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Candy

Apple Butter Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream

5 from 2 votes
This hearty spice cake will fill your home with the smell of the holidays. Apples make the cake incredibly moist the cake is so good, it really doesn't need the buttercream.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling time if frosting 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 447
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:
  • 2 ½ cups AP flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ cup pecans chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup apple butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apple grated
  • 1 Tbs Sorghum or cane syrup
For the buttercream:
  • 1 stick butter softened
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbs milk
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

  • Mixer
  • 13x9" sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cake:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° with the rack in the middle
  2. Spray a 13x9” pan with cooking spray that has added flour (or simply butter and flour the pan, knocking out any excess four)
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices and set aside
  4. In another large bowl whisk all of the wet ingredients together
  5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing well by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula
  6. Fold in the apple and nuts (if using)
  7. Pour into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
  8. While the cake cools make the buttercream
Make the buttercream
  1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, on medium speed, beat the butter, salt, and cinnamon together until creamy
  2. Turn the speed to low and slowly add iin ½ of the powdered sugar
  3. Add in the milk and vanilla, beating until creamy
  4. Beat in the remaining sugar on low until incorporated. Turn to high and beat for 3 or 4 minutes until thick and creamy.
  5. Frost cake, garnish with candied pecans if desired, and store in the refrigerator

Notes

  • This recipe contains tree nuts, please omit if there is a possibility of an allergic reaction.
  • This is a pretty heavy, dense cake that in my opinion really doesn’t need the buttercream. If you don’t use the butter cream I suggest serving warm with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.
  • Because of the weight of this cake, I usually do not make it as a layer cake. You certainly can but you will want to double the buttercream recipe. If you do this, use two 9” pan and decrease your cooking time to about 30, maybe 35 minutes. Standard cupcakes should bake in about 20 minutes.
  • If you can’t find Sorgum or cane syrup you can substitute molasses or dark treacle. This step can be omitted altogether and won’t affect the richness of the cake.
  • The apple can be replaced with carrots or zucchini.