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
What can I use unstead of greek yogurt?
You could use buttermilk, regular yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche Abbie!
Ok thanks I’m making this tonight!
I made your bread. Oh it was so good! So simple to make too! It’s light, non greasy, moist, and just yummy!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Can this be made in a bundt pan? If the recipe is doubled or something?
That’s always tricky, Jessica. You could try to do it in a bundt pan with the same recipe, and just adjust the cooking time, it would take less time in the bundt, and it would be on the small side. I’m not sure about doubling it, I think that may be too much batter for the bundt.
I really love the fact that you use less sugar than others in this cake. I AM an American but after living in Japan for almost 50 years, I find most American sweets way TOO sweet. I generally use 1/2 cup less. But, I think this one will be perfect as is. I can’t get apple butter here so I will have to make it when apples get cheaper! And no oil or butter, great! Using nutmeg in the frosting is soooo interesting!
I agree with you, so many recipes can get by with less sugar. I’m sorry you can’t find apple butter, but you can easily make your own if you’ve got apples. If all else fails, make the frosting for a plain cake!
We just went Apple picking, so I immediately checked this out as a way to use some of our many apples… But it doesn’t look like there’s fresh apples. Do you think the cake would work out if we added some chunks of apples in there?
This recipe is really great, but the apple part comes from rich apple butter. I don’t see why you couldn’t try adding some chopped apple, but I can’t really guarantee how it will come out. You might be better off searching for another apple cake. I just finished a fresh apple cake today, posting later next week on the blog if you can wait that long 🙂
Thanks! We’ll see if the apples last that long (if not, it gives us another excuse to go apple picking!). In the meantime, I’m going to try using some on that apple jam you have posted!
I recently spotted your blog and immediately fell in love with your recipes and photography. Beautiful. I am just about to put the apple spiced cake in the oven and couldn’t easily locate the temperature. I visited White Lights on Wednesday to confirm my guess of 350 degrees, but thought I would mention this to you. The cake smells wonderful with all the fall spices. I am looking forward to serving for my in-laws at dinner tonight! Thank you.
Hey Jennifer — glad to have you! The oven temperature is in the instructions, and yes, it is 350F. I hope it turned out fantastic!
Sue,
I am home in the snow here in Lake Tahoe.
I have all the ingredients for this except unsalted butter.
Can I use salted butter and just omit the salt in the dry ingredients?
Sure, go for it, and enjoy your snow day!
I used Musselmanns dark apple butter which has cinnamon and cloves already in it so I cut added spices in 1/2. It was perfect! Super moist and crazy delicious.Thanks Sue!
Thanks Sandra — I do agree, this cake is really special. As a blogger I always try to make new things, but this will be hard not to repeat, often, this season!
Sue, this is a perfect apple cake. And I have all the ingredients! Hooray, I can bake one too.
This looks so, SO GOOD!! And that glaze is making me super happy!
I’ve never put apple butter IN anything. I’ve always just spread it ON things. Wish I had my Southern grandmother’s recipe, but one day I’ll try to replicate it. This cake looks wonderful!