Cozy loaf alert: Apple Spice Cake is made with apple butter, warm spice, and a drizzle of vanilla glaze. Simple to whip up and stays moist for days!
Apple Spice Cake is the fall loaf I make on repeat ~ apple butter + sour cream keep the crumb plush, warm spices perfume the kitchen, and a thin vanilla glaze gives each slice a little shine and snap. Two bowls and a whisk, that’s it.
- ultra-moist ~ apple butter + sour cream = plush crumb
- fragrantly spiced ~ exactly the cozy aroma you want right now
- vanilla-glazed ~ a thin pour, big payoff (aim for glaze in every bite!)
- quick-mix ~ two bowls + a whisk; in the oven fast
apple butter is key to my apple spice cake
Apple butter is simply apples cooked down to a very thick purée, often with warm spices. In baking it behaves a lot like canned pumpkin ~ moisture, flavor, and a tender crumb ~ which is why it works so well in this apple loaf cake.
Store-bought or homemade?
Use either, but thickness matters. If your homemade batch isn’t as thick as commercial apple butter (more like applesauce), reduce it on the stove or strain before measuring, or it will throw off the recipe.
A note on flavor
Most commercial apple butters include sugar and spices, so every loaf will taste a little different ~ that’s normal. Even if your apple butter is spiced, the spices in this cake won’t overwhelm.
Want more apple coming through?
For bigger apple notes in this apple spice cake fold in some finely diced apple (firm, tart varieties do best.)
make your own apple butter from apple sauce!
don’t throw away any leftover apple butter!
You’ll have a bit leftover from making your apple spice cake, but no worries:
- apple butter brandy meatballs
- apple butter pulled pork
- apple butter cake with brown sugar frosting
- slow cooked apple butter baked beans
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Apple Spice Cake
Equipment
- standard 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
wet ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup apple butter
- ½ cup sour cream
for the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbsp milk, to thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined, don't over beat.
- Spread the dough into a 9×5 loaf pan and bake for about 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
- Cool on a rack while you make the glaze.
- To make the glaze, whisk the confectioner's sugar with the milk and vanilla extract to form a spreadable glaze.
- Spread the glaze on the warm cake.
Nutrition
fall baking bucket list
It is a beautiful cake – it looks so moist and the flavors can’t be beat. Come on fall!
I like the looks of this cake, too! The addition of apple butter is fabulous!
It’s true, I can see how good that cake is just by looking at those insides! Bursting with delicious.
Voluptuous crumb indeed, what a heavenly cake! And that nutmeg glaze sounds irresistible!
Great texture on this cake! Love the photos. I love spice cake, particularly one that’s apple-heavy. Super recipe, good post — thanks.
Thanks John, I’m glad you appreciated the texture, I did kind of push it in your face with those close-ups 🙂
I have never seen apple butter..Will look as this looks as good as carrot cake:)
This would be great with carrots, Monique. Apple Butter is a very thick fruit spread. It’s in with the jams and jellies in supermarkets.
I usually judge a cake base don the amount of frosting. If there isn’t any, or there’s only a delicate glaze, I probably want that cake! Bonus for fruit baked in. 🙂 This sounds like such an excellent cake for an afternoon coffee break. Plus it’s a great reason to can some apple butter!
I love apple butter but there aren’t that many uses for it. I bet this cake would be even more awesome with home canned butter!
What can I use in place of the apple butter (a lot of sugar in those that I have seen)?
and does it have to be Greek yogurt?
thank you
Well, you could make your own apple butter and leave out the sugar. Just cook it down so it gets thick enough. You could also use pumpkin puree, or banana. You might need a little extra sugar in the batter in those cases, though.
And no, it can be any yogurt!
That cake looks moist and delicious, Susan! The nutmeg glaze sounds wonderful!
I am going bonkers for nutmeg lately. I used this same glaze on two other recipes recently!
What size pan, please?
A 9×5 loaf pan, I just added that, thanks, Pat!