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Apple Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Butter Cake – Absolutely light and delicious sponge cake, filled with apple butter and cream cheese frosting. Great Fall Apple Recipe to make when you have a ton of apples.

Apple butter cake on a plate with a slice on a fork.

Light and delicious Apple Butter Cake, especially perfect if you have a ton of apples that are not being eaten fresh. The cake layers are soaked with apple juice and layered with smooth apple butter and fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Slice of apple cake on a white decorative plate.

With apples being in season, supermarkets and farmer’s markets are filled with different varieties of apples. Sometimes I overestimate our ability to eat the aforementioned apples and I am left with apples that are still totally good but nobody wants to eat them. That’s when I usually make some kind of Apple Dessert.

Bitten slice of cake on a white decorative plate with an apple and a spoon.

When the apples are cooking the house is filled with such an amazing aroma of sweet, pungent smell of apples which reminds everyone once again that summer is over and fall is in full swing.

My husband will usually come and steal a couple tastes of caramelized apple goodness before they’re even done. Knowing this, I make sure to make a little extra. It never hurts to keep a small jar of Apple Butter in the fridge, you know. Morning toast can be made all that much better with a little spread of the golden goodness.

Anyway, back to the Apple Butter Cake. I like making the cake rectangular since that means I can bake the cake layer all at once and then just cut it into 2, creating two layers to the cake. If you wanted though, you can bake it in two 10 inch round cake pans and then layer it all the same as you would a rectangular cake.

Also, make sure to leave the cake in the fridge overnight before enjoying it. When you just assemble it, the cake layers might look dry. The overnight chill in the fridge will allow the cake layers to become soft and moist from the Apple Butter, the apple juice and the cream cheese frosting. The harmony of flavors in this cake is really nice, I hope you give it a try!

Apple Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields: 16  – 2.5″ x 3.5″ rectangles

Ingredients for the Sponge Cake:

  • eggs
  • granulated sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • potato starch (corn starch)
  • baking powder
  • unsalted butter, melted, brought to room temperature
  • mini chocolate chips, bittersweet (optional)

Apple Butter: 

  • apples, peeled, cored, chopped to about 1-inch pieces
  • granulated sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • cream cheese
  • heavy cream
  • sugar
  • fresh lemon juice
  • vanilla extract

To soak combine ingredients together –

  • apple juice
  • vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle:

  • semi-sweet chocolate
  • heavy cream, boiling hot

 

How to make the Apple Butter:

Combine the apples, sugar and lemon juice in saucepan and bring to boil.

How to make apple butter with apples, sugar, and lemon juice.

Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often until almost all moisture has evaporated, the apples are translucent and mash easily.

Pass cooked apples through a sieve or puree them with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. Add vanilla extract and stir until fully incorporated. Cover and allow to come to room temperature;  set aside.

How to prepare the apple butter for this simple apple butter cake.

How to make the sponge cake for the Apple Butter Cake:

In a mixer, whip the eggs for about 4 minutes on high, then without stopping the mixer start to slowly pour in the sugar. Whip for another 6-7 minutes on high.

How to make the sponge cake for this easy apple butter cake recipe.

Sift the dry ingredients.

Fold the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs in thirds, folding carefully to not deflate the batter until no streaks of flour are seen. Add room temperature melted butter and fold again until incorporated.

Pour the batter into 16″ x 11″ parchment lined baking sheet. Even it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated to 350F oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer the parchment paper with the cake to a cooling rack.

How to add sponge cake into parchment paper topped with chocolate chip morsels.

Meanwhile, make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a bowl, whisk together cream cheese and sugar, stopping to scrape down the bottom of the bowl several times, on high until cream cheese is smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes.

How to whisk together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and lump free.

Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, then continue whipping until the cream is fluffy and increased in volume. Take care not to overwhip or the frosting will separate and become grainy. (if it does start to look grainy add heavy whipping cream one tablespoon at a time and continue whisking until the frosting is smooth again). Refrigerate until ready to use.

How to add heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice to cream cheese until cream is fluffy and has increased in volume.

Assemble the Apple Butter Cake:

Measure out where the middle of the cake is and cut the cake in two,  this will give you 2 halves that will become 2 layers of the cake. Peel the cake off parchment paper.

How to cut the baked sponge cake with chocolate chips.

Put a dab of frosting onto a serving platter. Place 1 half of the cake and press to adhere. Drizzle or brush on half of the apple juice mixture onto the cake. Top with the apple butter and spread around until even layer forms. Top with the second cake layer. Brush on or drizzle the remaining apple juice mixture. Add the Cream Cheese Frosting and even it out.
Refrigerate overnight. Trim down all 4 sides of the cake with a sharp thin knife, revealing the layers of the cake.

How to assemble this easy and fresh apple butter cake recipe.

Pour hot heavy cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add chocolate to a ziplock bag and snip the end. Drizzle the chocolate in a zig-zag pattern over the cake, then repeat in the opposite direction.

 How to drizzle chocolate on top of cake in a zig-zag pattern over the cake.

Cut the cake into 16 pieces by making 4 even strips down the long side of the cake, then cutting in the opposite directions into 3 even strips. This will give you 16 pieces. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

A spoonful of apple butter cake on a plate.

Check out these other Desserts:

 

Apple Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Butter Cake - Absolutely light and delicious cake, especially perfect if you have a ton of apples that are not being eaten fresh. Step by step photos included with instructions. By LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn
5 from 2 votes

A soft and moist sponge cake with layers of apple butter and cream cheese frosting.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple butter cake
Calories: 385 kcal
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

Sponge Cake:

Apple Butter:

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

To soak combine ingredients together -

Chocolate Drizzle

  • 1/4 semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream boiling hot

Instructions

How to make the Apple Butter

  1. Combine 8 apples, 3/4 cup sugar and lemon juice in saucepan and bring to boil.

  2. Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often until almost all moisture has evaporated, the apples are translucent and mash easily.
  3. Pass cooked apples through a sieve or puree them with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and stir until fully incorporated. Cover and allow to come to room temperature; set aside.

How to make the sponge cake for the Apple Butter Cake

  1. In a mixer, whip 4 eggs for about 4 minutes on high, then without stopping the mixer start to slowly pour in 3/4 cup of sugar. Whip for another 6-7 minutes on high.

  2. Sift together 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, and 1/2 cup corn starch.

  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs in thirds, folding carefully to not deflate the batter until no streaks of flour are seen. Add room temperature melted butter and fold again until incorporated.
  4. Pour the batter into 16" x 11" parchment lined baking sheet. Even it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated to 350F oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer the parchment paper with the cake to a cooling rack.

Meanwhile make the Cream Cheese frosting:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar, stopping to scrape down the bottom of the bowl several times, on high until cream cheese is smooth and lump-free, about 3 minutes.

  2. Add 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp lemon juice, then continue whipping until the cream is fluffy and increased in volume. Take care not to overwhip or the frosting will separate and become grainy. (if it does start to look grainy add heavy whipping cream one tablespoon at a time and continue whisking until the frosting is smooth again). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble the Apple Butter Cake

  1. Measure out where the middle of the cake is and cut the cake in two, this will give you 2 halves that will become 2 layers of the cake. Peel the cake off parchment paper.
  2. Put a dab of frosting onto a serving platter. Place 1 half of the cake and press to adhere. Drizzle or brush on half of the apple juice mixture onto the cake. Top with the apple butter and spread around until even layer forms. Top with the second cake layer. Brush on or drizzle the remaining apple juice mixture. Add the Cream Cheese Frosting and even it out. Refrigerate overnight.

Trim the sides

  1. Trim down all 4 sides of the cake with a sharp thin knife, revealing the layers of the cake.

Drizzle

  1. Pour hot heavy cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add chocolate to a ziplock bag and snip the end. Drizzle the chocolate in a zig-zag pattern over the cake, then repeat in the opposite direction.

Cut the cake into 16 pieces

  1. by making 4 even strips down the long side of the cake, then cutting in the opposite directions into 3 even strips. This will give you 16 pieces. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Apple Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Amount Per Serving (16 g)
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 90mg30%
Sodium 76mg3%
Potassium 285mg8%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 40g44%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 672IU13%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 80mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • It looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    · Reply
  • yelena

    Hi Marina, this cake looks delicious! Is this cake super sweet? I was thinking about making it for Christmas but my family is not very fond of anything too sweet. Also what do you think if I added rum to the juice? Thanks for your help. : )

    · Reply
    • I wouldn’t say it’s too sweet, but it’s up to you how much sugar you want to add to the apple butter and the cream. So when you make it just taste it and adjust to your level of sweetness. I think rum is not a bad idea, just don’t add too much 🙂

      · Reply
  • Alenka

    oh my! you are my hero 🙂 i have so many apples that are rotting because no one will eat them. and yesterday i was searching for a perfect cake with apples. will try tonight.thanks!!

    · Reply
  • vikalinkafood

    Oh this cake looks INCREDIBLE, Marina!! Absolutely perfect with your cup of tea in the fall or any other season! Love cakes with multiple layers like this one, so European and no doubt delicious!

    · Reply

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