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Apple Spice Cake

Apple spice cake with a moist, densely packed crumb loaded with grated or finely diced apples and warm spices. Finished with browned butter cream cheese frosting for a rich, tangy-sweet top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple spice cake
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp cloves
  • 0.5 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 3 cup apples, peeled and grated or finely diced
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup browned butter
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 round cake pan

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x13 pan or two 9-inch rounds with a light coating so the cake releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl until the spices and leavening are evenly distributed.
  3. Beat vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream until the batter looks smooth and fully combined.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in the grated or finely diced apples so you don’t overmix.
  5. Bake for 50–55 minutes in a 9x13 pan (or 35–40 minutes for rounds) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden-brown.
  6. Cool completely, then keep the cake at room temperature until it’s cool to the touch so frosting won’t melt.
Frost and serve
  1. Beat cream cheese, browned butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and spreadable with no lumps.
  2. Generously frost the cooled cake, spreading evenly to the edges so the spiced layers stay moist under the creamy topping.

Notes

Pro tip: Use grated apple for a denser, more tender crumb, and don’t overmix once flour is added—stop when no dry streaks remain. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezer is yes—freeze frosted slices in an airtight container up to 2 months. Dietary swap: For a lighter cake, substitute half the vegetable oil with unsweetened applesauce (keep apples the same) for slightly less richness.