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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Spiced Apple Cake

Published: Oct 6, 2020 · Modified: Oct 7, 2021 by Kata · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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This Spiced Apple Cake, full of deep apple flavors, is probably the easiest, simplest, and most delicious apple cake recipe to try this fall. Super moist brown sugar cake loaded with spices, and apples and topped with a super simple ginger apple compote is the ultimate recipe to try this time of the year. You will love it!

Spiced Apple cake on a golden paper plate.
Jump to:
  • 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
  • 🎓 Expert tips
  • ❓Recipe FAQs
  • 🍎 More Apple dessert recipes
  • Spiced Apple Cake

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

  1. It is rather easy – As fancy as it looks, making this Apple cake is extremely easy! Both the sponge cake, as well as the spiced apple topping comes together really easily and quickly using a handful of easily accessible ingredients
  2. It is super delicious – I never compromise on taste! Super moist brown sugar yogurt cake with spiced apple topping will blow your mind! The cake has the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth texture with just the right sweetness! It is so super refreshing, you will love it
  3. It is an honest, detailed tutorial – While this Apple Spice cake recipe might look a bit long, all the information I have written here, every tip and trick will help you achieve the perfect results without any issues on the way. Remember, baking is science, and every little detail written here is to help YOU
  4. It is super pretty - The beauty of this Apple spice cake with fresh apples is that the topping is actually the decoration as well. The apple topping makes this cake super pretty and a touch of gold glitter does not hurt
  5. No special equipment is needed – All you need is a round cake tin to bake and assemble the cake

📝 Ingredients

For the cake

Apple cake ingredients.
  1. Oil: this is an oil-based Apple spice cake (no butter) that keeps the cake super moist, soft and fluffy. Butter-based cakes tend to harden a lot in the fridge, with oil we won't have this issue. Use no flavor vegetable oil
  2. Sugar: I am using a combination of granulated white and brown sugar. I absolutely love the brown sugar deep molasses flavor and regularly use it in autumn theme recipes.
  3. Egg: Room temperature as always
  4. Yogurt: Use high-fat content Greek or Turkish style thick yogurt. Its creaminess helps keep baked goods moist
  5. Flour: I am using pasty flour but all purpose flour works too, they are so-called “soft flour” which is low on protein resulting in a delicate, tender texture. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my flour guide
  6. Baking powder + Baking soda: Makes the cake tender and helps the rise
  7. Salt: We always need at least a pinch of salt in any cake batter to balance the flavors
  8. Spices: This is a Spiced Apple cake so you must be using delicious spices! I recommend a combination of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamon, they all pair well with apple and smell like the best autumn day ever
  9. Apple: There is one apple in the cake itself cut into small pieces. You might feel tempted to add more however too much apple makes the cake too wet and difficult to bake

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the apple compote

  1. Apple: Well obviously we will need some apples to make the apple compote topping, you can use for example Granny smith apples. I find it looks better if some part of the compote is actual apple and some part apple puree
  2. Ginger: I recommend to chose one hero spice to flavor the apple compote. As mentioned above, I use cardamon, ginger, and cinnamon in the cake and decided to go with ginger only for the compote. I am using a fair amount of ginger that makes the compote wonderfully flavourful
  3. Sugar: Simple white granulated sugar is working perfectly fine
  4. Lemon juice: Juice of lemon, freshly squeezed. Remember, lemon juice balances the flavors, just like salt in the cake
  5. Gelatine sheet: It´s an odorless, tasteless, and colorless thickening agent, very often used in mousse cakes like this Apple spiced cake. Powder or sheet versions are available, in my recipes I always use gelatin sheet (1,7 g gelatin/sheet), which I found easier to handle. Powder gelatin can be used 1:1 so when I state 1 gelatin sheet that means 1,7 g gelatin powder. For more info on gelatin, how to substitute gelatin, how to boom gelatin etc. please read my gelatin guide

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

Applying the apple compote on the top of the cake.

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. How to make a spiced apple cake

This is a super moist, fluffy cake with velvety crumbs, incredibly delicious. It is also easy to prepare, the key is not to overwork the batter.

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  • Ingredients must be all measured with a Digital scale
  • Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 356 F (no fan) and prepare a baking pan with parchment paper
  • Whip oil, eggs, and the 2 different kinds of sugar with an Electric hand mixer for a good 3-5 minutes until fluffy
  • Then, fold yogurt in until fully incorporated with the help of a Rubber spatula
  • Sift dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices) before adding to the mixture. You can use a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a mixture of other Fall spices
  • Dry ingredients must be folded in by hand (using Rubber spatula). Do not use a mixer at this point
  • Then, fold in the apple pieces. It is a good idea to slightly dry the apple pieces with paper towels before using them in the cake
  • Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking
  • After 30 minutes check the middle of the cake with a toothpick. Bake until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool on a cooling rack

💡 Top Tip: Eggs as well yogurt must be at room temperature for the proper emulsification. Yogurt can form lumps easily if used cold

Apple filled sponge on a cooling rack.
Beautifully caramelized cake bottom with apple pieces

2. How to make the spiced apple compote topping

Apple compote is a brilliant addition to pancakes, donuts, cupcakes, or filling cakes. It is so easy and so delicious and it is worth playing with different kind of spices. Vanilla bean, tonka bean, ginger, cinnamon, 5 spices, and cardamon are all brilliant choices!

  1. In the meantime prepare apple chunks and apple puree
  2. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water
  3. Cook the apple chunks, apple puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes
  4. Remove the saucepan from heat, squeeze excess water from gelatine sheets and stir them into the compote

I am using a 15cm / 6 inch tin, make sure to adjust the quantity of the apple compote and other ingredients if you are using a larger cake tin.

💡 Top Tip: Gelatin can be substituted with agar agar. Check the substitution ratios on the packaging or read my gelatin substitution guide

Spiced Apple cake on a golden paper plate.

3. How to assemble this Spiced Apple Cake

First and foremost make sure your cake is cooled even chilled in the fridge for half an hour then start preparing the apple compote. Place the chilled cake into a Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size) set to 15cm / 6 inches.

Pour warm apple compote over the cake and smooth the top with an Offset spatula. Chill the cake 4 hours then carefully remove the mousse ring and acetate cake collar. Alternatively use a springform tin instead of the mousse ring.

💡 Top Tip: Use acetate cake collar around the ring inside for neat-looking end results.

putting the apple compote on the top of the sponge.

🎓 Expert tips

  1. While making the sponge, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature for proper emulsification
  2. Do not over-bake your sponge as that would result in a dry texture
  3. Apple can be easily substituted in the recipe with pear, peach, plum, apricot, etc.
  4. You can use various Fall spices both in the topping, as well as in the sponge, or stick to the good old-fashioned ground cinnamon to turn this cake into a classic Apple cinnamon cake
  5. Make sure that you let the Apple cake rest in the fridge for the gelatin to set
  6. No frosting is really necessary for this cake, however, on the side, cream cheese frosting or whipped cream would be actually lovely

❓Recipe FAQs

Can I make this recipe without the mousse ring?

Yes, you can use traditional equipment (eg. springform pan), but the mousse ring is adjustable in size so you can use it no matter the size of the cake

Can I make a larger Apple spice cake / smaller cake?

Yes of course you can, this recipe works no matter what size or shape of cake you want to bake, however, you will need to adjust the baking time and ingredients accordingly

Can I make this cake gluten-free, eggless, etc.?

Yes, most probably you can, however, you can´t just replace ingredients without reformulating the recipe. When one ingredient changes, some other ingredients need to be changed too in order to keep the balance in the texture and flavor. Sadly, I am not able to provide substitutes for all sorts of allergies and diets

Can I make this recipe without gelatin?

Yes, you can, however, you will need to use another thickening agent eg. agar-agar. For exact substitution ratios please check the package of your product

Why is my topping not set?

The topping is quite runny when assembling this cake, however, the gelatin will make it set in the fridge. If your topping has not set, maybe it needs more time in the fridge, or perhaps your measurement was off eg. you used less gelatin than stated in the recipe

How to store?

Once you assemble the cake, it should be stored in the fridge. I suggest you cover the cake to make sure it does not absorb any smell from the fridge. Leftover cake - if there is any - should be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days in an air-tight container.

How to freeze?

I do not recommend freezing this cake as the texture might change after thawing

🍎 More Apple dessert recipes

  • Cinnamon Apple Babka
  • Baileys Apple Pie
  • Apple Pie Choux au craquelin
  • Apple Pie Cupcakes
Spatula desserts

Have you tried this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your dessert turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!

Spiced Apple cake.

Spiced Apple Cake

This Spiced Apple Cake, full of deep apple flavors, is probably the easiest, simplest, and most delicious apple cake recipe to try this Fall.
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Waiting time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Servings: 6
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Kata

Equipment

  • Digital scale
  • Digital oven thermometer
  • Electric hand mixer
  • Rubber spatula
  • 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan
  • Acetate cake collar
  • Offset spatula
  • Cooling rack
  • Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size)

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 60 g Vegetable oil
  • 40 g Granulated sugar
  • 60 g Brown sugar
  • 1 Eggs
  • 60 g Yogurt thick, Greek or Turkish style
  • 100 g Pastry flour All purpose flour works too
  • ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • ⅓ teaspoon Ground cardamom
  • ⅓ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ teaspoon Ground ginder
  • 1 Apple small pieces

For the apple compote

  • 250 g Apple Cut into small identical chunks
  • 100 g Apple puree peel apples and blend it
  • 50 g Granulated sugar
  • 10 g Lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • ¾ teaspoon Ground ginger
  • 3 Gelatine sheets 1.7g gelatin per sheet
Metric - US Customary

US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions

Continue with the making pound cake batter

  • Heat oven to 180 C / 356°F ( no fan)
  • Prepare a 15 cm (6 inch) round cake pan with parchment paper
  • With an electric hand mixer whip room temperature egg, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar until it becomes somewhat fluffy
  • Fold in room temperature yogurt
  • Sift dry ingredients together: flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda then fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the help of a Rubber spatula
  • Fold apple chunks in just until combined. Pour cake batter into the pan
  • Bake for 30 min or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
  • Cool the cake on Cooling rack

Apple compote

  • When the cake cooled, start preparing the apple compote
  • Peel and slice apples, 250g you will need in small pieces and 100g in puree
  • Soak gelatine sheets in cold water
  • Cook apple slices, apple puree, sugar, lemon juice and ginger powder in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes
  • Remove saucepan from heat, squeeze excess water from gelatine sheets and stir them into apple compote
  • Assemble the Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size) and set it to the size of the cake that is 15cm / 6inch. For a neat looking, smooth side surface use Acetate cake collar within the mousse ring. Alternatively use a spring form tin
  • Place the chilled cake into the mousse ring and pour warm apple compote over. Smooth the top with an Offset spatula
  • Chill cake in the fridge for 4 hours for the apple compote to set
  • Once the apple topping is set, carefully remove the mousse ring and cake collar
  • Decorate with edible gold leaves. Store in fridge

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @spatuladesserts or tag #spatuladesserts would love to see your creation on Instagram!
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  1. Anda

    October 25, 2020 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    Might be my favorite apple cake! Easy to make (hardest part is the apple peeling:D) and sooooo moist and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • admin

      October 26, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Thank you! Glad you find it easy and delicious!

      Reply
  2. Suzan

    October 22, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    5 stars
    Everything explained in detail. Easy to follow the instructions,

    Reply
    • admin

      October 23, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Thanks, glad you like it:)

      Reply
  3. John McCormack

    October 19, 2020 at 6:29 am

    5 stars
    I'm finding I can't fail with recipes from @spatuladesserts - as promised this was the easiest, simplest and most delicious apple cake to bake - instructions are clear and detailed which helps as a novice baker. Going to step up to some of the pastry offers next

    Reply
    • admin

      October 19, 2020 at 7:48 am

      Thanks you! Love how precisely you follow the recipe, I can see on your Instagram that they always turn out absolutely amazing! Can´t wait to see your next bake!

      Reply
  4. Leila

    October 18, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    The instructions are very clear, easy to follow. I added only about the 3/4 of the sugar, and used real ginger for the compote as well as ginger powder, and it turned out really nice and spicy! Also, it smelled like heaven!
    I used a bigger tin form but doubling the amount of apple wasn't enough, my compote layer wasn't this nice thick, so in case your form is bigger I reco 2.5-3x more apple. Either way, it's absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • admin

      October 19, 2020 at 7:46 am

      Thanks for baking my recipe so happy you liked it! Thanks for the note on the apples!

      Reply
  5. Marie

    October 16, 2020 at 11:50 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe 🙏🏻

    Reply
    • admin

      October 17, 2020 at 10:53 am

      Thank you for baking my recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Dóra Orbán

    October 07, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    A very carefully written recipe, easy to follow instructions. I used a little less sugar, and a combination of plain and wholemeal spelt flour, and it turned out great. The top part on my cake is a bit thinner, probably for the lack of enough apple sauce, but it is delicious anyway. I recommend it!

    Reply
    • admin

      October 08, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      Thanks for trying my recipe, glad you liked it!

      Reply

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