Go Back

Mom's Best Apple Cake

Mom's best apple cake is a moist, golden crumb cake studded with diced apples and chopped walnuts, baked until a toothpick tests clean. It’s finished with a thick brown butter cream cheese frosting swirled over the top for a rich, tangy-sweet finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple cake
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 3 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp butter, browned and cooled
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 bundt pan
  • 1 mixing bowl

Method
 

Bake the apple cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9x13 pan or bundt pan, then set aside for filling later.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until evenly combined and speckled with spices.
  3. Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream until smooth and well combined, with no streaks of egg.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry pockets remain, then stop mixing as soon as it comes together.
  5. Fold in the finely diced apples and chopped walnuts or pecans until distributed throughout the batter.
  6. Bake for 60-70 minutes at 325F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cake completely in the pan so the cake sets before frosting.
Frost the cake
  1. Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting by beating the browned and cooled butter and softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat until thick, glossy, and spreadable, then scrape the bowl for any hidden lumps.
  3. Frost the completely cooled cake generously, spreading to the edges with a thick swirl on top.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the cake all the way before frosting—warm cake will melt the frosting and make it slide. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted cake slices for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight, then frost after thawing. For a lighter swap, use low-fat cream cheese in the frosting (texture stays creamy, flavor stays close).