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Cozy Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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A tender and flavorful spiced apple cake topped with rich cream cheese frosting, perfect for cozy fall and winter gatherings. This easy homemade recipe combines warm spices and fresh apples for a nostalgic comfort dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour (or almond flour for gluten-free)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (freshly ground if possible)
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk (or dairy-free milk with 1 tsp vinegar)
  • 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced (Granny Smith recommended)
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (½ stick, 57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream (to thin frosting as needed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and lightly dust with flour or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
  5. Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until combined.
  6. Fold in the diced apples gently with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking at 40 minutes.
  8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  9. For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition.
  10. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired spreading consistency is reached.
  11. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Optionally, sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top.

Notes

[‘If apples seem watery, toss them in a teaspoon of flour before folding into batter to prevent sogginess.’, ‘Do not skip softening butter and cream cheese to avoid lumpy frosting and dense cake.’, ‘Mix batter just until combined to keep cake tender.’, ‘Use freshly ground spices for best flavor.’, ‘Start checking cake 5-10 minutes early to avoid overbaking.’, ‘Cool cake completely before frosting to prevent melting.’, ‘Batter can be prepared the night before and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before baking.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cake, spiced cake, cream cheese frosting, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, homemade cake, cozy dessert

Find it online: https://fizzlefork.com/cozy-spiced-apple-cake-recipe-easy-homemade-with-cream-cheese-frosting/