Go Back
Print Recipe

Browned Butter Apple Spice Cake

Browned butter, crisp apples, fall spices, and homemade caramel sauce make up this delight browned butter apple spice cake.
Course: Dessert, Holiday, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple spice, browned butter, cake, caramel, caramel apple, layer cake
Servings: 12

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! 

Notes

See blog for dietary substitutions regarding dairy and gluten.