I love apples….like really really love apples. I think when people think about their favorite fruit, things like apples, oranges and bananas get overlooked because they’re just so “everyday” (at least in the states!). Well for me apples are very high on the list! I love to eat them as a daily snack and I love to cook and bake with them too! They’re so pleasant, totally not intimidating, versatile, and delicious. This is the best time of year for apples too because there are about a bajillion varieties out right now!
Today we have a slight variation of our apple-thyme cake today, our Apple Cake with Chai Spiced Buttercream! Although I love the pairing of apples + thyme, in both sweet and savory cooking, I omitted the thyme from today’s recipe to allow the apple + chai flavors to really shine. I really love the small chunks of apple you get within the cake and think it goes so well with the bold flavored buttercream. If you’re lookin’ to bake something other then a pie this thanksgiving, I highly recommend this cake. If you’re still intent on making a pie, we’ve got you covered their too! Just type “pie” into the search bar on this page and you’ll be directly to a bevy of yummy pie recipes!! Enjoy! xx, Jenny
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Apple Cake with a Chai Spiced Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
apple cake
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and finely diced such as jazz or gala
chai spiced buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons whole milk
garnish
- shaved white chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
- In another mixing bowl cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Pour half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together. Add half of the milk and continue to mix the batter together. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk.
- Mix until no lumps remain, making sure not to over mix the batter.
- Fold in the diced apple until evenly spread throughout the batter.
- Evenly divide cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake round.
- Allow cake rounds to cool, about 30 minutes to an hour.
- For chai spiced buttercream: Place butter into a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup of sugar. Beat until smooth. Add another cup of sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Repeat until all the sugar has been incorporated and buttercream is very thick. Pour vanilla extract and spices into a measuring cup with the milk and whisk together. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture into the buttercream and beat together until fully incorporated and the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- To assemble: Using a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip, fill with buttercream. Pipe uniform stars over the entire surface of one of the cake rounds and top with another cake round. Repeat. Spread a small layer of the buttercream over the top cake round and pipe stars around the perimeter. Flood the center of the cake surface with the shaved white chocolate and serve.
NOTES
- *Makes 1 10” cake
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
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It says it makes one 10″ cake but also says to use 3 8″ cake pans. I’m going to assume 8″ will be fine and that 10″ is a typo but thought I would point it out :)
Thanks for letting us know! Yes, it’s 3 (8”) pans…the layers will each be thin, FYI :)
this looks great, I want to make it this week! I don’t have cake rounds–do you think I could put all the batter in a large pan and cook in one sheet?
Lovely recipe! But you forgot the egg count. I used 3 (to balance butter weight)? Hopefully the cakes turn out well!
Thanks! Will update the recipe! The eggs needed is 2, but using 3 shouldn’t be a problem at all!
I am also a big fan of apples and I think this recipe is going on my to do list because I also like chai!
This is beautiful! What a gorgeous fall cake.
apples and spices pair so nicely together, that this combo just seems meant to be! and i love cakes with chunks of apples strewn through them; they always come out so moist.
I would love to try this! Do you have any recommendations on replacing the milk? I have a dairy allergy so I cannot do milk, but I wonder if almond milk would pair nicely with the chai?
Yep! Almond milk will work just find for this recipe!