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Apple Pecan Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting is decadent, rich, and full of fall flavor. It’s the most tender and moist apple pecan spice cake that you will ever make. And the brown sugar cream cheese frosting is absolutely delicious!
There’s just something tantalizing about apples that make the ordinary extraordinary. Take these breakfast recipes for example Apple Crumb Muffins, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls or Crumb Topped Apple Coffee Cake. Apples just make it special. This cake will be no different.
Apple Pecan Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
This was easily one of the BEST cakes that I have ever had. Everything about this cake was absolute perfection. The spice cake was so tender and moist and the apples baked inside were amazing! The apple pecan combination brought out such a delicious flavor and texture. BUT lets just talk about the brown sugar cream cheese frosting… you will die. It was the best finishing touch to this perfect cake.
Let this cake be on the top of your list for fall baking. Actually do not wait until it is officially fall. Bake it right now! I think that you will quickly agree that this is one of the best cakes ever.
Apple Spice Cake and Frosting Ingredients
- Granny Smith Apples: Granny Smiths are the best apples for baking with because of their sturdy texture and crisp tartness
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and the apples
- Oil: Adds moisture
- Eggs: Eggs are a stabilizer and moisture enhancer
- Vanilla: Flavor
- Flour: All purpose or unbleached flour are good strong flours for this cake
- Baking Powder/ Baking Soda: Both of these together make the cake light and fluffy
- Cinnamon/ Nutmeg: Love these spices with apples
- Salt: Brings balance to the sweetness
- Milk: Helps create a moist and tender cake
- Pecans: Add that beautiful nutty flavor and crunch
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Low fat or full fat work, bring it to room temperature.
- Butter: Also bring the butter to room temperature or soften in the microwave for about 10 sec.
- Vanilla: Blends beautifully with the brown sugar
- Brown Sugar: Both light or dark brown sugar work here.
Making Apple Pecan Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix: In a large bowl combine apples and sugar. Stir in the oil, eggs and vanilla
- Combine: In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Fold: Add the flour mixture to the apple mixture and gently mix.
- Stir: Pour in the milk and stir till just combined. Add chopped pecans.
- Bake: Pour into greased 9×13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min.
- Frosting: Once completely cooled frost:
- Beat: Beat the cream cheese till smooth, add in butter and continue to mix till smooth. Scrape the sides as you mix. Add in the vanilla and brown sugar. Beat for 5 min till light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved.
Tips for Perfect Apple Cake
- Apples: Chop the apples into smaller than bite sized pieces. You want to make sure the apples are small enough to cook through and eat. If they are too big it’ll be harder to eat and cook. I like the the size of my nail as a guide.
- Toast: I love toasting my nuts before adding them to the cake as well as on top. It adds more nutty flavor. Feel free to leave them out or use walnuts instead.
- Bake: This is a very dense and moist cake. That’s one of the reasons it’s so good. Make sure you check the center for doneness in several places before taking out. If you pierce an apple it can come out clean when it’s not really done. So check in several places.
- Beat: You will want to make sure you beat the frosting for a long time till the sugar is dissolved and it’s light and fluffy, otherwise it’ll be runny and or gritty.
- Bake A head: This is such a great cake to make the day before you need it because it gets better with time. Once cooked, cooled and frosted refrigerate till needed.
Keep the Cake
- Fridge: Keep this cake in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped with foil or plastic wrap to hold in the moisture. It will keep for up to a week.
- Freeze: This cake freezes beautifully. Cool the cake completely, but do not frost, and then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge. Prepare frosting and spread on once thawed.
More Apple Recipes to Savor
- Homemade Apple Fritters
- The Best Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Apple Bacon Brussel Sprouts Salad
- Delicious Apple Butter
- The Best Apple Danish
Apple Pecan Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 cups Granny Smith Apples chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup pecans roughly chopped
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 package cream cheese frosting 8 ounce, room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup golden brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine apples and sugar. Stir in oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In another mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the flour mixture to the apple mixture. Add milk and stir until just combined. Add chopped pecans.
- Pour into prepared 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- To make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and continue to beat until smooth scraping down sides when needed. Add vanilla and brown sugar. Beat for 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. Spread evenly on top of the cake. Refrigerate after frosting.
Video
Nutrition
Serves: 12
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
This looks absolutely delicious and am most anxious to make it. Do you peel the apples first before chopping or just leave the skin on?
Yes I peeled the apples. 🙂
Well crap. I didn’t peel the apples because it didn’t say to.
I did the same thing. Definitely peel the apples of anyone is reading this. The skin doesn’t break down. I also needed to bake for about 50 mins.
Rani, I noticed video for this recipe did show the peelings left on; however, in cakes or pie recipes, apples are usually peeled.
I didn’t peel the apples. The peels didn’t bother me. Extra fiber and less work are bonuses for me. You gotta make up your own mind. For me, I like the texture too.
Hi can you use coconut flour instead? Would it still turn out as nice?
I think in the ingredients you mean 1 package of cream cheese (not cream cheese frosting). I’m pinning this for a cookout we are going to on Labor Day weekend. Looks delicious!
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too.
Can’t wait to make this…looks divine! Thank you!
Where in the store do I find the “package” of cream cheese frosting? The store just has the 16 oz cans. I need to make this tomorrow. It looks so good and I just bought some cinnamon-rum gelato that I’ll serve with it! Yum
It looks like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kraft-Philadelphia-Original-Cream-Cheese-8-oz/10295545 .:)
Anita, Ingredients for making the cream cheese frosting follow beneath that heading in the ingredients list
Can i change pecan with walnut?
Yes definitely! 🙂
would this work if I made cupcakes?
I made this yesterday. It is the best apple cake i have ever eaten. My coffee clutch friends raved over it.
Thanks for sharing
If you use Cortland apples how much sugar would you use?
I haven’t heard of cortland apples… are they really tart? If so I would use the full amount of sugar.
It’s in the oven as I type this, the house smells amazing.
I finally got around to making this recipe over the weekend….so delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Can I bake this in a bundt pan? I swear, this is the best apple pie i’ve ever had!
Can you make these into cupcakes?
Do you think I could make the cake, cool it, freeze it and frost it next week? I’m a bit worried about the apples?
Hi this recipe sounds great. I made some awesome Spicy Apple Butter and wanted to substitute the butter for the apples. Any Idea about that conversion?
Can this be made a day ahead or is it better the day of? Thanks!
Could this apple pecan cake be made into cupcakes?
Yes. I did it into cupcakes and it was simple. Bake for 20 min
If I use a bundt pan for baking this cake, do I need to alter the recipe?
I can’t wait to impress visiting relatives! Next time I’ll try a bundt pan !
Hey tnx for your nice recipe i made it and i loved the texture but i feel its too sweet…i taste it warm Of course…salt taste was clear too…can i reduce sugar and salt?
Yes, you are always welcome to make my recipes your own! XOXO
Loved this cake. It’s easy as could be to make. Yes, I knew to peel the apples. 😉
This cake is amazing! Everyone loved it and I’ve already received requests to make it again. Just be sure to peel the apples and use a block of cream cheese (not cream cheese frosting). The cake was just as good the 2nd day — perhaps even better, because the frosting was really cold and didn’t seem quite as sweet. I will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks!
YAY!! That is great to hear! I am so glad everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me! XOXO
Used half all purpose and half wholemeal flour for this recipe. I used HALF the amount of sugar and it was plenty sweet enough. Turned out fine and everyone really enjoyed it. For me it was much better served with a dollop of whipped cream and cup of coffee than as a dessert.
Great recipe for a family gathering as it serves twelve.
I am confused about the recipe for the Brown sugar cream cheese frosting that is used on the Apple Pecan Spice Cake. The ingredients list calls for 8oz. package of cream cheese frosting, is that correct or did you mean 8oz. package of cream cheese?
Yes, sorry it is 8 oz cream cheese. I will be fixing that. Thank you!
How could I adapt bake time to make this in a jelly roll pan? I envision a result something like Texas sheet cake. I’d like to make ONE large cake rather than 2 9×13-inch pans.
Love ❤️ the recipes
Can this cake be made in round cake pans and split both rounds in half to make 4 layers?
This cake can be made into two round pans. Splitting in half is going to create pretty thin layers of a cake that is on the delicate side. If you try it, I’d suggest using dental floss to pull through the cake layers horizontally for an easy cut.
Can you substitute the vehetable oil with coconut oil or applesauce? If so, how much? And instead of sugar, can you do honey? Or maple syrup?
Yes, all of those substitutions will work great!
If I want to omit the nuts, do I have to modify the rest of the recipe?
No, not at all.
I made this cake in two 9″ round pans. Used HALF the amount of sugar in the cake, and used sweet apples. The icing is sooo delicious and sweet enough that if the cake had been any sweeter, it may have been too sweet for me & my family. Wonderful recipe!!
Hi Anita if I don’t put apples in it will it effect the cake ? My kids aren’t fans of fruit in cakes. Thx
I’m going to use box spice cake I can probably taste batter & adjust. We really like spices
I’m in my eighties & just don’t go all that anymore
How was it? Did you add any other ingredients other than cake mix??
My family loved this apple cake! I am making it again today! So YUMMY
Is “golden” brown sugar the light or the dark?
The light brown sugar.
It says Golden right on the package.
I believe it’s just a package of cream cheese; not cream cheese frosting!!
The frosting turned out great! No brown sugar grit as some have posted!
Very delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as written! I will definitely make again. What a nice treat on a cool fall day!
Make this cake today. I didn’t have pecans so I subbed walnut. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. This cake gets a total 10 from me.
So easy! And so glorious! Great recipe. Congratulations!
made this cake right after finding it. Left off the frosting and it was perfect just that way. It’s a keeper.
If I used a spice cake mix what else do I need to add?
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes Leslie
Yes, that will work great!