Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Updated March 26, 2019
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – this easy apple cake makes a great fall dessert! Apple cake is my dad’s specialty, and a favorite family tradition. I hope you like it.
Dad’s Apple Cake
My dad and stepmom came to visit a few weeks ago to meet Maxwell and to play with Caleb. We loved having them in our home. They were a huge help with the boys, laundry, cleaning, and cooking. We were spoiled with delicious meals every night and of course, my dad made his famous cinnamon rolls. He also made another family favorite, Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
My dad has been making this apple cake for years, but has never shared the recipe with me because he always makes it for us! Well, this time I asked for the recipe so I could share this apple cake with all of you. You need to make this cake! It is the perfect dessert for fall!
What Apples to Use for Fresh Apple Cake
I am loving all of the varieties of apples that are at the store and farmers market. They are great for snacking on and great for making recipes…like this apple cake! My dad always uses at least two different kinds of apples in his fresh apple cake. This time he went with Granny Smith and Gala. Feel free to use your favorite apples! I love using Honeycrisp apples when they are in season, they are always a favorite apple.
This easy apple cake is super simple to make. You don’t even need a mixer. Just a bowl, spoon, and some arm strength. The cake batter is thick and has a lot of apples. It is supposed be a thick, so don’t worry!
An apple a day keeps the doctor away and that means a piece of apple cake too:)
Apple Cake Family Tradition
The cake is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. It is moist with big chunks of apples and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. You can serve this fresh apple cake at room temperature or chilled. I personally like to eat the cake right out of the fridge. Just give me the pan, a fork, and I am good to go!
I hope you enjoy my dad’s Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It is a favorite tradition in our family and I think your family will like it too. Now, I just need my dad to come back and visit so he can bake me another apple cake. I know I have the recipe now and could make it for myself, but we still want my dad to come back. We all miss him!
If you like this apple cake recipe, you might also like:
- Easy Chocolate Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Apple Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups chopped peeled apples we use Granny Smith and Gala
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 9x13 pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Stir in the apples until cake batter moistens.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it is completely smooth. Add the butter and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Frost the cooled the cake with cream cheese frosting. Cut into pieces and serve.
- Note-The frosted cake can be keet, refrigerated and tightly covered, for up to 3 days. I like the cake chilled or at room temperature.
Have you tried this recipe?
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I hate to leave a bad review, but this cake just did not turn out at all. There was a hard layer on the top and bottom and the middle was mushy 🙁
I made this tonight for my husband’s birthday and it came out delicious! The consistency was perfect and loved the icing!
Thank you for sharing the recipe, we love apple desserts and this one is a keeper!
This recipe was delicious. I did change one thing. I never use oil, I always substitute oil for mayo or miracle whip which ever I have on hand. The frosting I added carmel ice cream topping.
I’m making this for sure but…. gonna roll it up with the frosting in the middle photo to follow wish me luck
Delicious cake recipe
I made this for my son’s fifth birthday and it was a HUGE hit, thank you and please thank your dad!
I added a tiny bit of lemon peel to the frosting and it worked well. Next time might try walnuts.
This recipe is delicious. I did change one thing in the recipe. I never use oil, I always substitute oil for mayo or miracle whip which ever one I have on hand. The frosting I added Carmel ice cream topping. Yum
Any apple pie recipes that has less sugar?
The flavor of this cake is to die for! I picked apples from a tree growing in our back yard and my boyfriend could not get enough ( hes not a dessert person usually). I used half the amount of sugar in the frosting because we don’t like it to sweet. Also I prefer cream cheese frosting with 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream instead of the butter it just tastes better.
Just made it. Used baking powder instead of soda. Needs an acid to make the soda react. Cake is super sweet. Didn’t a lot, but not bad. The bake and texture are spot on. Next time I’m cutting back on the sugar. Modifiable if you like a sweet waterfalls cake.
Apple’s have a wonderful, yet delicate flavor. I liked the texture of the cake, it is perfect. The Apple flavor was overpowered by the spices and large amount of sugar. I love apple cake and wanted to love this cake. It’s basically a carrot cake, but with apples.
This apple cake looks amazing! I just watched the movie Apple Mortgage Cake. Do you know that recipe? Thanks!
Can you freeze the apple cake?
Can this be baked in 2 8 inch round pans?
Yummy. On this recipe! I made it, no issues, I used honey crisp apples diced small, as I was afraid they wouldn’t cook..I had to substitute 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice for the nutmeg and allspice because mine weren’t fresh.. LoL those are two spices that rarely get used, they kust hide somewhat in the depths of your spice cupboard getting old..I also set the timer for 30 minutes and checked it, with 35 minutes being my total cook time not 45 minutes..It was nicely brown and the texture a little crisp and moist in the center..just a lovely recipe all the way around.. Thanks for posting..
You are welcome!
I want to make the apple cake. The spices I need are all in my pumpkin pie spice. How much of the pumpkin pie spice would I need? TY
I haven’t tried this cake with pumpkin pie spice. I would do a tablespoon.
Just want to say I have been making this cake every year exactly as written since 2020 for my daughter’s birthday. It is perfect and delicious. It gets requested often for my lady’s Bible study at the parish as well!
I am so glad you love the cake!
Can the apple cake be frozen?
Yes!