Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is an easy one-layer cake filled with fresh shredded apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and topped with a cream cheese frosting!
One of my fall bucket list items every year is to go to an apple orchard. Every year it keeps getting more and more fun as the kids get older, and they also become more helpful gathering apples! The more helpful they are, the more apples we end up with, which means more apple recipes. It's not quite apple season yet, but I wanted to start testing some apple recipes so I'm ready for the orchard haul. This Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a delicious way to use up orchard apples!
Ingredients in Apple Cake
Apples - I pretty much always use Granny Smith apples, but you can really use any apples you'd like! Tart apples are great because they balance well with the sweetness from the cake.
Canola Oil - canola oil is great because it doesn't have any flavor and it makes the apple cake super tender.
Granulated Sugar
Eggs
Spices - Ground Cinnamon, Allspice, and Nutmeg give this apple cake a delicious warmth of fall flavor.
Baking Soda and Salt
Flour - I always use unbleached all-purpose flour when I'm baking.
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Tips
- Use Granny Smith apples for best results. The tartness from the apples balances well with the sweetness from the cake.
- Canola oil works well with this cake because it is flavorless and makes the cake tender.
- Be sure to set out the cream cheese and butter when you first start making the cake so they are at room temperature when it is time to make the frosting.
- I shred the apples when I make apple cake. This way they blend in with the cake and the cake is not chunky.
How to Make Apple Cake
This apple cake with cream cheese frosting is a one-bowl cake that doesn't take much time at all to whip up. To start, shred the apples. You could also dice them, but I like using shredded apples. Shredded apples blend into the texture of cake and you won't have big chunks of apple throughout the cake. I prefer it non-chunky, so that is why I love using shredded apples!
Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then add the spices, baking soda, and salt, and stir to combine. Fold in the flour followed by the shredded apples and then spread into a greased 9x13" baking sheet. The batter will be thick - that's how it should be.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes and then cool completely. While it's cooling, make the frosting. Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, and milk and beat until well combined. Spread over the cooled bars and then cut into squares. Enjoy!
Like this recipe? Check these out, too!
Apple Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
40 Apple Recipes
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 Granny Smith apples shredded
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Stir in the cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and allspice.
- Add the flour and stir until combined. The batter will be thick!
- Fold in the shredded apples.
- Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. The top will be brown and the middle should be baked through.
- Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- Spread over the cooled bars.
- Cut into squares.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use Granny Smith apples for best results. The tartness from the apples balances well with the sweetness from the cake.
- Canola oil works well with this cake because it is flavorless and makes the cake tender.
- Be sure to set out the cream cheese and butter when you first start making the cake so they are at room temperature when it is time to make the frosting.
- I shred the apples when I make apple cake. This way they blend in with the cake and the cake is not chunky.
