Spiced Brown Sugar Apple Cake

Fall is the time for apple picking, warm spices, and tons of baking. So if you're looking for a recipe to add to your fall baking list, look no further! This cake has three layers of a moist brown sugar spice cake, filled with a spiced apple filling and coated in a creamy brown sugar buttercream.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPICED BROWN SUGAR CAKE

To make this fall cake, start by making the cake layers. Here's all the ingredients you'll need:

• All-purpose flour

• Baking soda + baking powder

• Salt

• Spices

• Light brown sugar

• Sour cream

• Eggs

• Vegetable oil

• Vanilla extract

• Buttermilk

MAKING THE CAKE LAYERS

To begin, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. This is going to be the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. To the bowl, add the rest of the cake ingredients; this will be the light brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Whisk everything together just until the batter forms. Be careful not to over mix!

For this recipe, you'll need 3- 6" round cake pans. Grease them and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Pour the cake batter equally between the three pans. Pop into a preheated 350°F oven and bake the layers for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once the cake layers are done baking, allow them to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPICED APPLE FILLING

Once your cake has cooled, you can start on the spiced apple filling! For this filling, you'll only need 7 ingredients! And I promise, it will be better than any store-bought canned pie filling! Here's what you'll need:

• Fresh chopped apple (I prefer fuji or honeycrisp)

• Light brown sugar

• Cornstarch

• Spices

• Lemon juice

• Water

• Salt

MAKING THE FILLING

In a large saucepan or pot, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and spices; breaking up all the clunks. Peel and chop the apples into small bite-sized pieces, and add them the pan, along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the apples are soft but not mushy. Allow the apples to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAM

The last thing you need to make is the brown sugar buttercream. This is going to go on the inside of the cake, as well as the entire outside. And the best part? You only need 6 ingredients! Here's everything you need to make it:

• Unsalted butter

• Light brown sugar

• Powdered sugar

• Heavy cream

• Cinnamon

• Vanilla extract

MAKING THE BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAM

Beat the softened butter and the light brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. This step is to help break down a lot of the graininess from the brown sugar. Add in the rest of the buttercream ingredients and mix to combine. Once everything is combined, beat the buttercream on a medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. To make your frosting thinner, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream. If you want it a little firmer, add up to ¼ cup more of powdered sugar.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

This cake is way easier to assemble than you would think. It comes together in just a few steps! Here's what you do:

STEP 1: Cut and trim the tops of all three cake layers so they're flat.

STEP 2: Place the first cake layer down on the cake plate. Spread on a thin layer of buttercream on top of the cake layer. Pipe a border of buttercream along the outer edge of the cake.

STEP 3: Spoon and spread half of the apple mixture between the buttercream edge.

STEP 4: Repeat the steps 1-3 with the second cake layer.

STEP 5: Place the 3rd cake layer on top. Coat the top and outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream. You can add swirls of buttercream on top, if desired. That's it!

If you give this recipe a try and love it, be sure to leave a comment and star rating! Be sure to tag @thehungrykitchenblog on Instagram so I can see all of your delicious bakes! Happy baking! ♥