An easy-to-make square cake, typically unfrosted, is what my family would consider a snacking cake when I was growing up. This easy apple cake qualifies as a snacking cake because it stands on its own as a moist, delicious cake, unfrosted. BUT…if you add the silky cream cheese frosting, then you have yourself something a little more special. This cake could easily appear at a Thanksgiving meal and upstage the pies. I added food-safe fresh flowers and a faux sprig of greenery to dress it up for autumn. If you’re using fresh flowers, make sure to use pesticide-free flowers and wrap your stems before placing them into the cake. This cake is also amazing topped with caramel sauce.
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A soft, moist apple cake with silky cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Apple Cake
- 1 ¼ cups (159g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
- ¾ cups (150g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg
- ⅔ cup (148ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227g) puréed apples or unsweetened applesauce*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 10 tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (361g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1/2-1 teaspoon heavy cream
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
Apple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan** with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix in the puréed apples until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 28-33 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Beat in the butter, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth and well combined.
- Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and heavy cream until smooth and well combined. Stir slowly with a spatula to smooth the frosting and remove bubbles.
Notes
*If you're using applesauce and your applesauce is watery, drain off excess liquid before measuring.
**To find my favorite 8-inch square cake pan, click here.