Spiced Apple Cake with Chai Spice Frosting

And another apple season has begun! When September started this year, the air really changed overnight. 

Sure, the days are sunny and warm, but that chill that hints at Autumn is now present, and this means that all things apple can start in earnest.

I just made up a batch of crabapple applesauce, my most favourite apple for applesauce.  The colour is second to none- the bright red skins break down and colour the sauce in a lovely magenta.

So now that I had applesauce, I could make an applesauce cake.  It’s always one of the easiest and most lovely cakes to make in the Autumn.  But instead of making a simple bundt or sheet cake, I decided to make a layer cake.

Why Applesauce is so Good in Baking

Applesauce, especially homemade can be used to replace fat and even eggs in a recipe. If you are making your own applesauce and plan to use it for baking, you will want to reduce the amount of sugar you add to it, or else you may need to adjust the baking recipe.  While it works great in cakes and muffins, applesauce doesn’t work as great in substituting for cookie recipes, as it could result in a mushy cookie that won’t hold it’s shape. 

But even if you aren’t using applesauce to reduce the fat or eggs in a recipe, it just makes for a great flavour enhancer. Apples, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, all these flavours just sing Autumn.

Layer Cakes and Frosting

Layer cakes do require that you have at least two cake pans of the same size.  This recipe works best with a 7 or 8 inch round cake pans.  I always use springform pans, for easy release, but any classic cake pan will work.  You will need to adjust the cooking time for the smaller size, it will most likely take longer to bake through. 

If you don’t want to make a large cake (depending on how many you are feeding) feel free to use two of the rounds and freeze the third.  Or use the batter to fill muffin cups instead and bake at 375F till a skewer comes out clean.

We’re not fancy people over here, I’m not one to make a buttercream frosting all that often.  Jim and I both love a cream cheese based frosting.  I love the tang of the cream cheese to counteract the sweetness of any cake I am using it on. And it’s just so easy to make up, with only cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and spices needed. If you want to thin it out you can add something that compliments the cake, in this case, perhaps apple cider.

When it comes to frosting a cake, you can go all out and fill in the layers, plus a thick layer on the top and outside.  Or what about a cleaner, naked cake, where only a thin layer is added on the outside so that some of the cake peaks through?  Or even more simple, a nice gooey layer between the two cake rounds, and another on top, so that the sides are totally exposed.  This is the easiest, and really shows off the cake if it is especially pretty baked up.  You will have enough frosting with this recipe to do everything you want, so if you decide to use only part of it, the rest freezes quite well.

What You Will Need for This Cake

Flour: Cake flour gives a very tender result.  If you don’t have cake flour, AP flour plus some arrowroot or cornstarch will be comparable.  And if you are using a gluten free cup for cup blend (make sure it has a binder like xanthan gum or pysillium powder) then still add the arrowroot starch, it will really make a difference.

Apples: Use a firm apple that keeps its shape once baked, like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith.

Applesauce: if you aren’t making your own, if possible, purchase unsweetened.  If not, adjust the sugar in the recipe to allow for this.

Chai Spices:  the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and pepper. I will include my blend with the recipe below

Bourbon: Feel free to omit this, and replace with cider

Coconut oil, or another neutral oil.

Cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and chai spice blend for the frosting.

And to finish the cake, feel free to sprinkle toasted pecans or walnuts on top, add some apple slices that you have treated with a little lemon juice, fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme or even sage, cinnamon sticks or even a drizzle of caramel sauce!  Make this one your own!

Final Thoughts

You may find it best to bake the rounds on one day, let them cool completely in the fridge, and then finish the next day.  In fact, if you have baked off all three rounds and only want to use two, feel free to wrap the third tightly in cling wrap once completely cooled and freeze for another snacking adventure.

On the second day, decorate and chill to let the frosting set up correctly.  I will even do a crumb layer where the first layer of frosting is thin, and then the cake is returned to the fridge.  Then when chilled you can add more frosting to the cake with no worries of it pulling up crumbs from the cake. 

This isn’t an overly sweet cake, but it sure makes for a fun cake for Autumn.  It just celebrates apples in the best way.

You’ll love my Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce, it a favourite on the blog!

For other great apple desserts, check out:

Apple Cheddar Walnut Bread

Apple Maple Frangipane Tart

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Apple Cider Donuts

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

Apple Chai Cake

5 from 1 vote

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Spiced Apple and Bourbon Cake with Chai Frosting

Two kinds of apples, chopped and applesauce make this cake a celebration of apples. Add some chai spices, a splash of bourbon and cream cheese frosting, and you'll love the autumn vibes from this easy two bowl recipe.

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Keyword apples, bourbon, chai, cider, cream cheese icing

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

chilling time 1 hour

Servings 10

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 1/2 cups cake flour or gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, sifted (do NOT skip- add in 1 tsp arrowroot powder if using gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, see Note)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp chai spice blend, see Note for Blend
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp finely ground sea salt
• 2 cups buttermilk or soured milk, see Note for alternative replacement
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tsp bourbon, or apple cider
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped apples skin peeled

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 4 oz butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
• 3-4 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp chai spice blend
• 2 tsp apple cider
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 8″ cake pans with olive or coconut oil. Line with parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal.
2. If making soured milk add the vinegar to the milk, stir and let it settle.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.

4. Add in the dairy free milk and buttermilk or apple cider vinegar mixture, coconut oil, applesauce, bourbon and vanilla together. Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Fold in the chopped apples.
6. Divid the batter evenly into the cake pans.
7. Place cake pans into the oven and bake for 27-30 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting. The rounds can be chilled before frosting.

Chai Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Add the cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand held mixer and blend till completely smooth.
2. Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time till incorporated and the texture and sweetness you desire. Also add in the chai spice blend. Just remember that icing sugar not only sweetens but also thickens the icing, so if you want it stiffer, you will need to use more. If too thick, thin with some apple cider.

Assemble

1. Place the first cake layer onto a cake board or plate and add about 3/4 cup of frosting to the cake. Spread until the frosting reaches the edges.
2. Place the second layer on top and repeat.
3. Place the third layer on top and continue to frost the cake entirely. Place the cake into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes so that the frosting can set. When ready to serve, top with chopped pecans, some apples and cinnamon sticks etc and even Caramel Sauce if so desired!

4. see blog post for more details

Recipe Notes

To sour milk combine 2 cups milk, less 2 tbsp, room temperature with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 7 minutes to set and curdle.
Chai Spice Blend: combine 2 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp cardamom, 2 tsp cloves, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp allspice and 1 tsp white pepper. Store in a sealed jar.

Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce link
This recipe was inspired by Britt's Vegan Apple Spice Cake