If you’re dreaming of a cozy fall bake that’s equal parts tender and comforting, this Apple Spice Snack Cake with Brown Butter Frosting is it. First, crisp-tart apples are gently sautéed with brown sugar and warm pumpkin pie spice, folded into a moist, spice-scented cake batter. Once baked to golden perfection, it gets slathered with a dreamy browned-butter frosting—rich, caramel-nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or anytime you need a slice of fall in your hands.
Ingredients Needed
For the Cake:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- butter – softened
- dark brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
- tart apples – Granny Smith is great
- pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting:
- butter – salted
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- heavy cream
Equipment
- Apple corer and slicer (recommended)
How to Make Apple Snack Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 pan. Adjust your oven rack to the middle position (or the best position in your oven for baking).
- Sauté chopped apples with butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until tender and syrupy, then set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, then beat in eggs one at a time.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk-vanilla mixture.
- Gently fold in the cooked apples, spread the batter in the pan, and bake for 35–50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake cools, brown the butter on the stove. Stay near the butter so it doesn’t over-brown, things can go south quickly! Once the butter becomes very frothy, you’ll start to notice a caramel-like smell–that means the butter is browning. Remove from heat when its golden brown.
- Mix the browned butter with powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla to make the frosting.
- Once the cake is completely cool, frost, slice, and serve.
Storage & Other Tips
- Room Temperature: If your kitchen is cool, you can store the unfrosted cake at room temperature in an airtight container or under a cake dome for up to 3 days. However, since the frosting contains butter and cream, refrigeration is safer.
Refrigerator: Once frosted, keep the cake loosely covered in the fridge for 3–4 days. The frosting seals in moisture, but cut edges should still be covered to prevent drying .
Freezer (Long-Term): Wrap unfrosted or frosted cake well in plastic and foil. You can freeze it for up to 1 – 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before serving. Bringing the slices to room temperature restores the cake’s tender texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of apples work best in this recipe?
Tart-firm varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are ideal. They hold their shape while baking and balance the sweetness of the cake and frosting.
Can I make the cake ahead of time?
Yes! The cake actually gets more flavorful after a day. You can bake it a day in advance, frost it once cooled, and store it covered in the fridge.
Can I make the frosting in advance?
Yes—brown butter frosting can be made ahead. Store it covered in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature and re-whip or stir before spreading.
Do I have to brown the butter for the frosting?
Technically no, but it’s worth it! Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that takes this frosting to the next level. Just watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
How do I know when the cake is done?
The top should be golden and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Start checking about 25 minutes.
Apple Spice Snack Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
A melt-in-your-mouth, flavorful cake, perfect for fall. Or breakfast.
Servings servings
Equipment
- Apple Peeler optional but recommended
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 cups apples, tart (like Granny Smith) peeled, chopped; you'll need about 1 large or 2 small
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter divided, softened
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs large
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, salted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- heavy cream just enough to reach desired consistency
Instructions
- Adjust the rack to the middle position (or the best position in your oven for baking) and preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.
Cinnamon Apples
- In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until the butter starts to bubble.
- Add the apples, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and sauté until the apples start to soften and the brown sugar/butter mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cake
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy (scrape the bowl as necessary).
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Reduce speed to medium and add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated.
- Mix together the buttermilk and vanilla and then add ½ cup buttermilk to the flour/butter/sugar mixture. Repeat with another addition of flour, the rest of the milk, and ending with the final addition of flour. Add the apple mixture to the cake batter and fold gently. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Frosting
- While the cake is cooling, place ½ cup of salted butter into a small saucepan and heat over medium, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble. When it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low. Don't go anywhere–things can go south quickly.
- Once the butter becomes very frothy, you'll start to notice a caramel-like smell–that means the butter is browning. When the butter is brown (and before it burns), remove it from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, the powdered sugar, and the melted butter and mix on high speed with a stand or electric mixer. Add additional heavy cream in order to reach the desired consistency.
- When the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting over the cake and cut into squares.
Nutrition
Serving: 12g, Calories: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 457mg, Potassium: 148mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 380IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 108mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 375kcal
Cost: $5
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Questions & Reviews
Yum! Do you have a ratio of spices you like for your pumpkin pie spice? I know some use cloves and others use allspice.
I don’t really have a preference–I just prefer pumpkin pie spice to apple pie spice.
This sounds delicious! I just moved to Colorado (10,000 altitude) and am having a terrible time baking. Any idea how to convert this? Thanks!
Usually my go-to advice is to add 2 tablespoons of flour–that seems to fix most problems. 🙂
Thx, I’ll give it a try.
That looks divine! Can’t wait to make it!! One question, of course my plan is to make that heavenly looking frosting. BUT, just in case I’m in a pinch, would my go-to cream cheese frosting work? Since it’s a spice cake, I figure that’s a frosting that could pair well with it. But what do you think?? THANKS! p.s. I wanna eat some of those apples out of the pan. Haha
For sure!! 🙂
yum! cannot wait to make this! i love apple cake, and i know that feeling when you waste your time and money on making a fail. that’s why i stick to OBB recipes now. i’ve never had a fail, ever using your recipes!
Love apples. Love browned butter. Love cake. This sounds amaaaaaazing.
You had me with apples and brown butter in the recipe! LOVE to use browned butter these days and what more perfect marriage than with apples and spice. Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for a great new apple spice cake recipe!!
This looks so great! FYI, I tried to save the recipe a couple times and it says it saved “Southwestern Brown Rice Salad” instead…
Yeah, there seems to be a glitch–we’re trying to figure out what’s going on.
Ooooooo…looks amazing! I got my wisdom teeth out 5 days ago and I feel like I could eat this!
Where did you get those cute white dish things that are holding the spices? So adorable!
YUCK. Feel better soon! I got those cute little dishes at World Market a couple of years ago–they’re one of my favorites!
I bet the brown butter frosting is out of this world! Looks delicious!
Mmmmmmmm–This cake sounds amazing! I may have to do a test run before our Thanksgiving bake sale at church.