Apple Butter Spice Cake
This super moist spice cake is baked with apple butter, fresh apples, and topped with whipped cream cheese frosting. It’s filled with warm spices, making it the perfect cake to make this fall!
What makes this apple butter spice cake SO good
This is my new favorite cake of the season! It just has everything going for it – it’s moist, flavorful, warm, cozy, and topped with whipped cream cheese frosting. What more could you ask for?? If you need any more convincing outside of my favorite adjectives, here’s what makes this apple butter spice cake so special:
- Apple Butter – It’s has all the warm flavors of traditional spice AND ALSO apple butter! It’s baked right into the cake, and adds so much richness to both the flavor and texture. I’ve also mixed in some shredded apple to enhance that delicious apple flavor even more.
- Spices – Of course, a spice cake isn’t a spice cake without its spices. This recipe is filled with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and even cardamom. They play so well with the apple butter to create a SUPER flavorful spice sheet cake.
- Ease – Since this is a sheet cake recipe, this entire cake is so quick and easy to make. The batter is mixed by hand and baked to perfection.
- Consistency – Between the added apples, apple butter, and oil, this spice cake is SUPER moist but still remains soft and fluffy.
Tips for making apple butter spice cake
While this is an easy recipe, there are a few things to look out for while making the batter:
- Properly measure the dry ingredients – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail. If there’s too much flour, the cake will turn out dry and crumbly. If you can, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure you use the exact amount needed, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the flour container, this packs it down into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added dry ingredients.
- Use a mild oil – This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but you can also use any mild-flavored oil like canola or even refined coconut oil. Stay away from olive oil, peanut oil, or any other oil with a deeper flavor.
- Don’t over mix – The batter is mixed by hand, so it’s hard to over mix it. But just so we’re on the same page, you can mix vigorously when it’s only the wet ingredients. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until they’re fully blended into the batter. If the batter is over mixed, it will have trouble rising and could cave in the center.
- Toothpick test – When it’s fully baked, it should have a golden and glossy surface that’s slightly puffed in the center. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. If it comes out clean with a few moist crumbs, it’s perfectly baked.
What is the best apple butter to use?
I use store bought apple butter in this recipe, simply because I didn’t want to mess with making it from scratch! But you have a recipe you love, go ahead and use the from-scratch version. Otherwise, any store bought apple butter will do. Just try and find one that has a deep and rich amber color as those are the most flavorful.
How to make whipped cream cheese frosting
I don’t know which I love more, the cake or the whipped cream cheese frosting with swirls of apple butter. Let’s call it a tie because of how well they work together!
The frosting is unique, because typical cream cheese frosting is made with softened cream cheese. This ensures that the frosting turns out smooth and silky. But for whipped cream cheese frosting, it’s important to use CHILLED cream cheese.
Why? Because there isn’t tons and tons of powdered sugar in the frosting. In fact, there’s just 1/2 cup granulated sugar. In frosting, powdered sugar is used to thicken and stabilize it. For this, half of the frosting is made with whipped cream which could very easily turn it into cream cheese soup.
But with chilled cream cheese, the cool temperature not only helps WHIP the whipped cream but it also ensures a thick frosting. In order to ensure it’s lump-free, the cream cheese is mixed with just the sugar at the beginning. The granules help smooth out the cream cheese, leaving you with a silky frosting that spreads beautifully.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Although I haven’t tested it, I would assume that a good quality gluten free baking flour could be used in place of the all purpose flour. Just make sure to weigh the flour instead of measuring as it’s very easy to use way too much gluten free flour due to its density. I always bake with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour. And since it’s a sheet cake, this recipe can be pretty forgiving because all you have to do is bake and slice!
Can this recipe be made dairy free?
Yes, the only ingredient in the cake that contains dairy is the milk which can easily be swapped with any milk alternative like almond or oat.
As for the frosting, I would suggest using a store bought vegan frosting like Simple Mills vanilla frosting. I have doubts that vegan cream cheese and vegan heavy cream could whip into the consistency that it needs to be.
How to store apple butter spice cake
There are two routes you can take. First, you can bake the cake the day before and frost it the next day. Just cover the sheet pan with a lid or plastic wrap and chill.
To store the cake after it’s frosted, also ensure that it’s covered and keep it in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week as the oil helps keep it moist.
For more fall cake recipes, check out my:
- Spice Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Cider Cake
- Butterscotch Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Walnut Apple Crumble Cake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make this apple butter spice cake. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Apple Butter Spice Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour + 1 hour cooling
- Yield: 12 slices
Description
Super moist spice cake baked with apple butter, fresh apples, and topped with whipped cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Apple Butter Spice Cake
- 2 3/4 cups (330g) all purpose flour*
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground clove
- 1 cup (225g) vegetable oil, or any mild baking oil
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (295g) apple butter
- 1 cup grated Granny Smith apples (about 2 apples)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz full fat cream cheese, chilled
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- Chopped walnuts
Instructions
Apple Butter Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 baking pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, vanilla, eggs, and apple butter. Mix in the grated apples.
- Whisk in half of the dry ingredients. Just before combined, whisk in the milk. Then whisk in the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread even. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the chilled cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Whip the cream cheese on high speed until smooth.
- With the mixer on medium-high speed, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Continue to whip on high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake and top with a few spoonfuls of apple butter. Gently swirl into the frosting and top with a sprinkle of walnuts. Enjoy!
Notes
*GLUTEN FREE FLOUR – I haven’t tested it, but I would assume a good quality gluten free flour could be used in place of the all purpose flour. Since it’s a sheet cake, it can be pretty forgiving. I like using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour. Just try to weight the flour rather than measure by cups, as gluten free flour is rather dense so it’s easy to use way too much.
STORAGE – Cover the cake and store in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 1 week. You can also cover the unfrosted cake and chill it overnight to frost the next day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
Would this recipe work in a Bundt pan?
Making this now for a Halloween party! Can’t wait to try it. I think there is a typo the 1/2 cup of milk is 120ml not 240ml!
So good and works both times I’ve made it so far. Once I did gluten free with almond flour and a little coconut flour, which worked out great except a little oily but that make it turn caramelized with the butter I used to grease my pan with. The next time I did it to recipe and it was equally as good, moist and a family favorite. Still haven’t made the whipped cream for it because it’s just so good as is it doesn’t last very long for me to remember to go get the ingredients.
Made this cake today and it’s delicious! A couple notes:
– I followed the cake portion of the recipe exactly and the cake came out huge! It was twice as thick as the recipe pictures above (not that I’m complaining though). Because of this, it took about 50-55 minutes to cook through. Next time I think I’ll spread the batter between two 9” round pans to make a layered cake.
– I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the frosting (just out of habit).
– I didn’t have any walnuts on hand so I used chopped, toasted pecans instead.
Loved this recipe and will be keeping it as a staple in our home!
The cake was really good, but the frosting was spectacular. I don’t know that I have made cream cheese frosting that way, but it is going to be my “go to” now! A great recipe overall, thanks Jenna!
I made this cake and everyone in my family loved it. So happy I have found a new recipe to add to my fall cakes.
Absolutely delicious and beautiful.
This frosting is my new favorite thing! Lumpy cream cheese is THE WORST, but this was so easy! Thanks for making my life easier!
My in-laws are from New England and have strong feelings about apple-flavored desserts – as far as they’re concerned apple cider donuts don’t exist outside of the northeast. So when I say that I had the audacity to make this for them and they LOVED IT, that is nothing short of sorcery. This cake is the perfect level of moist, soft and not gummy, and has a strong apple flavor that comes through without fighting with the spices. And the whipped cream cheese frosting with apple butter swirls complements the cake without overpowering it and adds a phenomenal creaminess. This cake is going to be a regular part of my autumn baking rotation.
Couldn’t help myself and had to make this the second I saw it posted! The only change I had to make was the shredded apple type, as I couldn’t find granny smith anywhere (tired three different stores). This recipe is FANTASTIC and plan on making it every Fall from now on.