If you love apple fritters, you’ll adore this moist, tender cake that’s loaded with fresh apples and topped with rich brown butter icing. This is the best Apple Fritter Cake recipe I’ve ever tasted! A couple of simple steps give it the most flavor and the best texture. The apples are cooked briefly on the stovetop before being added to the batter. This gives the apples a better flavor and texture and prevents soggy spots in your cake. The juices that the apples release during this step are saved to add to the icing. The browned butter in the icing adds a rich, nutty flavor that takes this cake over the top.
Apple Fritter Cake with Brown Butter Icing
A moist, tender, subtly spiced cake loaded with fresh apples and topped with rich brown butter icing
Ingredients
Apples
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 3 cups (340g) peeled, chopped apples (1/2-inch pieces )
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Cake
- 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- â…› teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanila extract
- 2 tablespoon (28g) sour cream, room temperature
Icing
- 3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22ml) reserved juices from the apples
- 1-3 tablespoons (15 ml-45ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
Apples
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the apples. Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and salt over the apples and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples release their juices and start to become tender, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Drain the cooled apples, reserving the juice for the icing.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease an 8-inch square cake pan or baking dish or line with parchment paper. (I used a ceramic baking dish.*)
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until well blended.
- In large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the flour mixture in 2 additions, followed by half of the sour cream after each addition. Mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the cooled, drained apples.
- Transfer the batter to the baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake is clean or has a few moist crumbs attached, about 23-28 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes.
Icing
- In a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer it to a small bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cooled brown butter with the powdered sugar, reserved apple juice, 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk and the salt until well combined. Add additional milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Spread the icing over the cooled cake.
Notes
*To find an 8-inch ceramic baking dish, click here.
