This Easy Apple Spice Cake is a delicious fall-inspired single-layer cake, great for snacking and really easy to throw together. It’s perfectly moist, loaded with chunks of apples, and flavored with delicious warm fall spices. It also uses applesauce to really bring out the apple flavor and make a super tender cake. It’s a great way to use up some of the apples from the orchard!
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Ingredients
A handful of standard baking ingredients are used in this easy apple cake, along with a few more unique ones. I’ve listed them out below!
- Fresh apples: granny smith apples are my preferred for baking. For this recipe, you’ll want to peel them.
- Neutral oil: canola or vegetable oil are my go-to. You could also use a mild olive oil if you don't have the others on hand.
- Applesauce: unsweetened with no added flavors. Using this helps make a super moist cake, but also helps round out the apple flavor. If you don't have apple sauce, you can use sour cream or greek yogurt to bring the same moist texture.
- Granulated sugar: standard white sugar.
- Dark brown sugar: in combination with granulated sugar, brings a rich flavor but also moisture. Light brown sugar is also okay.
- Eggs: large eggs. if you can find pasture raised, that’s ideal as they are the most nutrient dense with the healthiest chickens.
- Vanilla extract: brings delicious flavor and enhances all the other flavors.
- Flour: standard all purpose flour. Unbleached is always ideal.
- Baking powder: the leavener. Because this recipe has little added acid (brown sugar has a little), we need baking powder which includes both the acid and the leavener.
- Spices: a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice are a perfect blend of warm spices.
- Salt: kosher salt, always. This balances the sweetness, but also brings out the flavors.
Step by step instructions
Full recipe with ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
1. Whisk together the eggs and sugars. In a large bowl, whisk the two large eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup dark brown sugar together until pale and slightly frothy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the wet ingredients. To the egg sugar mixture, add the 1 cup neutral oil, ½ cup applesauce, and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients. To the bowl add the 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk together until almost fully combined.
4. Add the apples. Add the diced apples to the batter and fold in with a spoon until just combined.
5. Transfer to a prepared pan. Transfer the cake batter into a prepared 8x8 baking pan.
6. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is cooked through. Let rest in the pan for 15 minutes to set before removing and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Top with powdered sugar if desired.
The best apples for baking
There are over 7,500 varieties of apples. So what makes some better than others for baking?
For baking, you want an apple that leans a little tart, that way when it’s combined with the sugary ingredients, you’re not overwhelmed with sweetness. You also want an apple that is the right texture, and won’t disintegrate when baked. The varieties below are my personal favorite to bake with.
- Granny smith (ideal)
- Cortland
- Pink lady
- Honeycrisp (although these lean a bit sweeter, so if you can, also use a more tart apple in combination with this one)
Tips and tricks
To ensure this simple apple spice cake turns out perfectly, check out the tips and tricks below!
- Bake with room temperature ingredients! It helps make sure everything incorporates properly, and bakes at the same speed.
- Measure your flour properly. A kitchen scale is preferred, but if you don’t have one, the spoon and level method is best. If you have too much flour, your cake will be dry. Avoid scooping with the measuring spoon as it's likely it'll pack in and you'll have too much.
- Spoon and level method: fluff the flower with your spoon, then gently drop spoonfuls into your measuring cup and brush away any excess on the top with the handle.
- Don’t over mix the batter! Mix in the dry ingredients until it’s almost fully incorporated but some flour streaks remain. Then add the apples and mix until JUST incorporated. If you over-mix, the cake will get tougher and gluey.
- To prep a cake pan, spray it with non-stick cooking spray and it line with two pieces of parchment paper (one going each way) with at least an inch hanging over the sides of the pan so you can easily pull the cake out.
- Let the cake sit in the pan after it’s baked for a few minutes. This is a moist cake, so it needs a bit to set before you take it out of the pan.
- To check if your cake is baked through – insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake – if there are just a few crumbs, it’s baked through. If there’s any semblance of wet batter, it needs more time.
- Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temp! While extra important for baking, this is handy for any recipe you make 😊
Apple spice cake toppings
This fresh apple cake doesn't need much on top, or anything at all really, but to make it even more special, some topping ideas are below!
I like to use a simple dusting of confectioners' sugar, but you could leave it bare, make a simple powdered sugar glaze, or even make a buttercream! The maple buttercream from this cake recipe would be perfect. So would brown butter frosting.
Storage
Store this apple spice cake in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5.
FAQs
Yes! Just use 1:1 gluten free baking flour
For this recipe, yes, I'd recommend it.
Yes! If you do an 8x8 round cake pan, bake time will be the same. However, if you do a different shape more drastically, baking time will be different. For example, muffins will take less time (20ish minutes) whereas a loaf cake will take longer (50-60 minutes). No matter what pan you use, just be sure to leave at least 1 inch of space at the top.
Yes, use the paddle attachment, and when mixing the wet ingredients together mix on medium speed, and when adding the dry ingredients mix on low speed.
Yes, up until you add the apples, you can use the hand mixer. Then when you add the apples, switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
More apple recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup neutral oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened plain applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups peeled diced apples (about 2-3 apples) ½" pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk the two large eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup dark brown sugar together until pale and slightly frothy, about 2 minutes.
- To the egg sugar mixture, add the 1 cup neutral oil, ½ cup applesauce, and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
- To the bowl add the 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk together until almost fully combined.
- Add the diced apples to the batter and fold in with a spoon until just combined.
- Transfer the cake batter into a prepared 8x8 baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is cooked through.
- Let rest in the pan for 15 minutes to set before removing and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Top with powdered sugar if desired.
Video
Notes
- Bake with room temperature ingredients! It helps make sure everything incorporates properly, and bakes at the same speed.
- Measure your flour properly. A kitchen scale is preferred, but if you don’t have one, the spoon and level method is best. If you have too much flour, your cake will be dry. Avoid scooping with the measuring spoon as it's likely it'll pack in and you'll have too much.
- Spoon and level method: fluff the flower with your spoon, then gently drop spoonfuls into your measuring cup and brush away any excess on the top with the handle.
- Don’t over mix the batter! Mix in the dry ingredients until it’s almost fully incorporated but some flour streaks remain. Then add the apples and mix until JUST incorporated. If you over-mix, the cake will get tougher and gluey.
- To prep a cake pan, spray it with non-stick cooking spray and it line with two pieces of parchment paper (one going each way) with at least an inch hanging over the sides of the pan so you can easily pull the cake out.
- Let the cake sit in the pan after it’s baked for a few minutes. This is a moist cake, so it needs a bit to set before you take it out of the pan.
- To check if your cake is baked through – insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake – if there are just a few crumbs, it’s baked through. If there’s any semblance of wet batter, it needs more time.
- Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temp! While extra important for baking, this is handy for any recipe you make 😊
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