Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Icing Recipe

Soft and tender Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Icing combines fresh apples, warm spices, and a to-die-for caramel frosting to create something truly special that’s perfect for any time you need a cozy dessert.

This fresh apple cake is made from scratch and features step-by-step instructions and a video to ensure your spice cake is perfect every time. Not only is it easy to make, we’ll show you how to use different pans to make a layer cake, sheet cake, cupcakes, and even a fancy bundt cake. Best of all the whole thing takes less than an hour!

I first made this Apple Spice Cake when I had a bunch of apples from our trip to the orchard and wanted to make something besides our amazing Skillet Apple Pie. My family immediately fell in love with this spice cake with caramel frosting because of how the cake stays super moist from the fresh apples while the frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Just like our Peanut Butter Bundt Cake, Lemon Poke Cake, and our Cuban Rum Cake, It’s become one of our go-to desserts for Sunday dinners, and birthdays. When we have guests over, it’s always a hit.

What makes this recipe so special is how the fresh apple chunks create little pockets of fruity goodness throughout the cake, while the caramel frosting takes it to a whole new level of yummy.

Key Ingredient Notes

While you’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below, I wanted to highlight a few important ingredients:

• Fresh Apples: I recommend using Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples for the best flavor and texture. They hold up well during baking and give a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.
• Cake Flour: Cake flour gives this cake a more tender, delicate crumb than all-purpose flour because it doesn’t create as much gluten, resulting in a more tender, delicate cake that almost melts in your mouth!
  • I’ve never made my cake flour, so I can’t attest to the effect it would have on this apple spice cake recipe. If you want to give it a try, I found this reference: “Make your own cake flour”.
• Buttermilk: Full-fat buttermilk makes the cake extra moist and tender. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
• Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar if you have it – it adds more of that deep, caramel-like flavor that makes this spice cake special.

Baking Pan Options

I made this easy Apple Spice Cake several times. The first time around I couldn’t decide on what pan I wanted to use and asked my hubby for his opinion. I wasn’t surprised when he chose a layer cake because there’s more frosting!

This versatile batter works beautifully in several different pans. Here’s how to adjust based on what you’re using:

• Two 8-inch Round Pans: Perfect for a classic layer cake! Divide the batter evenly between two greased and floured 8-inch round pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cooling racks. You can use 9-inch round pans, but the layers will not be as tall.
• 9×13-inch Rectangle Pan: Ideal for potlucks and family gatherings! Pour all the batter into a greased and floured 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. You can frost and serve directly from the pan.
• Cupcakes: Great for portion control and parties! Line cupcake tins with paper liners and fill each about 2/3 full. Makes approximately 24 cupcakes. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
• Bundt Pan: For an impressive presentation! Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 10-12 cup bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

When I made the layered Apple Spice Cake, I made a caramel frosting to keep my honey happy. I have to be honest though. With all those chunks of apples, it’s a little harder to get a beautiful slice.

Pro Tips for Making Perfect Apple Spice Cake

Before you head to the recipe card, here are some helpful tips I’ve learned from making this cake many times:

• Grate Some Apples: We use a small amount of applesauce in this recipe for additional moisture. You can replace it with grated apple. While chunks give you those juicy apple pockets, adding some grated apple to the batter helps spread the apple flavor throughout the whole cake.
• Sift cake flour before measuring it. Sifting adds air and makes the volume larger. If you measure before sifting, you will use more than the apple cake recipe needs.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature before mixing for the fluffiest cake texture.
• Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour mixture, stir just until combined. Overmixing will make your cake tough instead of tender.
• Test for Doneness: The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Since all ovens are different, check for doneness early.
• Cool Before Frosting: Make sure your cake is completely cool before adding the caramel frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt and slide off.

How to Make Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Icing

Preheat the oven and prepare the baking pan(s) by greasing them and dusting them with flour.

Sift the cake flour and measure out 3 cups into a large bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the sifted flour and whisk it together.

Combine brown sugar, butter, applesauce, and buttermilk in an electric mixer bowl. Beat for 2 minutes.

Note: It’s normal for the butter to separate. It will all come together when you add it to the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until your batter is smooth.

Fold in the apples using a spatula. Pour into the prepared pans, and bake.

If you’re making a layer cake, let the cake cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Apply icing to the cooled cake.

What’s the difference between icing and frosting?

This old-fashioned caramel icing is perfect with this cake. You know, the one that sets up with a slight crunch? It would be amazing over these Double Chocolate Caramel Brownies too!

Most resources state that “icing is generally thinner, glossier, and sugary, while frosting is a thick and fluffy mixture used to coat the outside of a cake. Then there are glazes, fillings, dessert toppings…Food and Wine has a great article for inquiring minds.

Tips for Caramel Icing and Frosting:

Caramel Icing

Frosting or Icing is suitable for either cake shape.

Sift your powdered sugar – it will blend into your frosting so much easier.

The Caramel Icing is a boiled recipe – this is a quick recipe that requires continuous stirring. Remove it from the heat to stir in the powdered sugar. Using a mixer isn’t necessary.

Make your caramel icing as soon as the cake is removed from the oven. By the time the cake is cooled enough to ice it, the icing will be cool enough to use, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also lightly warm the icing if it cools too much to spread.

Caramel Frosting for Spice Cake

To make frosting, we first make the icing above and then add additional powdered sugar, blending until it’s light and fluffy.

As you may have noticed, the caramel frosting is lighter in color than the caramel icing due to the additional powdered sugar in the frosting.

Caramel frosting can be made ahead of time, covered, and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.

Layer Cake Assembly Tips

Once the cake is cool, a sheet cake or cupcakes can be iced or frosted. If you’re making a layer cake, Here is how to assemble it:

1. Slice the top of the first layer so it’s flat. This way, it will sit square when topped with the next layer.
2. Apply the icing to the top and all the way to the sides. Cover it with the second cake.
3. Finally, frost the top and sides.

Storage and Leftovers

This cake will keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I actually think the flavor gets even better on day two!

To reheat a slice, simply warm it in the microwave for about 15 seconds – this makes the cake extra moist and the frosting slightly gooey (yum!).

If you want to prep ahead, you can make the cake a day in advance, store it covered at room temperature, and add the caramel icing the day you plan on serving it.

This recipe also freezes well without the frosting. Wrap individual slices or the whole unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before making the caramel icing or frosting.

Variations to Try

• Nutty Apple Cake: Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for extra crunch and flavor!
• Frost it with the peanut butter frosting! Apples and peanut butter are delicious together.
• Caramel Apple Bundt Cake: Drizzle the caramel frosting over the top of the bundt cake (see baking pan options) for a beautiful presentation.
• Apple Spice Muffins: For a less sweet breakfast option, skip the frosting and add a simple streusel topping to the cupcake version. Bake for the same amount of time as cupcakes.

So, which pan are you getting out to make this fresh apple spice cake? Are you going with the caramel icing or the frosting? Please share in the comments below!

Related Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoy this Apple Spice Cake recipe, you may also like some of my other fall-inspired recipes. My Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars are filled with warm spices and a creamy surprise inside. For a quicker option, try my Cinnamon Apple Muffins which come together in just 30 minutes. And if you’re feeding a crowd, my Caramel Apple Slab Bars are always a hit at gatherings and potlucks!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

I hope you enjoyed this Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting recipe with the variations, tips, and icing options. If you give it a try, stop back and let us know what you think!

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This simple Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Icing recipe was first published on November 17, 2019. It has been updated to make it better for our readers. No changes were made to the actual recipe.