This easy apple cake is bursting at the seams with fresh apples. It’s the perfect way to use your orchard haul this fall. Top it with nutty brown butter frosting or easy cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans for an amazing make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert.
PREP TIME 30 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 45 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
YIELD 10servings
Ingredients
8tbsp(1 stick) butter
2cupssugar
2large eggs
1tspvanilla extract
2cupsall-purpose flour
1tspground cinnamon
1/2tspnutmeg
1/4tspcloves
1tspbaking soda
1tspsalt
2 1/2lbGranny Smith applespeeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2cupschopped pecanstoasted and divided
1batch browned butter frosting or cream cheese frostingSee Notes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds or until melted. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir them until completely incorporated.
Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and stir them into the sugar mixture. The batter will be extremely thick like play dough. Continue to fold and flip the dough to ensure no dry spots of flour remains.
Peel and slice the apples. If your mixing bowl with the dough isn’t large enough, transfer it to a large pot. Carefully stir and combine the apples with the dough until everything is evenly combined. If the dough is still too thick, wait a few minutes for the apple juices to moisten and soften the batter. Add 1 cup of the chopped pecans and stir to combine. (Save the remaining pecans for the topping.)
Coat a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Transfer the cake batter into the pan and use your spatula to even it out. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before trying to frost it.
Once the cake has completely cooled, spoon large dollops of frosting over the top and spread with a knife to cover it. Sprinkle the reserved pecans over the top. Store it in the refrigerator until serving.