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–+ servings
Close up square image of cake on white plate frosted and topped with a cinnamon stick.
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Apple Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Moist, tasty and absolutely delicious, this Apple Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting is a fall favorite dessert you won't be able to resist.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups finely grated Granny Smith apples

For the frosting:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray, set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir it together until just combined, with no dry patches.
  • Add the apples and fold them in.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and place the baking dish on a wire rack and let it cool completely.
  • While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by creaming the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined.
  • Add the cinnamon, salt, milk, and vanilla and slowly stir it in.
  • Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip the frosting until light and fluffy for 2 minutes.
  • Once the cake is cooled, add the frosting to the top of the cake and frost until the whole cake is covered.
  • Slice and serve.

Notes

  1. Other apples can be used, see above on ideas.
  2. If you don't want to use a hand grater to grate your apples, use a food processor with the grater plate on top.
  3. This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
  4. Not a fan of cinnamon, use a regular buttercream instead.
  5. The applesauce is used to add moisture to the cake since we are not using any fats in the cake batter itself. It also give a nice little hint of apple.
  6. Make sure your cake is fully cooled before frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 347IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg