Apple Sheet Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
This easy apple sheet cake is made with fresh apples + apple butter for maximum apple flavor. It's soft, velvety, moist, full of cinnamon, and topped with a brown sugar glaze.
Yields 24 servings
Ingredients
Apple Cake:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, (1 stick)
- ½ cup (136 g) apple butter*
- ½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (186 g) peeled and diced Granny smith apples, (about 2 medium apples)
Brown Sugar Glaze:
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, (1 stick)
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (59 ml) milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Peel, core, and dice apples.
- For the Cake: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat water, butter, and apple butter until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the hot water mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, and whisk to combine.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate. Then gently fold in the diced apples.
- Pour the batter into the greased half sheet pan and bake at 400˚F for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- For Glaze: Place the butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves; about 2 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then pour evenly over the cake.
- Let glaze set for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Storage: This apple cake is best made and eaten in the same day. Cover and refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days.
- Apple Butter: This apple sheet cake is a great use for homemade apple butter. You can find apple butter in the jam/jelly/spreads aisle of the grocery store. Kroger or Mussleman’s apple butter are great brands to try. Unsweetened applesauce will also work, but you may want to add additional spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) in small quantities.
- Buttermilk can be made by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to plain milk and letting it sit for 15 minutes before use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g