This apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting is incredibly moist, packed with apple flavor and warm spices. The crumb is tender and soft without being heavy, and the tangy cream cheese frosting complements the cake perfectly. An ideal dessert for fall.
Updated September 24, 2025 with new photos, recipe tips and pan size options.
A Note from Fiona
Why you’ll love this Apple Spice Cake!
This apple spice cake is a favorite for autumn baking. Each apple season it becomes one of the most-baked recipes because the balance of apple, brown sugar and warm spices is irresistible.
The batter gets apple flavor from unsweetened applesauce and grated apple. Brown sugar adds a caramel note while spices and vanilla round out the flavor. The texture remains remarkably moist thanks to the applesauce, oil and sour cream.
The tang of the cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with the spiced cake. If you prefer a lighter finish, you can skip the frosting and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Method – with Photos
- Baking Notes
- Pan Sizes
- Serving Options
- More Apple Desserts
- Recipe
Ingredients
For the Apple Spice Cake:
- All-purpose flour – measure accurately
- Baking powder & baking soda – for proper rise
- Spices – cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg
- Salt – to balance sweetness
- Vegetable or canola oil – for moisture (you won’t taste the oil)
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar – brown sugar adds flavor and moisture; granulated keeps the cake light
- Eggs – for structure and tenderness
- Unsweetened applesauce – adds apple flavor and moisture
- Sour cream – keeps the cake tender and moist
- Grated apple – peeled and grated; Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Ambrosia work well
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Unsalted butter (or salted; omit added salt if you use salted butter)
- Full-fat brick-style cream cheese – needed for proper consistency
- Powdered sugar – sift if lumpy
- Vanilla and salt – to round the flavor
Method – with Photos
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another large bowl beat together oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and free of lumps.
- Add apples: Stir the applesauce, sour cream and grated apple into the wet ingredients. If the grated apple has long strands, chop it a few times to shorten them.
- Combine wet and dry: Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture and gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing; finish with a few whisk strokes if needed to remove flour lumps.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The edges should begin to pull away from the pan.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat softened butter until smooth, then add cream cheese and beat until lump-free. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and salt; mix. Add remaining powdered sugar gradually until you reach the desired sweetness. Stop mixing once the sugar is incorporated to avoid a thin frosting. If the frosting is too thin, beat in 1 tablespoon heavy cream.
- Frost the cake: Spread frosting over the cooled cake with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Finish with a light sprinkle of nutmeg if you like.
Lisa said:
I made the apple spice cake and it was a big winner. Everyone loved it, thank you.
A Few Baking Notes
- Use a tart, crisp apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) for best flavor after baking. Avoid Red Delicious or McIntosh for this cake.
- Sour cream may be substituted with plain Greek yogurt.
- Use unsweetened applesauce for predictable sweetness. If using sweetened applesauce, reduce the sugar in the recipe (see notes in the recipe).
- For the frosting, use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for proper texture.
Pan Sizes
For a layer cake, divide batter into three 8-inch round pans lined with parchment and lightly greased; bake about 25–30 minutes. Double the frosting recipe for a three-layer cake.
Serving Options
If you prefer not to use cream cheese frosting, this cake is also excellent with:
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A drizzle of caramel or butterscotch sauce
- A light dusting of powdered sugar for afternoon tea
More Apple Desserts to Try
- Apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
- Apple coffee cake
- Caramel apple galette
- Apple pancakes with brown sugar and cinnamon
Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
Ingredients
Apple Spice Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (312 g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil (160 ml)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (158 g), light or dark
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (240 ml)
- 1 1/2 cups grated apple (about 1 1/2 large apples), peeled
- 1/3 cup sour cream (80 ml) or plain Greek yogurt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), softened
- 8 oz cream cheese (226 g), brick-style, full-fat
- 2–3 cups powdered sugar (220–330 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp heavy cream, if needed
Instructions
Apple Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth and lump-free.
- Stir applesauce, sour cream and grated apple into the wet mixture.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat butter until soft, then add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Add remaining powdered sugar a little at a time until desired sweetness and consistency are reached. If frosting becomes too thin, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream.
- Frost the cooled cake and finish with a light dusting of nutmeg if desired.
Notes
- Applesauce: If using sweetened applesauce, reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup (use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar total).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Let slices sit at room temperature 15–30 minutes before serving.
- Make ahead: Cake can be baked a day ahead, wrapped and kept at room temperature; make frosting the day you serve. Unfrosted cake freezes well up to 2 months—cool completely before wrapping; thaw in the fridge and frost before serving.
- Nutrition: Values are estimates for one of 15 slices with frosting.
Nutrition