Apple Butter Snack Cake

I know I’ve fallen into the autumnal magic of a fall farmer’s market when I walk away with too many apples, a jar of apple butter and no real plan for either. Luckily, our recipe tester Maggie Knoebel figured out how to combine both spoils into one super easy bake: an apple butter snack cake, complete with a brown butter glaze and cinnamon-sugar topping.

There are 3 cups of shredded apples (about 3 medium apples) and a 1/2 cup of apple butter in the cake batter. With a little cinnamon, they make the moist cake exceptionally warm, cozy and seasonal. I like that we don’t use up the whole jar of apple butter—just a good chunk—so we can save the rest for morning toast, on-a-whim apple butter grilled cheese or last-minute apple butter cookies.

Apple Butter Snack Cake Ingredients

• Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature so they emulsify into the batter better. Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the kitchen’s temperature) before starting the recipe.
• Apple butter: Find apple butter seasonally at the grocery store, farmers’ market or apple orchard. You can also make apple butter from scratch. It’s an all-day project, but totally worth it! For a quicker, homemade version, make apple butter from applesauce.
• All-purpose flour: If you’re a baker, you already know that it’s important to measure flour properly. Scooping the measuring cup right into the bag will pack in too much flour, leading to a dense, dry cake.
• Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon creates a very cozy apple butter snack cake. For a more complex blend of spices, use apple pie seasoning instead.
• Baking soda: Baking soda—not baking powder!—helps the cake fluff up. If yours has been in the cabinet for over six months, I do recommend tossing it and buying a new one.
• Apples: The best apples for apple pie are what we want to use here, too: firm, tart apples that aren’t bruised or mealy. Look for Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Cortland.
• Pecans: They’re optional, but pecans give the cake a texture. Without them, it’s a pretty soft cake. If that’s more your speed, feel free to skip the pecans.
• Glaze: We finish the cake with a brown butter glaze made from butter and confectioners’ sugar. Feel free to decorate the glaze with a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs, sugar, apple butter, canola oil and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the apples and pecans.

Step 2: Bake the cake

Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack to room temperature.

Step 3: Brown the butter

Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the butter until the milk solids are golden brown, stirring constantly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl to stop the cooking process or the butter will burn. Let the brown butter cool to room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: At some point during cooking, the butter will start to foam up. Don’t panic, it’s completely normal! Continue to stir while cooking, making sure to keep an eye on the butter’s color so you know when to take it off the heat.

Step 4: Glaze the cake

Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat in the confectioners’ sugar until it’s fully combined with the brown butter. Spread the brown butter over the cake, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top before serving, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Try another topping: If the brown butter glaze feels like too much work for this recipe, skip it! You can bring a little sweetness back to the cake by dusting it with confectioners’ sugar.
• Play with other baking spices: Add to the warm, cozy flavors and include other fall spices. Ground ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg pair beautifully with apples and cinnamon.
• Use pears instead: Prefer pears? Swap the apple butter with pear butter and use shredded pears instead of shredded apples. The best types of pears for baking are Anjou, Asian Pear, Bosc and Concorde.

How to Store Apple Butter Snack Cake

Store your apple butter snack cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You really want to keep it well covered, so the glaze doesn’t absorb lingering fridge smells. If you want to keep the cake in the pan, cover the pan with storage wrap.

Can you freeze apple butter snack cake?

Yes, you can freeze apple butter snack cake. If you’re freezing the cake unfrosted, allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then cover the cake in storage wrap followed by aluminum foil. To freeze the glazed cake, place it in the freezer, uncovered, until the glaze is hard, about 30 minutes. Cover the cake with storage wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze the cake for up to two months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Apple Butter Snack Cake Tips

Can I bake apple butter snack cake in a different-sized pan?

Yes, you can bake an apple butter snack cake in a different-sized pan. Instead of a 13×9-inch baking dish, divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch square or two 9-inch cake pans. The baking time and temperature should be the same.

Can I make apple butter snack cake gluten-free? What about dairy-free?

Yes, you can absolutely make this apple butter snack cake gluten- and/or dairy-free! Replace the all-purpose flour with a good gluten-free flour blend—one that’s designed as a cup-for-cup (or measure-for-measure) replacement. The cake is naturally dairy-free, but you’ll need to replace the butter in the glaze with vegan butter. You won’t be able to brown the vegan butter, so take 2 tablespoons off the measurement. That’s about how much liquid evaporates from butter when it’s browned.