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Home » Dessert » Cakes/Cupcakes » Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

By Lauren Allen on September 16, 2016, Updated August 9, 2019

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Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting with real apple chunks, a smooth and creamy frosting and all of your favorite fall flavors wrapped into one. This easy cake is one of our favorites!

A slice of Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting on a white plate

If you haven’t noticed, I love APPLE CAKES. I’ve shared a few of my favoites on the blog already, including this delicious Caramel Apple Bundt Cake and my Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake — both of which are total winners.  But one of the things this Apple Spice Cake has that those recipes do not is a fantastic frosting!

A clear bowl filled with cake batter and sliced apples being stirred with a spatula.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting that pairs perfectly with the fall flavors in this cake.

A white plate with one slice of Apple Spice Cake topped with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

I LOVE serving delicious, seasonal cakes like this all throughout the fall and holiday seasons. This Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect cake for a party, baby shower/bridal shower, or just for dinner with friends.

The front corner of a glass casserole dish willed with Apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

Or, if you love to bake as much as I do, make this on a whim and send it with your husband to work 🙂 .

A close up of a slice of Apple Spice Cake covered in Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

I love to send my leftover baked goods to people. I get joy from baking them and then I’m not tempted by them sitting on my kitchen counter begging me to eat the entire pan.

Consider trying these popular apple recipes: 
  • Caramel Pecan Apple Crisp
  • Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
  • Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
  • Baked Apples

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting | Tastes Better From Scratch

Apple Spice Cake

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting with real apple chunks, a smooth and creamy frosting and all of your favorite fall flavors wrapped into one. This easy cake is one of our favorites!
4.73 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 Tablespoon butter , divided and softened
  • 2 cups Granny Smith apples , peeled and chopped (about 2 apples)
  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoon light brown sugar , divided
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice , divided
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
  • ¼ cup butter , softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13? baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until the butter starts to bubble. 
  • Add the peeled and chopped apples, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and cook, tossing occasionally, until the apples start to soften and the sugar mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the remaining 1 cup of butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and granulated sugar, and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes), scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go. 
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
  • In another mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  • Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter/sugar mixture and stir until incorporated.  
  • Add half of the buttermilk and stir. Repeat with another addition of flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and ending with the final addition of flour. 
  • Add the cooked apple mixture to the batter and fold-in gently. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 35-43 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

For the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • While the cake is cooling, make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. 
  • Add butter and cream together until smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat for about 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. 
  • Mix in vanilla. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes

Adapted from Our Best Bites

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 157mg | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg
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Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting with real apple chunks, a smooth and creamy frosting and all of your favorite fall flavors wrapped into one. This easy cake is one of our favorites! | Tastes Better From Scratch

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Cakes/Cupcakes· Dessert· Frosting
22 Comments

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Comments

  1. Sam says

    October 11, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    Awesome recipe! Looks delicious. I’m going to make this and send it with my WIFE to work. Men can bake, and women can work.

    Reply
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Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
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