spice cake needs no extra toppings or adornments. It is purely fall in its flavor and adding anything will only take away from that. You want the flavor of the cake and its brown sugar frosting to be the absolute star of the show. And speaking of being the star of the show…

This apple spice cake is perfect for any occasion. I will routinely make this cake on the weekends when fall rolls around. It’s also perfect for potlucks, family get-togethers, and holiday celebrations. Don’t let the flavors of fall stop you from making it at other times of the year! I made this cake a couple of weeks ago, and we are definitely not into fall yet. 

Storing Apple Spice Cake

This cake will keep well in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for about a week, although the longer it stays in the fridge, the drier it will become. Some people keep cakes like this on the counter for two to three days, but I don’t like the idea of keeping a cake with cream cheese frosting at room temperature. 

For longer storage, you can freeze this cake for up to a month, frosting and all. Simply allow the cake to chill completely, then wrap it gently in cling wrap and then again in foil. To defrost, simply place the cake in the refrigerator overnight. 

Say Hello to Fall with Apple Spice Cake

Fall is on the way, and if you’re looking for a new recipe to fall in love with this autumn, then you need to try this apple spice cake. Heck, if you’re looking for a new recipe for next week, this is it. Make it any time of year, just make it! This apple spice cake is overflowing with delicious flavors and topped with a decadent cream cheese brown sugar frosting. It’s everything we love about fall, and it’s just waiting for you to make it. And eat it, of course.

Ingredients Needed

• Sugar
• Butter
• Eggs
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• All purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Ground allspice
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Pecans
• Raisins
• Granny Smith apple
• Cream cheese
• Brown sugar
• Powdered sugar

How To Make Apple Spice Cake

For The Apple Cake

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined then set aside.
4. Next, beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients..
5. Fold in pecans, raisins, and grated apples, stir.
6. Evenly pour cake batter into prepared pans.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For The Brown Sugar Frosting

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
3. Frost cake once it has cooled completely.

Try This Delicious Apple Spice Cake Today

Here are a few more apple recipes that can be found on the blog:

• Apple Cobbler
• Apple Pecan Fritter Bites
• Gooey Apple Cake
• Apple Pear Walnut Crisp

And here is a delicious Apple Fritters recipe and Apple Cinnamon Hand Pies from Deliciously Seasoned that you might enjoy too!

Apple Spice Cake

Great Grub, Delicious Treats

This is a delicious apple spice cake with a brown sugar frosting and is the perfect fall dessert.

4.60 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 715 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For The Apple Cake

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 ⅓ cup milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• ¾ cup grated apple

For The Brown Sugar Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325° and spray (2) 8 inch cake pans with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

For The Apple Cake

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined then set aside.
• Next, beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients..
• Fold in pecans, raisins, and grated apples, stir.
• Evenly pour cake batter into prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For The Brown Sugar Frosting

• In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes. mix together cream cheese, butter, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
• Next, add milk, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• Add powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
• Frost cake once it has cooled completely.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate.

 

Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.

 

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Nutrition

Calories: 715kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 9gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 404mgPotassium: 302mgFiber: 3gSugar: 68gVitamin A: 863IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 102mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Apple Cake, Apple Spice Cake, Layered Cake

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Enjoy, Terri

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