This Apple Spice Cake has a soft, tender crumb, plenty of fresh diced apples, and warm, cozy spices. Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that makes this homemade cake taste extra special. It takes the author right back to apple-picking season in New England, when fall baking was one of her favorite family traditions. Baked in a simple 9×13-inch pan, it makes 15 generous slices and needs nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar. Beyond all the sweet nostalgia, this apple spice cake is also incredibly budget-friendly, costing just $0.67 per slice (or $10.05 for the whole cake) to make completely from scratch.
The Apple Cake Behind the Recipe
Growing up, the author’s family would go apple picking in Massachusetts every fall. After wandering through the orchards, they’d bake this cake together, filling the house with the warm, rich scent of cinnamon and nutmeg — and even pack a few slices to enjoy on the road during their annual October trip to Salem.
Besides the triple hit of apple flavor from fresh diced apples, applesauce, and apple juice, the moisture in this cake is a solid 10/10. It’s SO soft and tender, with plenty of pieces of apple throughout. Browning the butter is well worth the few extra minutes — it adds a lovely toasted, nutty flavor that tastes amazing with the apples and warm spices. A little neutral oil is added alongside the butter because it stays liquid as the cake cools, helping the crumb stay soft and moist without sacrificing that delicious brown butter flavor.
Recipe Success Tips
Measure the apples after chopping. Use a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp (or Fuji) apples to get both tart and sweet flavors in the cake. Because apples vary in size, the important thing is to have 4 cups of peeled, diced apples. Keep the pieces fairly uniform — about 1–2 cm — so they soften evenly as the cake bakes. With this much fruit, oversized chunks or extra apples can throw off the texture.
Use the spice mix you’ve already got. The recipe uses a homemade apple spice mix with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger for a well-balanced flavor. But there’s no need to buy four separate spices if you already have apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice in your pantry. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of premixed spice in place of the homemade blend — just note that the flavor may be slightly different, especially if your mix contains cloves.
Mix the batter gently once the flour goes in. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing on low until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to catch any hidden flour, then fold in the diced apples by hand. Overmixing at this stage can make the cake tougher instead of soft and tender.
Don’t let the apples fool your toothpick test. This cake is packed with fresh apple pieces, so it’s easy to accidentally poke a piece of fruit when checking for doneness. Start checking around the 45-minute mark, inserting a toothpick into the cake near the center. If you hit an apple (you might see soft apple pulp on the toothpick rather than wet batter), try another spot. Look for a set center and a toothpick that comes out clean. Give it a few more minutes if underbaked and check again.
Let the cake cool completely before finishing. Letting it cool helps the crumb set, making those 15 slices easier to cut and serve. Wait until it’s completely cool before adding the powdered sugar — otherwise, the sugar will absorb moisture from the warm cake and disappear into the surface.
A Few Tricks for Better Brown Butter
Browning butter is easier than you might think, and knowing when to take it off the heat makes all the difference.
Use a light-colored saucepan. Stainless steel or another light-colored pan lets you actually see the butter changing color. Dark pans make it much harder to spot when the brown butter is ready.
Watch for three stages. First, the butter melts and starts bubbling. Next, a layer of white foam forms as the water cooks off. Finally, the foam begins to subside and the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown — that’s when to pay extra attention.
Keep the butter moving. Give the pan a gentle swirl every so often, especially as you prepare the apples. This helps the milk solids brown more evenly and prevents them from sitting too long against the hot bottom of the pan.
Trust your nose AND your eyes. After about 5–10 minutes over medium heat, the butter should smell toasted and nutty, with golden-brown flecks throughout. Remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches this stage and swirl occasionally as it cools. Don’t strain out those little brown flecks — they’re where all the brown butter flavor is.
Apple Spice Cake
Course: Dessert Cuisine: American Total Cost: $10.05 recipe / $0.67 serving Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Servings: 15 slices Calories: 327 kcal per slice
Equipment
- 9×13-inch pan
- Sauce pan
- 2 large mixing bowls
Ingredients
Apple Spice Mix
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Cake Batter
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 Tbsp apple spice mix (see above)
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- ½ cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup apple juice or cider
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
Topping
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Gather ingredients for the cake and spice mix. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Over medium heat, melt the stick of unsalted butter and keep an eye on it, watching for it to begin browning.
- Peel and core the apples. Dice into small pieces, about 1–2 cm in size. While preparing the apples, keep an eye on the browning butter, giving it a little swirl in the pan every so often to make sure the butter solids don’t burn.
- At the halfway point, the butter will look a bit foamy on top and the solids will start to turn golden yellow.
- Combine the dry cake ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and the apple spice mix in a large mixing bowl.
- After 5–10 minutes over medium heat, the butter will be perfectly browned. Remove from heat once it’s golden brown and the foam on top has dissipated. Let it cool for a few minutes, swirling every now and then to help it cool and keep it from burning from residual heat.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the wet cake ingredients (eggs, neutral oil, applesauce, apple juice or cider, vanilla extract) and the sugars (brown and granulated white sugar). Add the cooled brown butter and mix to combine.
- Little by little, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. With a hand mixer on low, continue adding the dry mix and blend until the batter is completely combined.
- Fold in all of the diced apples by hand.
- Spray or butter a 9×13-inch pan. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Measuring flour: Use the spoon-and-level method. Fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, as this can pack in too much flour and make your cake dry or dense.
Applesauce: Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened varieties can make this cake too sweet.
Apple varieties: A mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp or Fuji apples is recommended. Granny Smith apples are tart and firm, which helps balance the sweetness and keeps the pieces from turning mushy. Honeycrisp and Fuji add a sweeter apple flavor and also hold their shape well during baking. Pink Lady or Braeburn can replace Granny Smith, and Gala or Golden Delicious can replace Honeycrisp or Fuji, although the flavor and texture may vary slightly.
Why butter and oil: Pure butter cakes can dry out faster, while pure oil cakes lack rich, buttery flavor. Using a combination of browned butter and neutral oil delivers the best of both worlds — rich flavor and long-lasting moisture. Applesauce, light brown sugar (which retains moisture thanks to its molasses content), and 4 full cups of fresh diced apples provide an additional triple moisture boost that keeps the cake incredibly soft and tender.
Make-ahead apple prep: If you want to get ahead on prep, peeling and chopping four apples can be done in advance. To prevent browning, try a honey water soak: dissolve 2 tablespoons of honey in 1 cup of room-temperature water. Soak the chopped apples for 2–3 minutes, then strain well and refrigerate in an airtight container. The honey slows the browning process and adds a mild sweetness. Prepared apples can be stored this way for several days.
Nutrition (per slice)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 327 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Sodium | 277 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
How to Make Apple Spice Cake: Step-by-Step
Step 1 — Make the spice mix: Combine 4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground allspice, and 1 tsp ground ginger. Set aside.
Step 2 — Gather cake ingredients and preheat: Measure out 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp fine salt, 2 Tbsp of the apple spice mix, 1 stick unsalted butter, ½ cup neutral oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup apple juice or cider, 3 large eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3 — Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Watch for the foam to form and then subside, and for the milk solids to turn golden brown. Remove from heat, swirl to cool, and set aside.
Step 4 — Prep the apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1–2 cm pieces while the butter browns. You should have about 4 cups total.
Step 5 — Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple spice mix in a large bowl.
Step 6 — Mix wet ingredients: In a second large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, apple juice or cider, vanilla, and both sugars. Add the cooled brown butter and stir to combine.
Step 7 — Combine and fold: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low with a hand mixer until just combined. Fold in the diced apples by hand.
Step 8 — Bake: Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Step 9 — Cool and finish: Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing into 15 pieces. The cooled crumb sets up for clean, even slices, and the powdered sugar stays visible on the surface rather than dissolving into the warmth of a freshly baked cake.
