Apple Spice Cake
APPLE SPICE CAKE
with maple brown butter bourbon marscapone frosting
The never-fail chocolate cake recipe on my site is one I make quite frequently. Now I know you’re probably wondering why I’m discussing chocolate cake right out of the gate when this post is very much titled apple spice cake. But I promise they’re connected. Let me explain.
So as you may (or may not) know, the secret ingredient to the chocolate cake is spoiled milk or cream (buttermilk will also do the trick). While the cake truly is delicious and truly never-fails, I always especially appreciate the excuse to make chocolate cake under the guise of not letting anything, even spoiled milk, go to waste. However, recently, when I realized I had some heavy cream gone bad, fall was just kicking off and I was deep in a hole of all things apple, cinnamon and spice, so I thought why not try a seasonal spin on the never-fail cake? I mean, how bad could it be? It’s never-fail, right? Thankfully I had enough bad cream to get me through a few cake testings so I decided to play around with a few ingredients, mostly having to do with apples, and, of course, lots of spices, because ‘tis the season, and all I have to say is wow! Why didn’t I think to do this sooner? This apple cake is truly a fall dream. And the frosting. OMG the frosting! I mean, this cake is worth making just for the frosting alone. Did I mention it has brown butter in it? And marscapone? And bourbon? It’s a decadent fall dream. And then paired with the deliciously apple spiced cake, it’s like a warm, cozy, heavenly fall hug.
WHAT IS APPLE SPICE CAKE?
So outside of it being like a warm, cozy, heavenly fall hug, what exactly is apple spice cake? Essentially it’s just a light and fluffy but moist and delicious cake loaded infused with warm apple flavors, notes of rich caramel and heavily infused with all sorts of fragrant spices. In other words, all the best flavors of fall.
But it doesn’t stop there, either. It’s finished off with the dreamiest, creamiest frosting made up of all the best flavors- warm, nutty browned butter, maple, vanilla, creamy marscapone and bourbon. Just pure fall decadence right here.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE APPLE SPICE CAKE (+ THE SECRET INGREDIENT!)
OLIVE OIL- I tested this cake a few times, and while I loved the way it tasted with brown butter in the batter, olive oil wins for keeping this cake nice and moist for the longest amount of time while also adding a nice flavor to the cake. You can use avocado or coconut oil instead.
DRY INGREDIENTS- Nothing unusual here, just your standard all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Plus both brown and granulated sugar. While the original recipe only has granulated, I liked the addition of the brown sugar as it adds a nice warm caramelized flavor to the cake and accents the spices and apple flavor oh so nicely.
SPICES- I’m usually someone who embraces the less is more mantra, but when it comes to the spices for this cake I am very much solidly in the more is more camp. Just about every fall spice is showing up for this party- cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and allspice. It just creates the coziest, warmest flavor. However, if you don’t have a spice or two on hand, I promise this cake will still taste delicious without the full symphony of spices.
APPLE CIDER- The main source of apple flavor for our cake, and no, I’m sorry apple juice is not a suitable substitute. We need good, solid, real apple cider for the ultimate apple flavor here.
APPLE SAUCE- Apple sauce not only adds more apple flavor to our cake, but also acts as a bit of a fat and binding agent, and is the reason why I was able to make this recipe with very little fat added. Just make sure to use a smooth, not chunky, apple sauce for lump-free cake.
SOUR MILK- Last but not least, the secret ingredient, spoiled milk. It’s what makes this whole cake work. But don’t worry, if you don’t happen to have some bad milk on hand (or don’t have the patience to wait for your milk to go bad), buttermilk will do the trick just fine.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE SPICE CAKE
This cake couldn’t be easier to make. And it’s basically all done in one bowl, too.
Beat the sugar, oil and egg until creamy (this can be done by hand or in a stand mixer).
Sift in the dry ingredients (or whisk them together in a separate bowl, before adding them in).
Add in the remaining wet ingredients, the apple flavor (apple cider and apple sauce) and the key ingredient, spoiled milk/buttermilk. Mix, pour into a lined pan and bake.
Use that same stand mixer bowl (cleaned, of course) to whip together that delicious marscapone frosting. Frost your cooled cake, slice, serve and enjoy!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST APPLE SPICE CAKE
This cake is basically no-fail and pretty hard to screw up, but here’s a few tips to ensure it comes out the best it can.
GOOD APPLE CIDER- For the best and strongest apple flavor, use good apple cider. And for the love of all that’s holy please don’t use apple juice. EVER!
SMOOTH APPLE SAUCE- Leave the chunky stuff for eating. We don’t need any apple lumps in this cake!
DON’T OVER-MIX- For a light and fluffy cake, be sure no to over-mix the batter. I find the best way to do this is by finishing the final few steps of folding in the dry ingredients by hand.
RUN A KNIFE THROUGH THE BATTER- Just before you place the cake in the oven, be sure to run a knife through the batter. This will ensure any air bubbles are removed and your finished cake will be more even.
SELECTING A PAN- Feel free to use the baking dish of your choice, but be aware that using glass versus ceramic versus metal baking dishes will result in slightly varying outcomes and will effect baking time, as well.
FOR THE FROSTING- All of the flavors work in perfect harmony to create a rich and warm frosting that compliments the cake oh so well. However, feel free to omit the bourbon if you prefer. The extra maple flavor can be omitted, as well, just be sure to use extra cream in it’s place to achieve the right consistency in the frosting. For a thicker frosting, add additional confectioner’s sugar and for a thinner frosting use the lower amount of confectioner’s sugar listed. And make sure the browned butter is fully cooled to room temperature before using it (otherwise it will melt/curdle the other ingredients). Last but most importantly, whatever you do, don’t skip the browned butter OR the marscapone. TRUST ME!
BEST WAY TO ENJOY YOUR APPLE SPICE CAKE
While there is certainly no wrong way to enjoy cake, I recommend eating this within the first day or two for optimal freshness and the moistest cake. It’s obviously great for dessert or an afternoon snacking cake, it’s perfect to serve for fall gatherings and would definitely make an easy and delicious Thanksgiving dessert. Also, this cake, sans frosting, lightly toasted, with a little butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, is also an excellent breakfast/snack/treat/dessert. Let’s be real, though, there really is no bad way to enjoy this cake.
HOW TO STORE APPLE SPICE CAKE
This cake probably won’t last long enough for you to even have to worry about this, but just in case you happen to have leftovers, they will stay fresh for 3-4 days. I’ll sometimes keep mine, covered in a cake stand or with plastic wrap or parchment paper, on the counter for a day or two, although, because of the butter and marscapone in the frosting, it’s best to keep it stored in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE APPLE SPICE CAKE
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil (you can also use avocado or coconut oil)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup sour/spoiled milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup applesauce (smooth, not chunky)
FOR THE MAPLE BROWN BUTTER BOURBON FROSTING
1/4 cup butter, unsalted, browned and cooled
4 ounces marscapone
2 1/2-3 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2-1 teaspoon bourbon (optional)
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or line with parchment paper) a 9” square pan and set aside. You can also use a round cake pan instead (but if it’s 8” it will be slightly thicker so you will need to allow for a few additional minutes for baking).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handheld mixer, beat together the egg, oil and sugars until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat another 30 seconds, or just until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat for just a few seconds on low speed. Then add in the apple cider, buttermilk and apple sauce and either continue beating on low speed, or fold in by hand using a spatula, just until everything is combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Run a toothpick or knife through to remove any bubbles, then place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, in a clean mixing bowl, combine the cooled butter, marscapone and 1 cup of the confectioners sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in the vanilla, salt, maple syrup, bourbon (if using; for only a hint of flavor use 1/2 a teaspoon, for a stronger flavor use the full teaspoon) and another 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Add in just enough heavy cream to reach your desired consistency. You can also add in more sugar if you’d like it to be a little thicker.
Once the cake is cool, frost it. Then slice and serve. This cake tastes best within the first day or two of being made, but it will last, covered tightly, for 3-4 days.
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