I’ve made this Apple Spice Cake an embarrassing number of times this autumn. BECAUSE IT IS JUST THAT FREAKIN’ GOOD.
This addictive lil’ snack cake is going to be your go-to dessert for the rest of cozy season.
Why is Apple Spice Cake the book-inspired recipe for The Writer’s Table?
While reading The Writer’s Table, I noticed that many writers prefer simple desserts. Something easy and delicious that will impress guests but won’t take forever to make.
Which makes sense, right? They can’t spend all their time in the kitchen; they have novels to write!
Classic, homestyle cakes seemed popular among the authors, as did recipes that feature fresh fruit. (Many writers also like to garden.)
This cozy Apple Spice Cake is a beautiful way to celebrate the bounty of the season without stressing yourself out in the kitchen.
A tasty lil’ snack cake
Um, I love everything about this Apple Spice Cake. I’m calling it a “snack cake” because it’s just so easy to keep snacking on it.
The spice cake bakes up super fluffy and tender and moist. It’s like eating an autumn-scented cloud.
The apples are cooked down until they’re soft and syrupy, and they’re full of my favorite warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. I love how they’re dotted throughout the cake for pockets of fresh fruity flavor.
Then there’s the glaze. The lovely, crackly, vanilla-and-nutmeg glaze. It’s poured over the top of the snack cake so you get an extra burst of sugar in every bite.
Another reason to love Apple Spice Cake is how easy it is to throw together. You don’t need an electric mixer – yay! Just a stove, some bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. The most labor intensive part of making this cake is peeling and chopping your apples. Which is definitely something I can handle.
It’s the perfect treat to serve when someone announces they’re coming over later for tea and cake, or if you need to make something last minute for a pot luck.
How to make a perfect Apple Spice Cake
I think there are two main secrets to a delicious Apple Spice Cake:
- plenty of fall flavor in both the cake batter and in the apples
- cooking the diced apples before mixing them into the cake batter
There are too many cakes out there that don’t use enough flavoring. The spice cake batter is full of ground nutmeg and cinnamon – similar to what you’d find in an apple cider doughnut. ‘
The apples are a sticky-sweet jumble of granulated and light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger.
Apples release a lot of moisture when they’re baked. Cooking the apples before adding them to the batter means this cake stays moist, but not soggy.
What do you serve with Apple Spice Cake?
For an apple harvest feast, start with Apple Butternut Squash Soup, followed by Apple Cider Beef Stew, and finish your meal with a generous slab of Apple Spice Cake.
If you’re adding this snack cake to a dessert table, it pairs really well Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Swirl Brownies, Winter Wishing Cookies, and Powdered Sugar Donut Holes.
And, you’re like me and go crazy when you’re let loose in an apple orchard, here are some other apple recipes to help you go through your stash: Apple Crumble Galette, Apple Butter, Apple Crumble, and Apple Butter Crumble Bars.
Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
SPICED APPLES INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (about 4 large apples)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
SPICE CAKE INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
VANILLA NUTMEG CAKE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Spray an 8×8 pan baking pan with baking spray, then line all sides of the baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and dice your apples. Set aside.
- Melt the butter for the spice cake batter, then set aside.
SPICED APPLE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter to the skillet, then stir in the diced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Cook the spiced apples, stirring regularly, until the apples are slightly tender and become syrupy, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the spiced apples from the heat.
- Reserve ½ cup of the spiced apples (along with any syrup/juice) to a small bowl, and let all spiced apples cool slightly.
APPLE SPICE CAKE BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and vegetable until smooth
- Place a strainer/sift over the bowl and sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder into the wet ingredients.
- Whisk together the dry and wet ingredients until the spice cake batter is mostly combined.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold the larger amount of spiced apples into the spice cake batter until completely combined and there are no white streaks of flour left in the bowl.
- Pour spice cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Distribute the reserved ½ cup of spiced apples and syrup over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake Spiced Apple Cake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then use the parchment paper to carefully lift the warm cake out of the pan.
GLAZING AND DECORATING INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and milk in a small bowl to create a thick but pourable glaze.
- Pour glaze over the top of the warm or cooled cake and let harden before serving. Serve cake warm (or at room temperature.
