This cozy apple spice cake recipe has the perfect blend of warm spices and a gorgeous super-moist texture, thanks to a double dose of apple goodness!
Our Fan-Favorite Apple Spice Cake Recipe Is A Fall Dream Come True
Seriously. This apple cake recipe has been served at Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas Eve, ladies’ luncheons, and even made for weddings by professionals with rave reviews! It’s SUPER moist, deliciously spiced, and full of flavor.
🥣 EASE: This easy spiced apple cake is made in a sheet pan, which means it’s about as low-fuss as it gets! The recipe is made from simple ingredients, and the only skills you need are grating, stirring, and mixing.
🍎 FLAVORS: Warm spices and apple are the stars of the show here! Paired with our suggested buttermilk syrup (or some caramel sauce!), the flavors are next-level amazing.
🍰 TOP TIPS: For the best apple cake, I highly recommend weighing the dry ingredients where possible! Also: try the buttermilk syrup!!!
Happy baking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
One thing readers LOVE about this easy recipe? The simple ingredients list! Let’s take a look:
The Best Apples For Apple Cake
Not all fresh apples bake the same, and some hold their shape better than others. Our two favorite kinds of apples for apple spice cake are sweet, tart apples, like Honeycrisp apples and Granny Smith apples.
Both have great balanced flavor that works well with the spices, and they won’t get mushy or mealy when baked. (Braeburn & Pink Lady are two other nice choices!)
How To Make Apple Spice Cake, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13″ metal pan with butter or spray or line with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer or paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Finish Wet Ingredients. Mix in eggs, one at a time till well incorporated, then stir in applesauce.
- Add Dry Ingredients, Then The Apples. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir or mix just until the dry ingredients are mixed in. Next, add the grated apples and stir until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (This cake will bake to a deep brown, but if your cake seems to be getting too dark, feel free to loosely tent the pan with foil for the last few minutes of baking. Cool cake on a wire rack.
- Serve & Store. Cut cake into slices and top individual slices with buttermilk syrup, caramel sauce, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Or, frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting!) Store leftover cake covered in the fridge 2-3 days for best results, or 1-2 days at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions & Toppings To Try
This gluten-free apple cake recipe is packed with flavor, but I do recommend adding at least one little topping for serving. Here are my favorites:
- Buttermilk Syrup or Caramel Sauce. My FAVORITE way to serve this old-fashioned apple spice cake is with a generous drizzle of Buttermilk Syrup or Caramel Sauce.
- Ice Cream. A slice of slightly warm cake with a scoop of cold ice cream (and maybe some caramel sauce!) is one of the best fall desserts around.
- Whipped Cream. A dollop of fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the cake is light and lovely!
- Cream Cheese Frosting. A classic cream cheese frosting is DELICIOUS with the spices in this cake! (If you plan to frost the cake, make sure to let cake cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt!)
- Sautéed Apples. If you want to play up the apple flavors in this cake even MORE, you can top each slice with some cinnamon apples and a little scoop of ice cream or a bit of whipped cream.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Apple Spice Cake
Measure Your Flour Carefully! To avoid a dense or gummy cake, take care to measure the flour properly. I recommend weighing the flour when possible, but at least use the scoop and level method if you don’t have a scale!
Can I Make This As An Apple Bundt Cake? If you’d like to make this in a bundt pan, I honestly recommend making this apple bundt cake recipe. If you choose to make a bundt with THIS recipe, make sure you grease the bundt pan properly first, as it’s a very moist cake and is more likely to stick. (I recommend adding sugar to the pan after greasing, which can help the cake come out.) Also follow these guidelines for converting cake recipes to fit different cake pans. It’ll take 50-60 minutes or so in a 10-12 inch bundt pan.
Can I Make This Cake Dairy-Free? Yes! Just use vegan butter (like Earth Balance). Then, top with a vegan caramel sauce or dairy-free vanilla ice cream instead of our buttermilk syrup.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Apple Spice Cake recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
For The Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (113 grams/8 Tablespoons)
- 1 3/4 cups sugar (350 grams)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup applesauce (I prefer unsweetened)
- 2 cups peeled & grated or finely diced apples (I like Honeycrisp or granny smith apples)
For The Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour or gluten-free flour* (270 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
To Serve (Choose 1-2)
- Buttermilk Syrup (or Caramel Sauce)
- Whipped Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13" metal pan with butter or spray or line with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer or paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Finish Wet Ingredients. Mix in eggs, one at a time till well incorporated, then stir in applesauce.
- Add Dry Ingredients, Then The Apples. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir or mix just until the dry ingredients are mixed in. Next, add the grated apples and stir until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven 35-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (This cake will bake to a deep brown, but if your cake seems to be getting too dark, feel free to loosely tent the pan with foil for the last few minutes of baking. Cool cake on a wire rack.
- Serve & Store. Cut cake into slices and top individual slices with buttermilk syrup, caramel sauce, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Or, frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting!) Store leftover cake covered in the fridge 2-3 days for best results, or 1-2 days at room temperature.
Notes
- Flour. This recipe was developed years before we went gluten-free and works great with regular white flour (all-purpose flour). Now that we’re gluten-free, we use King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour. If you use another gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum, or the cake will not turn out properly. (Do NOT substitute coconut flour or almond flour in this recipe.)
- Other Toppings. If you prefer, you can frost this cake with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/apple-spice-cake/PS. This was one of the first recipes I developed for my site, way back in November 2008 before I’d learned a thing about photography. Here’s our original photos: (We’ve come a long way!😂)
Hi. Just out of the oven and looks delicious!
I’ll repost after it’s devoured!
I made today and my family loves it. Was easy to make, very moist.
So glad you loved it Deb! It’s one of my favorites.
Can this recipe be used for muffins?
Hi! I haven’t tried it but it’s quite moist, so it might just stick to the muffin liners. If it’s muffins you’re after, I’d recommend this recipe!
Will a cream cheese frosting go with this delicious looking apple spice cake, or is your buttermilk syrup better?
It’s totally a personal preference. I love the buttermilk syrup or caramel sauce, but if you’re a cream cheese frosting fan, you can absolutely use that!
I am going to make this cake on Saturday. Do you have any suggestions for baking at a high altitude (6200 ft.)? Usually it involves more flour & water.
Hi! I’m not at high altitude myself, but these high altitude baking tips are my favorite to recommend!
I’ve podted here b4 about how incredibly delishy this cake turns out, and always fab texture: I was gonna try and get creative, though, and add shredded carrots, maybe decreasing either the amount of apples or lessening the applesauce?? For balancing to get a good carrot flavor in as well..What do you think, is that going a tad too far from the recipe I love??
Hi Nina!
I love the idea of giving this a carrot twist, but I haven’t tested it yet. Apples typically have more moisture than carrots, so if you also reduce the applesauce, it might turn out on the dry side.
Again, since I haven’t tested this at all I can’t guarantee results, but if I were going to start with this, I might try using half apples/half carrots but keeping everything else the same. Or, you can try using all carrots instead of grated apples, but I’d keep the applesauce in for the first try! I’d love to know how it goes for you–happy experimenting!
Emily, every once in a while I would think dreamily about a homemade spice cake regularly served to me as a child in the cafeteria of my grade school many years ago. Last week, I finally decided to try and find a recipe and see if I could satisfy that craving. I am from a family of fabulous cooks and bakers, so I have a discerning eye for recipes. Yours looked particularly interesting, and I loved the detailed explanations that came with the recipe. Obviously, your recipe did not disappoint. This cake brought back great memories, as I enjoyed it with a dusting of powdered sugar, just like I remember from many years back. Thank you for this!
This review completely and totally made my day. I’m so glad it satisfied that nostalgic craving!
Hi Emily, thank you for the best apple cake recipe I’ve ever tasted, much less baked myself. I use gluten free flour, because we’re glutards, and people are surprised when I tell them because the texture is so perfect. I use a generous tablespoon of cinnamon and include powdered ginger in the spice mix as well. We have access to wild blackberries, so I either put some of those in or chop up fresh cranberries.
I made this recipe because I wanted an easy apple spice cake for company that loves spice cakes. It was a stellar hit and I had to print off the recipe to give to my guests. My husband literally ate the remainder of the cake within the next day-so I guess I’m making it again this weekend for him. The cake was easy, very moist, and very tasty. It’s definitely a keeper. (I made caramel sauce and served it with a good vanilla ice cream-was perfect). Thanks for the recipe!
This completely made my day! I’m so glad you loved it!
This cake is everything I look for in a cake! Super moist and delicious, spiced, and just all around great. I made this twice; once by the book, and once again but adding in some ground allspice, ground ginger, and some ground cardamom to the spices and WOW. I didn’t think the cake could get any better than it was, but adding those other spices sent it to an entirely different level! Thank you for sharing! This is being tucked into my ever-growing recipe box for sure! ♥
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that!!!