Apple Spice Cake

Exploding with flavors, there’s no better way to treat yourself than with this old-fashioned Apple Spice Cake! Throw on some caramel frosting for an even tastier treat!

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting

I have made this recipe for Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting for over twenty-five years! It’s always a hit wherever I serve it.

Usually, I serve it as one of our cakes for the 4th of July – and it’s especially a hit in the fall with its spices and apples!

This cake reminds me of a very old-fashioned cake – maybe something similar to what our great-grandmas may have made.

This cake is full of fruit and nuts with a chocolate-spice tone that’s not overly sweet. The caramel glaze pairs well with the cake, giving it a little sweetness. 

Overall, there’s really no better (or easier to make) sweet treat than this Apple Spice Cake. It’s such a great snack, and I hope you’ll give it a try!

Apple Spice Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions

For this Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting recipe, you will need …

Ingredients

For the cake

• all-purpose flour – there are many different kinds of flour, each suited for various dishes, but all-purpose is best for most baked goods like this Apple Spice Cake.
• baking powder and baking soda – these help your baked goods rise, especially if you’re not using yeast.
• butter, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk – more common baking ingredients. If you’ve made a cake before, you know the drill with these guys! With the eggs and buttermilk, ensure they’re room temperature, as they’ll give your apple spice cake a nice squishy texture in the end.
• applesauce – this provides the apple flavor in your spice cake, of course!
• salt – as I always say…salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients in any sweet baked treat, and you’d taste the difference without it.
• cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg, cocoa – your spices!
• Raisins: An add-in for your cake!
• toasted pecans – coarsely chopped. Another add-in for your cake! (Note: To toast pecans, bake in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.)

For the caramel frosting

• brown sugar, powdered sugar – sifting your powdered sugar before mixing helps it blend so much easier!
• vanilla extract – always adds a dash of flavor to any glaze.
• butter, milk – these give your glaze that gooey (but amazing) consistency you need!

Spice Cake with Apples: FAQs

Other recipes you may enjoy

• No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Snickers Salad
• No-Bake Apple Cheesecake
• Easy Apple Cake – Only 3 Ingredients!
• Apple Cinnamon Curly Fries

5 from 2 votes

Servings: 18 servings

4th of July Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze

By Jamie Sherman

Exploding with flavors, there’s no better way to treat yourself than with this old-fashioned Apple Spice Cake! Throw on some caramel frosting for an even tastier treat!

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

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Equipment

• 3-Cup Stainless Steel Rotary Hand Crank Flour Sifter
• pot and pan set
• rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• hand mixer
• mixing bowl
• measuring cups and spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• wire cooling rack
• Bundt pan

Ingredients 

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For the cake

• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup applesauce
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon allspice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 cup raisins
• ▢ 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped **(see note below)

For the Caramel Glaze

• ▢ 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions 

For the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the applesauce and combine.
• On a large piece of waxed paper or in a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and cocoa.
• Using a rubber spatula, alternately fold half of the dry ingredients, all of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour mixture into the applesauce mixture. Stir in the raisins and pecans.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level with the spatula. Bake on the center oven rack for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the center of the cake tests clean.
• Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes – then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack. Top with Caramel Glaze (recipe below).

For the Caramel Frosting:

• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar and butter to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add the milk (be careful, it may splatter!) Return the pan to the heat and bring it back to a boil. Add the powdered sugar and constantly stir until it is fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Drizzle the frosting over the cooled cake. 

Notes

• To toast pecans: Bake in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 187mg, Potassium: 203mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 310IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on June 12, 2013. Updated on August 12, 2022.