Apple Spice Cake ~ With Brown Butter Frosting!
Layers of spicy apple cake, crunchy candied pecans and a smooth browned butter frosting come together beautifully to create an amazing, fall-inspired layer cake! All the comforting flavors of autumn will hit you with one bite. Beware, this cake is dangerously delicious!
Equipment
- three 6 inch round cake pans
Ingredients
Apple Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar light or dark
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups peeled and finely diced apples
Candied Nuts Ingredients
- 1/3 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups pecan or walnut halves
Make One Batch of Brown Butter Vanilla Frosting (link in post above)
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and grease three 6 inch round cake pans with cooking spray. I also like to cut out three circles of parchment and place them in the bottom of my pans to ensure that my cakes don't stick.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and vinegar and allow to sit about five minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract and your "sour milk".
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to your wet ingredients and gently whisk together until just combined before folding in the chopped apples.
- Divide the batter evenly among your prepared pans before placing them in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 30 minutes in the pan before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Use a serrated knife to cut off the tops of the layers so that they are nice and flat. Also, you want the layers to be completely cool before assembling the cake. I like to freeze my layers overnight so that they are even easier to frost.
- While the cakes bake, make the candied nuts. In a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon. Allow butter to melt completely before adding the nuts. Stir to coat the nuts with the caramel sauce and then allow to cook about 5 minutes while constantly stirring. After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and pour the candied nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper and let them cool and harden. Before using, use a large knife to chop the nut halves into small pieces.
- Make the Brown Butter Vanilla Buttercream (link in post above).
- To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer onto a cake stand and cover with a layer of buttercream. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of candied nuts on top of the frosting before placing another layer of cake on top. Repeat with the next layer. After placing the final layer on top, spread frosting over the whole exterior of the cake. Use remaining nuts to decorate the sides of the cake.
- Cut cake into slices and serve!
Notes
*Cake will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. After a week, place leftover slices in the freezer and freeze for up to three months. Be sure to thaw slices overnight in the fridge before eating.
**Want to skip the layers? Make the cake batter and pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish instead and increase the baking time about 5-10 minutes. Frost with brown butter frosting and top with candies nuts as desired. Slice into squares and serve!