This spiced apple cake is incredibly moist and full of warm cosy spices. It’s made up of soft apple cake layers packed with fresh apples, a tangy apple filling, and a smooth cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Literally the best apple cake I’ve ever had!
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cake Recipe
When I say this spiced apple cake is on another level, I honestly mean it! Here are a few reasons why I think you’re going to LOVE this apple layer cake recipe 🙂
Full of flavor: This apple cake is packed with flavor. The cake layers are full of cosy spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg) and have heaps of apple in them too. The tart apple filling is flavored with apples, lemon juice and cinnamon and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is based off my 5 star rated cream cheese frosting recipe — so you know it’s going to be good!
Made with real apples: This recipe is packed with heaps of fresh red apples to really give it that apple flavor. The cake layers have two whole cups of finely shredded apple in them, and the apple filling has an additional cup of shredded apple (which adds great texture to the cake too). Red baking apples will be the best apples to use for this recipe, such as Royal Gala apples, Jazz, Honeycrisp apples, etc.
Soft & Moist: Yes, my favorite word to use when it comes to cake recipes is ‘soft & moist’ 😂 and this recipe is no exception. The cake layers are oiled based (adapted from my spice cake recipe) so you know they’re going to stay moist for days!
Looking for something a bit more simple? Check out my single layer apple crumb cake recipe.
How to Make Apple Cake
You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is just a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (recipe video is also provided in the recipe card below).
Apple Cake
Preheat oven to 180 °C/350°F conventional (if using a convection oven with a fan, lower the temperature to 160°C/320°F) and grease two 8×3 inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release). You can line the bottoms with parchment paper too, but I found the cake release was sufficient for this recipe.
In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside.
Finely grate two apples (minus the core – see video for how I do this) and measure the grated apple out so you have two cups (300g). Set aside.
In a large bowl combine light brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and shredded apple from previous step. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and smooth.
Pour your dry ingredients into your wet mixture and using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Once baked, allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. While cooling, prepare the apple filling and cream cheese frosting.
Apple Filling
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and cook until the butter and sugar are completely melted, making sure to stir continuously.
Cook for another few minutes until the filling is thick. Once ready, place into a bowl to cool.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
To a large bowl add in unsalted butter and using an electric mixer (see note 5 if using a stand mixer) cream for a few minutes on a medium high speed until light and fluffy.
Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of powdered sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
Next add in cold cream cheese, vanilla, fresh lemon juice and cinnamon and mix on a medium speed just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing as the more you mix the softer the frosting will become.
Assembly (see video for demonstration)
Using a serrated knife, level the tops of the cake layers so they’re nice and flat.
Place the first cake layer onto your cake stand and place a generous amount of the cream cheese buttercream on top and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Using a 1M piping tip, pipe a dam of frosting around the edges of the cake layer. Fill the middle with the apple filling (make sure the filling isn’t warm otherwise it will melt the frosting).
Place your next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more buttercream. I like to use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides.
Using the same 1M piping tip, pipe some swirls on the top of the cake and you can use the extra frosting to do additional piping too 🙂
How to Store Apple Cake
This apple cake can be left at room temperature for the day, however overnight it will need to be placed in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese in the frosting. The fat and sugar in the frosting will prevent the cream cheese frosting from going off immediately, which is why you can keep it out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
The Best Spiced Apple Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Spice Cake
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour - plain flour in the UK
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground ginger - powdered not fresh
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups (300 g) finely shredded apples - about two medium to large apples. Any red baking apple will work (Royal Gala, Jazz, Honey Crisp, etc.)
- 1½ cups (300 g) soft light brown sugar - firmly packed (see note 1)
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup (210 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- ¼ cup (60 g) whole milk - room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Apple Filling
- 1 cup (150 g) finely shredded apple - about 1 medium to large sized apple
- ¼ cup (50 g) soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsps cornstarch
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsps lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4½ cups (570 g) powdered sugar - also known as confectioners/icing sugar
- 1½ cups (335 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type (see note 2)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract/essence
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 3 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease two 8x3 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Finely grate two apples (minus the core - see video for how I do this) and measure the grated apple out so you have two cups (300g). Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine light brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and shredded apple from previous step. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and smooth.
- Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and using a spatula, gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix the batter (see note 4).
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Once baked, allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. While cooling, prepare the apple filling and cream cheese frosting.
Apple Filling
- Add all the ingredients to a saucepan. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and cook until the butter and sugar are completely melted, making sure to stir continuously.
- Cook for another few minutes until the filling is thick. Once ready, place into a bowl to cool.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- To a large bowl add in unsalted butter and using an electric mixer (see note 5 if using a stand mixer) cream for a few minutes on a medium high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of powdered sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in cold cream cheese, vanilla, fresh lemon juice and cinnamon and mix on a medium speed just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing as the more you mix the softer the frosting will become.
Assembly (see video for demonstration)
- Using a serrated knife, level the tops of the cake layers so they're nice and flat.
- Place the first cake layer onto your cake stand and place a generous amount of the cream cheese buttercream on top and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Using a 1M piping tip, pipe a dam of frosting around the edges of the cake layer. Fill the middle with the apple filling (make sure the filling isn't warm otherwise it will melt the frosting).
- Place your next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more buttercream. I like to use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides.
- Using the same 1M piping tip, pipe some swirls on the top of the cake and you can use the extra frosting to do additional piping too 🙂
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
58 Comments
Hi, if you use the recipe quantities and bake it in 1 tin 8 inch tin, what would the cooking time and temperature be?
Hi Harvi! 🙂 If using only one 8 inch cake tin, then it’s best to half the recipe as the cake may not rise/bake as well as a tall cake due to the cake being quite soft 🙂
Cooking time and temp will be the same for a single layer 8 inch cake.
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
All your cakes are truly delicious and amazing. Can’t wait to try this one. I saw your reply to Maheen but i have a question that might sound logical to some but i like to claify before changing anything – If I was to halve the ingredients and use 2 sandwich tins so that the height of the finished cake was shorter do I halve the cooking time also?
Thanks so much Heather 😀
Always good to clarify especially when it comes to baking so I completely understand (and is what I would recommend if in doubt) 🙂
So it really depends on the size of the sandwich tins. If they’re the same size (8 inches) but the layers are thinner due to halving the recipe, then you will need to reduce the cook time. How much you reduce the cook time really depends on how thin the cake layers are. If they are quite thin, then I would recommend checking them at about the 15 min mark (if you can see through the oven and the cakes look underbaked then wait an extra 5 mins or so before checking them) to see how they’re going and then bake more as needed 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe Heather!
Another cake another BIG HIT! This was SO GOOD! I haven’t made all your cakes yet but working on it. They all turn out so good!! I was always nervous to make a layered cake but these have turned out so good I make one every week! I need practice on frosting and have tried a piping bag. That will be the next challenge I take on. 🙂
Aww yay! So glad to hear you loved this recipe Joan and have loved the other ones you’ve tried too 😀
Yes piping took me so long to get right (and to be honest I’m still not the best at it haha!) but I promise with practice it does get easier 😀
Thank you again for the wonderful feedback 🙂
Hello, can I add in a banana or two into this apple cake recipe?
Hi Sam! 🙂 I haven’t tried that myself and my feeling is that additional bananas will make the recipe too dense. Alternatively, you could try my banana cake recipe, and add more spices to it for a more spiced flavor 🙂
Hope that helps!
Hi! Came across this recipe via my google feed as I’ve done baking for years, and used to have a hobby cupcake business. Anyway, I love apples, especially Royal Gala are my favourite! I also love spices! But I often don’t have the time to do big cakes like this one.
So, can you change this at all to make into 12 or 24 cupcakes or even a cake slab/slice instead? Being so moist, I’m not sure as as cake slice. With cupcakes, frosting should be fine though?
Many thanks!
Hi Loz! 🙂
Yes you can make a 9×13 inch cake using 1x this recipe (just half the frosting) and you’ll just need to check the cake a bit earlier than the stated cook time as it’s likely to bake faster 🙂
Alternatively you can totally make cupcakes, but will just need to check them around the 18 min mark to ensure they don’t overbake. You can then fill them with the apple filling and top with the cream cheese frosting 😀
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi, can you freeze this cake? Will the filling and frosting be OK?
Hi Roslyn! 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing this cake myself, and although I think the cake and filling should be okay, I am not too sure about the frosting and whether it may curdle a bit once thawed. So sorry I couldn’t be of more help but would love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it out 🙂
Hi Maryam
That apple cake looks amazing. Apple cake is one of my favourite but I have never tried a recepie like this one.
Im so looking forward to trying it this weekend.
Thank you so much xx
Hi Najmha! Thanks so much 🙂
Yes I wanted to do something a little different with this apple cake recipe. Hope you enjoy it 😀
Can I use a boxed spice cake mix to save time
Hi Angela! 🙂 I haven’t tried that myself, but that should be fine, and you could perhaps add the shredded apple to the boxed cake mix batter 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
For your Apple Cake, must the apples be peeled? Love your recipes.
Hi Sylvia! So glad to hear you’re loving the recipes 😀
No need to peel the apples for this cake 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi, I have made a lot of your cakes and they are always really delicious and my whole family loves it. But I have a doubt with the recipe, if I want to use only 1 cake tin, do I have to half the recipe?
Hi Maheen! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes 😀
Yes that’s correct, for one 8 inch cake tin simply 1/2 the recipe (you can click the 1/2 button on the top right hand corner on the recipe card and this will half the recipe for you automatically).
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂