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An apple spice cake covered in brown butter frosting and caramel.
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Apple Spice Cake

Moist apple cake with all the holiday spices mixed in. And of course there's a homemade caramel drizzle.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 Slices
Calories 238kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon 4.6g
  • 1/2 tsp ginger 0.9g
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1g
  • 1/2 tsp allspice 1g
  • 1 Pinch ground cloves
  • 1 tsp vanilla 4.9mL
  • 1 tsp baking soda 4.6g
  • 1 tsp salt 6.3g
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil 118.2mL melted
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil 59mL
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt 59mL
  • 1.5 cups sugar 192g
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 to 4 apples about 2 cups cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups) I prefer honey crisp but many varieties are great.

For the Buttercream:

  • 1 pound confectioner's sugar 453.5g
  • 3/4 cup room temperature Butter 170g
  • 1/3 cup cream 79mL
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7g

For the Caramel:

  • 1 cup brown sugar 200g
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 71g
  • 1/2 cup cream or half and half 118.2mL
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7mL
  • 1 Pinch of salt

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Sift and whisk together the dry ingredients
  • Mix together the wet ingredients until well combined in a large bowl or stand mixer
  • Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined
  • Fold in the apples
  • Divide the mixture evenly into four 6" pans, which have been buttered and floured. (I always use cake strips too)
  • Bake at 350F for approximately 40 minutes or until centers are done.

For the Buttercream:

  • Add 3/4 cup of butter to a pot and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter caramelize and darken. Be careful of splatters! Once the butter has darkened transfer to a bowl and chill until almost solid. The brown butter will be slow to cool and thicken back up so make sure to do this step in advance.
  • Cream the butter in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  • Add in the salt and powdered sugar gradually and beat together.
  • Add vanilla and cream until desired consistency is achieved.

For the Caramel:

  • Combine ingredients in small pot and stir together so they're mostly dissolved.
  • Place over medium-low heat and cook for 7-8 minutes leaving it alone until it bubbles and thickens, although you can wash the side down with a wet pastry brush.
  •   Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla then transfer to a bowl to cool.

Video

Notes

  • If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
  • You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
  • To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg