Apple Pie Cake
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A warm and spiced apple pie cake studded with apple pieces and topped with a light and fluffy spiced buttercream frosting that tastes like fall in cake form.
Fall is here and there is nothing like the scent of baking apples to make my whole house smell like fall. One of the best ways to use up apples and to make the house smell great is to make Instant Pot Applesauce.
If applesauce isn’t your thing thing than this Caramel Apple Dump Cake is super easy to make and will be gobbled up in minutes! To use up my apple cider I can’t get enough of my Apple Cider Bundt Cake.
But if sweets aren’t your thing you can still have apples in savory dishes like an Apple Gouda Grilled Cheese or Apple Cheddar Scones. You can’t beat apples and cheese together in savory recipes.
This time after I went apple picking I wanted to make apple pie but that’s so played so I searched for something else that had similar flavors. I found this Apple Pie Cake that sounded amazing.
what type of apples go in apple pie?
The best apples for making apple pie are typically ones that have a balanced of both sweet and tart flavor and a firm texture that holds up well during baking. Some of the most popular ones are:
- Granny Smith Apples: These apples are best known for their tartness which pairs well with the sweetness of pie filling.
- Honeycrisp: Honeycrisp apples offer a nice balance of sweetness and tartness and have a crisp texture.
- Pink Lady: These pples are sweet with a hint of tartness and have a firm texture that works well in pies.
- Cortland: Cortland apples are known for their white flesh, which resists browning, and they have a sweet-tart flavor.
While these are all good choices I had about five pounds of Gala apples so that’s what I used in my apple pie cake. These apples are a sweet variety so I needed to add a bit of lemon juice in with that to balance out the flavors.
Ingredients:
- butter (I like using salted butter because it’s a sweet cake a the salt cuts through the sweetness but you can use unsalted and adjust the salt separately)
- all purpose flour (this is my cake flour of choice but you could use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour or you could use cake flour)
- cinnamon (this is the base for the base of the spices for the apple pie flavor)
- nutmeg (Nutmeg has a warm, sweet, and slightly nutty flavor with a hint of spiciness)
- ground allspice (Allspice is named for its ability to mimic the combined flavors of other spices like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
- baking powder (to help the cake rise)
- brown sugar (has a distinct flavor profile that includes notes of molasses, caramel, and toffee. It adds a depth and complexity to cakes that you won’t get from white sugar)
- granulated sugar (this just adds sweetness to the cake)
- eggs (these are a binding agent and help the cake stick together)
- vanilla extract (use the real stuff, not imitation, to get the best flavor)
- half and half (I use this to give the cake a smoother texture and also add more moisture to the cake)
- apples (use your favorite type-see above for suggestions)
Making the cake is fairly simple and follows the basic steps of cake making. The butter and sugars are creamed together until smooth. Then the eggs and vanilla are mixed in until well combined.
Next, the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices are mixed together. You will alternated adding in the flour and half and half until everything is well combined and a cake batter forms.
Can I substitute the half and half?
I realize that half and half is not for everyone. I actually would have used regular milk if I didn’t have a container of half and half in the refrigerator that needed to be used. Feel free to use whole milk, 2% milk, heavy cream, or even plant based milk in place of the half and half in this recipe.
Once your cake batter comes together it’s time to mix in the apple pieces. Make sure to finely diced your apples because you don’t want people biting into huge chunks of apple when eating the cake.
Should I peel the Apples?
That is totally up to you. I rarely peel apples when using them in baked goods because I feel that I bake them for so long that the peels soften up and I don’t even notice they are still on the apple.
A few things to consider are that apple peels can add a bit of texture to your baked goods. It may also add a touch of bitterness. I was ok with that because this cake is fairly sweet. If you don’t want the bitterness then peel your apples. I also like that you can see the color of the apple peels in the cake. However, the choice is ultimately yours.
Once the apples are mixed into the cake you’ll need to pour it into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. I love this Anolon nonstick 9 x 13 inch pan that has silicone grips on each side. I use it for all my cakes and brownies.
After the cake comes out of the oven it needs to cool completely on a wire rack. I left it in the pan to cool and it took a few hours.
Once the cake has cooled it’s time to make the frosting. The frosting is a brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream with spices in it.
what is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream is a type of buttercream frosting that is known for its silky, smooth texture and rich flavor. It is not as sweet as traditional American buttercream frosting. The process begins by heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar has melted. Traditionally granulated sugar is used but in this case we are using brown sugar. After heating the mixture is whipped into a meringue and then butter is added to turn it into a frosting.
Once the frosting is made it can be spread over top of the cake. Then it’s time to decorate. I’ve done this two different ways. The first time I just dusted the top with apple pie spice. The second time I dusted the top with cinnamon and then put fall sprinkles all over it. Decorate it however you’d like!
How do you serve Apple Pie Cake?
Since it already has a frosting on it I like to serve my apple pie cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a caramel drizzle. It’s delicious served with a mug of Caramel Apple Cider or a Caramel vanilla latte.
This cake is certainly a taste of fall! Apple cake is filled with warm fall spices and plenty of apple flavor. The brown sugar frosting tastes rich with notes of caramel and spices. My husband and I could not get enough of this gorgeous fall cake!
Apple Pie Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 sticks 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 c. brown sugar packed
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 c. flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 c. half and half or milk
- 3 medium apples finely diced
For the frosting:
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 stick 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter on medium speed with a mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix well.
- Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed. Add in half the milk and mix on low speed until just combined. Add another third of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add the remaining milk and mix on low until just combined. Finish up by adding in the remaining flour and raising the speed to medium and mix until everything is combined.
- Fold in the diced apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a few inches of water that is simmering over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, egg whites, and cinnamon and stir with a rubber spatula. Continue stirring frequently until the sugar melts, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on medium high speed until incorporated, before adding more butter.
- Spread the frosting over top of the cake. Decorate with cinnamon or fall sprinkles.
Notes
