Browned butter, crisp apples, fall spices, and homemade caramel sauce make up this delight browned butter apple spice cake.
Delight your taste buds with the Browned Butter Apple Spice Cake, a heavenly dessert brought to you by Umpqua Dairy. This recipe seamlessly blends the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with the sweet crunch of chopped apples, all embraced by a rich browned butter caramel frosting. Drizzle on some homemade caramel to literally top it all off. It's perfect for Autumn, Thanksgiving, or any special celebration! It's also a total showstopper. Let's make it.
Ingredients:
For the Apple Spice Cake:
Umpqua Dairy Softened salted butter
Granulated sugar
Packed dark brown sugar
Large egg + Large egg yolk
Umpqua Dairy Sour cream
Pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Ground cloves
Salt
Baking powder
All-purpose flour
Whole wheat flour
Umpqua Dairy Whole or 2% milk
Apples of course, chopped into small squares {I used honeycrisp}
For the Browned Butter Caramel Frosting:
Salted butter
Powdered sugar
Pure vanilla extract
Salted caramel sauce
Instructions:
To begin, preheat your oven to 350° and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by greasing, flouring, and lining the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened salted butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Incorporate a large egg and an egg yolk, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and pure vanilla extract for added texture and aroma.
Next, introduce the aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour. Mix thoroughly, adding whole or 2% milk to achieve a harmonious batter. Gently fold in the chopped apples, distributing them evenly throughout.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Now, for the pièce de résistance – the Browned Butter Caramel Frosting. This frosting features my super easy Homemade 3-Ingredient Caramel Sauce, and I almost always have a jar of it in my refrigerator for caramel related needs such as this cake!
In a saucepan, melt ½ cup of salted butter until it turns a golden brown color. Let it cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of unsalted butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition. Incorporate pure vanilla extract and salted caramel sauce, and slowly add the cooled browned butter.
Continue to beat the frosting until it reaches your desired consistency. Spread or pipe it onto the cooled cakes with additional caramel sauce if desired. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Dietary Substitutions:
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and its cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Kite Hill makes a dairy free sour cream that would be ideal for replacing the dairy sour cream.
Silk Plant Based Half and Half Alternative is a great alternative to dairy based cream.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for replacing the dairy heavy cream.
Use any unsweetened plant based milk in place of the dairy milk. My personal favorites are almond and coconut.
Conclusion:
Indulge in the fusion of flavors, appreciating each layer of the Browned Butter Apple Spice Cake. It promises warmth and indulgence in every delectable bite. A sincere thank you to Umpqua Dairy for sponsoring this recipe. Head over to Umpquadairy.com to peruse their entire line of quality dairy products produced right here in Oregon!
If you loved this browned butter apple spice cake, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review.
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations.
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy!
XO,
Heather
PS- try my Browned Butter Pumpkin Caramel Cake for more fall-inspired layer cake goodness!
Browned Butter Apple Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ Cup Salted Umpqua Dairy Butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 Large Egg + 1 Large Egg Yolk
- ⅓ Cup Umpqua Dairy Sour Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- ¾ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- ¾ Cup Umpqua Dairy Whole or 2% Milk
- ¾ Cup Apples of Choice (I used Honeycrisp), chopped into small squares
For the Browned Butter Caramel Frosting:
- 1 ½ Cups Umpqua Dairy Salted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Caramel Sauce (homemade or store bought, see blog for link to my easy 3-ingredient homemade caramel sauce!)
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
Optional Toppers:
- ½ Cup Homemade Caramel, drizzled on top and over the sides
- ½ Apple, chopped into small squares and tossed in a tablespoon of caramel sauce
- Greenery, for garnish
Instructions
- For the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease and flour or spray three 6-inch cake pans and line each bottom with a parchment paper circle. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy.Add the egg and egg yolk to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.Mix in the sour cream and pure vanilla extract until well combined.Add the cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, salt, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour. Mix well.
- Add the milk, and mix until incorporated. So not over-mix.Gently fold in the chopped apples, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans, about a heaping cup per pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup of salted butter for browning. Allow it to cook, stirring occasionally until the butter turns a golden brown color. Once browned, remove from heat and let it cool slightly.In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of unsalted butter until it becomes creamy and smooth.Gradually add the powdered sugar to the creamed butter, mixing well after each addition until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.Pour in the pure vanilla extract and salted caramel sauce, continuing to mix until well combined.Once the browned butter has cooled slightly, slowly incorporate it into the frosting mixture. Mix thoroughly until the browned butter is evenly distributed.Continue to beat the frosting until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Spread or pipe onto cooled cake. Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to three days. Enjoy!
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