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Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Every bite of this Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting tastes like a warm hug wrapped in cinnamon and love. Moist, tender cake made with real apples, cozy spices, and topped with a velvety brown sugar frosting that melts into every crumb—this is the kind of dessert that turns ordinary days into celebrations.

  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the apple spice cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are great)
  • For the brown sugar frosting:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour your baking pan or line with parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Gently fold in chopped apples.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes with a toothpick.
  7. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
  8. To make the frosting:
  9. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
  10. Add brown sugar and milk/cream, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles (about 3 minutes).
  11. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
  12. Whisk in vanilla and sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk if needed for consistency.
  13. Spread frosting over cooled cake and let set for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Use firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
  • Add chopped nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries for variety.
  • This recipe freezes well (frost after thawing).
  • Tastes even better the next day!
  • To make cupcakes: bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes (makes ~18–20).
  • Author: Selena Trump
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 420
  • Sugar: 35g
  • Sodium: 210mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 60g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 55mg

Keywords: apple spice cake, fall dessert, brown sugar frosting, apple cake