Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting is made with real apple chunks and applesauce. This moist and flavorful cake is a true recipe perfected. Don’t miss the BEST Apple Spice Cake recipe from scratch!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: I bake often and had never baked an apple cake before. I decided this recipe fit the plan for mixing up a quick cake for a party. The cake was absolutely delicious! Every person said the same thing…moist, warm flavor and going on the list of favorite recipes.

This apple spice layer cake recipe is guaranteed to become a favorite in your house. Super moist and full of flavor, this is the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert, or anytime you want an apple spice fix! 

If you love apple desserts, be sure to try this super moist Italian Apple Cake or these Apple Spice Cookies! And if you are looking for a healthier gluten-free apple cake, you’re going to love this simple Almond Flour Apple Cake made with maple syrup or my Almond Flour Pear Cake. 

You’ll Love Apple Spice Cake!

One bite of this delicious Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting and I guarantee this will become a family favorite any time of year! This easy apple cake is so good because it’s super moist, and has the best flavor and textures. 

It’s the combination of fresh apples and apple sauce that truly sets this cake apart. It’s a super moist cake and has best texture with chunks of fresh apple. Also, the combination of fall spices gives it the perfect warmth that everyone loves. 

The cinnamon buttercream frosting is the perfect accompaniment to this cake. It’s super easy to make with just a few ingredients and gives another layer of flavor with the cinnamon and vanilla. 

Apple Spice Layer Cake is a fairly simple cake to make and does’t require many ingredients. The ingredients for this recipe are similar to most cake recipes: flour, sugars, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and oil. 

What’s even better about this cake is that you can make it ahead of time and it stays moist and doesn’t lose it’s flavor. Be sure to give this recipe a try, you’re going to love it!

Apple Spice Cake Ingredients

• Flour: use regular all purpose flour here.
• Sugar: granulated sugar is used in the base of the cake recipe. 
• Brown sugar: brown sugar gives the cake a rich and soft texture.
• Baking powder and baking soda: you will need both baking powder and baking soda. 
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: use ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. 
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt for baking. 
• Eggs: use four large room temperature eggs. 

• Oil: use a neutral flavor oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil. 
• ​Apple sauce: apple sauce will add moistness and flavor to the apple spice cake. 
• Vanilla: vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor. 
• Fresh apple: peel and dice a large apple to give the cake great texture and flavor. I use honey crisp, but Fuji apples, or Granny Smith apples work great.

To prepare the apple, simply peel the skin off the apple using a vegetable peeler. Use a knife to cut the apple away from the core. Then, dice into small chunks, about ¼ to ½ inch in size. If you prefer smaller pieces, you can always grate the apple on a box grater. 

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

• Butter: use unsalted room temperature butter for the frosting. 
• Powdered sugar: you will need about four cups of icing sugar. 
• Milk: use whole or 2% milk for the frosting. 
• Vanilla: a tablespoon of vanilla will add great flavor. 
• Cinnamon: the cinnamon in the frosting adds great flavor to the apple spice cake. 

How to Make Apple Spice Cake

Once you see how easy it is to make apple spice cake from scratch, you’ll never buy the boxed spice cake mix again! Plus, this is a one bowl cake batter, so less mess too. 

Step 1: combine dry ingredients

For the batter, combine all of the dry ingredients and sugars in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

Step 2: whisk dry ingredients

Then, use a whisk to mix it all together. Make sure all of the spices are mixed well with the other ingredients. 

Step 3: add in wet ingredients

Then, add the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla right to the same bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix together the ingredients until well combined.

Step 4: mix the batter

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl.

Step 5: add in the diced apple 

Lastly, stir in the peeled and diced apple. Use a rubber spatula to ensure that all of the ingredients on the bottom of the bowl have been combined. 

Step 6: line the cake pans

Next, spray the cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. To be extra certain the cake doesn’t stick, it’s a good idea to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. 

You can trace a circle on parchment using the bottom of the cake pan and cut it out for this. Alternatively, you can use precut paper liners which are specifically designed for 9-inch cake pans.

Step 7: measure batter into cake pans

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. To ensure that the cake pans have the same amount of batter, I recommend using a kitchen scale if you have one. Otherwise, do your best to eyeball that the cake pans are equal. 

Step 8: bake

Bake the cakes for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Also, note that this cake will turn a golden brown as it bakes. 

Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a wire baking rack for about 10 minutes. Then, loosen the cake by using a butterknife to run around the edges of the cake pan. 

Flip the cake on the wire cooling rack and out of the cake pan. Remove the parchment liner and cool completely before frosting. 

How to Make Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting is so easy to make and the perfect frosting for an apple spice cake. You can make the frosting up to three days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just bring to room temperature before frosting. 

To make the cinnamon buttercream frosting, you will need to start with two room temperature sticks of butter. Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for about a minute.  

Add in the powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk (any percent works), vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed until the frosting comes together. Continue to mix, increasing the speed until the frosting is smooth. 

If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk until desired consistency is reached. 

How to Frost and Decorate the Cake

For this recipe, I like to create the rustic effect, similar to what I did for my Limoncello Ricotta Cake recipe. What this means is that instead of applying a thick layer of frosting on the sides of the cake, you use a bench scraper to “scrape off” the side frosting while turning the cake plate. 

To start, place about a third of the frosting on the top of the bottom layer of the cake. Spread evenly over the cake using a spatula (step 1). 

Then, add on the top layer of the cake and dump the remaining frosting overtop (step 2). Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake and down the sides (step 3). 

Lastly, use a bench scraper to remove the excess frosting off the sides of the cake, exposing the cake layer (step 4). Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake.

These exposed layers add a rustic effect to the cake. Additionally, I omit any garnishes on the cake, however feel free to add any toppings you like. Edible flowers, dried apples, or a caramel drizzle would all be a pretty addition to this cake.

Keeping this cake “rustic” lets the flavors shine through and doesn’t overwhelm the cake with too much frosting. Moreover, it’s a simple technique that’s perfect for the novice cake maker or less than expert decorator (like me!)

More Holiday Baking Recipes

Love baking? Me too! Here are some of my favorite fall recipes that are simple and delicious:

Tried this recipe? Be sure to comment below and let me know what you think. And, be sure to follow me on Facebook for more incredible cake recipes!