Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
A moist spiced apple cake with cream cheese brown sugar frosting and toasted walnuts. Worth every splurge, this treasured birthday cake features fresh Honeycrisp apples and warm pumpkin pie spice.
30 mins
40 mins
1 hr 10 mins
Ingredients
Frosting
Equipment Needed
- food processor
- 9-inch round baking pans
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Frosting
Equipment Needed
- food processor
- 9-inch round baking pans
- stand mixer
Instructions
Prepare the Cake
- 1
Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment; grease paper.
- 2
Process apples
Place apples in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
- 3
Mix wet ingredients
In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
- 4
Combine dry ingredients
In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk.
- 5
Add apples and walnuts
Stir in apples and walnuts.
- 6
Fill pans
Transfer to prepared pans.
- 7
Bake
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
- 8
Cool
Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.
Make the Frosting and Assemble
- 1
Beat frosting
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, sugars, vanilla and pie spice until smooth.
- 2
Frost cake
Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.
- 3
Add walnuts
Gently press walnuts into frosting on top of cake.
Cook's Notes
Jennifer Owen's treasured birthday cake recipe from Louisville, Kentucky. You can add a cup of raisins to the batter before baking if you'd like. Refrigerate leftovers.
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