Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream is a favorite fall snack cake loaded with apples and spices and smothered in rich brown sugar cinnamon frosting.
Now that we’ve entered October fall baking season is in full swing. I think the weather is going to finally start feeling like fall very soon and I am so ready! This easy Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream should be at the top of your fall baking list!
What kind of apples should you use?
When we get home from apple picking it’s sometimes tough to remember which apples are which type. For this recipe, and baking recipes in general that involve apples you want to use hard apples that will hold up when baked. If you use apples that are too soft they will turn to mush. Some good choices are Granny Smiths, Jonagolds, Honey Crisps and Pink Ladies.
How to Make Spiced Apple Sheet Cake
Sheet cakes are totally underrated. They taste the same, or arguable better, than a traditional layer cake with WAY less work!
For this Spiced Apple Sheet Cake, start by creaming together the coconut oil and dark brown sugar.
Mix in the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Next add in sour cream. The sour cream and coconut oil along with all of the apples you’ll fold in at the end make this cake very moist.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda and spices. Then slowly add this mixture to the mixing bowl. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated stop mixing.
The final step is to fold in the apples so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter
Bake in a 9×13 pan at 350°F for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely and then frost!
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Is there any reason to make a cake if not to frost it? The frosting to cake ratio is important to me and this cake exceeds my expectations 🙂
This Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream gives the cake a somewhat rustic feel and really ties together together the fall flavors. As with a classic buttercream it has butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and heavy cream. It’s elevated with the additions of dark brown sugar and a generous amount of ground cinnamon. Spread it on thick, you won’t regret it!
Why sheet cakes are the easiest kind of cakes to bake:
The great thing about sheet cakes is that they are really low maintenance. They are really meant to be frosted and cut right out of the pan. Since the cake is long and thin flipping it out of the pan can be tricky and lead to cracks. If you know that you are going to want to take it out of the pan and put it on a serving platter, I highly recommend lining the baking pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides so that you can easily lift it out when it’s cool.
No matter what, you need to wait until the cake is completely cool before taking it out of the pan or frosting it. With sheet cakes you generally only frost the top – another reason why they are so easy. You don’t have to worry about baking multiple, even layers and getting them all to sit right on top of each other. Just slap a thick, fluffy coating of frosting on the top and you are good to go!
Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Description
Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream is a favorite fall snack cake loaded with apples and spices and smothered in rich brown sugar cinnamon frosting.
Ingredients
Spiced Apple Sheet Cake
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
3 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
4 cups chopped and peeled hard apples*
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup pecans (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Spiced Apple Sheet Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F
Generously grease a 9X13 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper**
Add the coconut oil and dark brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with blade attachment, beat on high
Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing in between each
Add the vanilla extract, beat
Add in the sour cream, mix
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt
Add the dry ingredients to the mixer 1 cup at a time, mix until fully incorporated
Put the apples in a medium sized bowl, add 1 tbsp flour, toss to lightly coat the apples in flour
Fold the apples into the cake batter
Spoon the cake batter into the baking pan, spread it into an even layer
Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven
Bake for 23-25 minutes
Allow cake to cool completely
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream
Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with blade attachment
Beat on high for 2 minutes
Add the cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract, mix
Alternate adding shifted powdered sugar and heavy cream mixing in between
Once all the powdered sugar and heavy cream are added, turn the mixer on high and beat for 5 minutes***
Spread the frosting on top of the completely cooled sheet cake
Garnish with pecans if desired
Cut into squares
Enjoy or keep refrigerated up to 1 week
Notes
*Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady are good choices
**If you plan to serve the cake straight from the pan just grease it and skip the parchment paper
***this will make the frosting smooth and fluffy
pin it for later:
If you make this Spiced Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream, let me know how you like it! Leave a comment here and/or give it a star rating! If you snap a photo I’d love to see it – share it over on Instagram and tag me @sprinklesandseasalt!
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Looking for more apple recipes? Check these out!