APPLE SPICE SHEET CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This delicious Apple Spice Sheet Cake is a family favorite and such a wonderful treat. It’s wonderful for any Fall gathering but we love it year round! Definitely save this wonderful cake, the frosting takes it to another level. It’s perfect for a potluck since it’s a sheet cake. Super easy to make and the fresh apples are so good in it. Spend a day at the orchard with family and friends and come home and make this cake!
Apple Spice Sheet Cake Ingredients Needed:
Apples, (I use red delicious but you could use about any kind for this recipe)
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Salt
Butter
Eggs
White granulated sugar
Buttermilk
Vanilla extract
Pecans or walnuts, chopped
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
Cream cheese
Butter
Brown sugar
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Personally this frosting is what really makes this cake amazing. The brown sugar with the spices in the cake is just so good! I think you could easily make this in a 9X13 cake pan too. I haven’t tried it, but see no reason why it wouldn’t work. I would add about 10 minutes to the baking time, but please check the center to see if it is done. You don’t want to over or under bake it.
“I loved this cake so much. I live alone and sort of was hesitant about baking it because of the size in a sheet pan, a lot of cake for one person…lol.. I made it and really loved it, gave most of it to friends and neighbors who raved about how delicious it was.” – Ricky
“This cake is incredible. The batter is really thick and I thought I did something wrong but it came out great. Frosting is not too sweet.” – Chris


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Apple Spice Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped apples (I use red delicious but you could use about any kind for this recipe. Peel, core and chop pieces a little smaller than a dime.)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter or 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts chopped
BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 tablespoons butter or 1 stick or 1/2 cup softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
- Cream butter, sugar and eggs with a mixer. Combine with flour, add buttermilk and vanilla and mix. Fold in chopped apples and nuts with a spoon. Spray or line a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan (this is a regular baking sheet with a lip all the way round it)
- I usually just line mine with aluminum foil.Spread cake mixture in pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and frost
FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix all ingredients together with mixer. Spread over cooled cake.
You might also like our recipe for Italian Cream Cake.
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What size cake pan do you use?
It says the exact pan size in the recipe card.
All I know is the brown sugar cream chrese ftostingbis divine.
I used it on your oatmeal cake, also an excellent recipe. There is plenty if frosting for 2 cakes. I saved the left over icing in a container which I gave to my brother (so I wouldn’t eat it with a spoon!). He used it somewhat sparingly on morning toasted english muffins. Raved!
As mentioned, oatmeal cake with this frosting was a hit, that cake is so huge I shared with several friends. To a person they all asked for this frosting recipe.
Sorry, I have not made the apple cake so cannot leave a review.
I am thrilled you enjoyed the frosting! We love it too!!
Lovely recipe! I somehow missed that there was buttermilk in this until I started making it. I didn’t have any on hand and decided to do 1/2 cup milk and half cup applesauce. I also added in some cloudy apple juice I needed to use up. For the frosting, I tasted it when it was just the butter, cream cheese and brown sugar and loved it. So I decided to skip the powdered sugar all together. It was plenty sweet for our taste. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe!
This is delicious. I cut back a quarter of the 10xsugar in the icing. I loved the icing as did my friends. They never thought of using brown sugar in icing. I am going to make this for an upcoming event and would like to know if I can freeze the cake with the icing on it. Thank you
This cake is so amazingly delicious! This was my first time baking a spice cake and your directions made it so simple. I made it in a 9×13 and it came out perfect. I made this as a Thanksgiving dessert and everybody raved about it. Many guests asked for the recipe and I gave credit where credit was due. I directed them to your website. Thank you Southern Ladies for another wonderful recipe! I look forward to the next one.
I just made this cake for the first time.. it smells wonderful. Do I need to keep it in the refrigerator?
I have never put in the fridge, but you can if you like.
This cake is incredible. The batter is really thick and I thought I did something wrong but it came out great. Frosting is not too sweet.
I cannot wait to make this cake. It seems like nobody makes spice cake anymore! My grandmother would make spice cake for us as a special treat when we were kids ~ thank your for bringing those fond memories closer to home.
I Loved this cake so much. I live alone and sort of was hesitant about baking it because of the size in a sheet pan, alot of cake for one person…lol.. I made it and really loved it, gave most of it to friends and neighbors who raved about hoe delicious it was.
I forgot to ask, could I have used Cake Flour instead of All Purpose? Swan’s Down?
I have only ever made it this way, so can’t really say. So glad you enjoyed the cake!
Excited to try this recipe! Does it matter if the butter is salted or unsalted?
No, we use whatever we have on hand.
My family loved this! It was amazing and easy to make!
Wonderful!
This cake is amazing!! My family all loved it! Love the delicious frosting!
With apple sauce would you need to cut down on milk? I would love the apple sauce idea my self.
Sorry, I cannot advise you, Joyce, as I have not made it with apple sauce but I think I would just add the sauce and keep the milk the same.
Can you use applesauce I stead of apples?
I have not tried it with applesauce, Michelle, but it may be o.k.
if you used a 9 x 13.. how much time should be added to the baking time since it will be thicker. Eager to try this!!
Try 10 minutes, Kathy, but test the center with a fork after about five minutes to see if it is done.
Could this be made using a 9×13 pan instead of sheet pan size?
Yes, you can do that Phyllis.
looking forward to making the recipe
only heard great reviews
I was able to right click with printing options and then able to select the page wanted to print
worked perfectly
I have made many of your recipes. have never been disappointed ! I know this takes a lot of time and effort and I appreciate all of it ! You have made many people smile giving me the credit for an awesome recipe! Thanks so much for making me look good !
Thank you so much Linda for your wonderful comment. It is people like you that make all the hard work worthwhile. We are so happy you enjoy the recipes and are a part of our community. I have to admit you brought a tear because it is so nice to hear you are appreciated. Thank you so very much and have a wonderful weekend.
Love your website/page!!!!
Thank you Carolyn! Happy you are enjoying it!
Are all of the posted recipes in the cookbooks?
No, they are not. If we put all the recipes in the cookbooks it would be enormous. We have tried to pick the best ones for the books, Joe.
do you use salted or unsalted butter ?
I use unsalted because there is salt in the recipe but I don’t think it would make a big difference.
Thank you Cathy! So glad it worked for you, I checked our stats and over 400 people were able to print yesterday, so no clue what the issue could be. I also use Chrome. Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
This sounds sooooooo good. Is there a downside to using 9×13 pan. I usually prefer that ratio of cake to icing. Thanks as always for your great recipes.
I am sure you could use a 9 x 13 pan with no problem Amy. Happy you enjoy the recipes and happy to have you on the site.