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Mom's Best Apple Cake

Mom's best apple cake is a tender, moist American dessert made with finely diced apples, warm spices, and chopped walnuts. Baked until a toothpick comes out clean, then topped with a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting swirled thickly across the top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 3 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp butter, browned and cooled
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep & mix the cake
  1. Preheat oven to 325F, and grease a 9x13 pan or bundt pan. Make sure the pan is fully greased so the cake releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look speckled and uniform.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream until well combined. Stop when the batter looks smooth and glossy with no visible sugar clumps.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Fold gently and stop as soon as no dry streaks remain.
  5. Fold in apples and walnuts or pecans until evenly distributed. You should see fruit and nuts throughout the batter.
Bake & cool
  1. Bake at 325F for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should look set and lightly browned.
  2. Cool the cake completely. The frosting will spread smoothly only after the cake is fully cooled.
Brown butter cream cheese frosting & frost
  1. Beat browned butter and cream cheese until smooth. The mixture should turn creamy with no lumps.
  2. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, then beat until the frosting is thick and spreadable. Scrape down the bowl as needed for a consistent swirl.
  3. Frost the cooled cake generously. Swirl the frosting across the top for a thick, creamy finish.

Notes

For best texture, use finely diced apples so they bake into the crumb instead of pooling—aim for small, even pieces. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze frosted slices for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and light sour cream while keeping the same frosting method.