Rich with the warmth of spiced pumpkin and the deep, caramelized sweetness of apple butter, this cake is everything FALL wrapped into one cake.

There are probably few people in the world who have apple butter running through their veins like I do. My family has been making it since the late 1940s. Growing up, I knew that every fall we’d gather around an open fire with a 30-gallon copper kettle, stirring apple butter and swapping stories from the past year until it was just right.

A younger me supervising the Applebutter stirring!

As my family’s big apple butter day approaches, I’ll be sharing more of this tradition on Instagram throughout the month.

Throughout the year, you’ll find me and my kids spreading our homemade apple butter on everything from biscuits, to Brie. I’ve even had a friend make Apple Butter Hot Sauce recently!

I wanted to merge two very important aspects of my life —cake and apple butter— into a perfect fall cake and that’s how this recipe was born. It’s incredibly moist, with a texture that’s almost like pumpkin pie. It’s not too sweet, perfectly spiced, and if you don’t have homemade apple butter, store-bought works just fine!

Equipment You’ll Need:

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Stand Mixer
Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Kitchen Towel
Off-set Spatula
8” Round Parchment Paper Liners
3 8” Round Cake Pan
Oven Gloves (Use CAKEJOIE15 for 15% off)
Mixing Bowls
Plastic Wrap
Fine Mesh Sieve
Whisk
Rotating Cake Stand
Cake Dome

Applebutter Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
1 ½ tbsp baking powder (20g)
1 tbsp pumpkin spice blend (10g)
1 tsp salt (5g)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
½ cup brown sugar (100g)
5 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (6g)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (425g)
¾ cup apple butter (180g)
Spice Blend
- 3 Teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 1/2 Teaspoon of Ginger, 1 Teaspoon of Cardamom, 1/2 Teaspoon of Cloves, 1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

Frosting Ingredients

6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
2 cups unsalted butter, softened (454g)
¼ cup heavy cream (60ml)
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste (30g)
1 large pinch of salt

Baking the Cake

Preheat the oven and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice blend, and salt. Set aside.
Combine sugars and wet ingredients: In another bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined. Slowly stream in the vegetable oil while continuing to mix, then add the vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and apple butter. Mix until smooth.
Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently after each addition until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep your cake light and fluffy.
Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

Cream the butter: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium and beat for another 2 minutes.
Add vanilla and cream: Add the vanilla bean paste, heavy cream, and pinch of salt. Beat on medium-high speed for an additional 3-4 minutes until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Assemble the cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, place one layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top, then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

Assembly

Unwrap cake layers. Spread a tablespoon of frosting on your cake board. Place the first layer top-side up and frost with 1½ cups. Repeat with the second layer. Place the third layer top-side down and frost the top with 1 cup.
Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting around the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes to set.
Finish frosting the cake with an even layer all around.

Let me know if you have any questions! I hope you enjoy and you’ll come back for more!

Applebutter Pumpkin Cake Recipe