Apple Butter Cake with Vanilla Bean Glaze

This spicy and dense Apple Butter Cake is topped with a sweet vanilla bean glaze. Each bite will melt in your mouth and have you going back for more. This fall cake recipe is a delicious choice for dessert.

I love all the smells that are associated with fall.  Some of my top favorites are crunchy leaves, bonfires, fall baking, hay rides, and apple butter cooking on the stove.

Every year I like to make some sort of fruit butter. Over the years I have tried peach butter, pear butter, and plum butter . This year I decided to add homemade apple butter to my list.

With the extra apple butter I decided to make a delicious fall cake. The sweet apple butter added the perfect flavor and taste to this awesome apple butter cake.

The spices and apple butter will make your house smell like an apple orchard on a warm sunny day while the cake is baking.  It is simply amazing!

What's the difference between Apple Butter and Applesauce?

Both applesauce and apple butter are made by slow cooking apples with water and spices and a little bit of sugar.

The difference is that apple butter is cooked down longer until it becomes a thick, caramelized spread.

What do you use Apple Butter for?

You can spread apple butter on warm biscuits, toast, muffins, or scones. It's also delicious on a peanut butter and apple butter sandwich.

Apple butter can also be an awesome ingredient to incorporate into fall cooking and baking. It can be used on ribs, chicken, pork, sweet potatoes, sandwiches, pizza,

It can also be incorporated into cookies, cakes, pie, granola, or ice cream.

Here are 10 Ways to Use Apple Butter in your kitchen too. Although, my favorite way to eat apple butter is still just eating it by the spoonfuls.

Ingredients Needed for an Apple Butter Cake

For the Cake

• Butter -  We use unsalted butter, so we can control the amount of salt in our recipes.
• Sugar - A mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar sweetens the cake.
• Apple Butter - You can use store bought or homemade apple butter for this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract & Salt - Adds flavor and balances out the sweetness. 
• Flour - Adds structure to the rest of the ingredients.  See our tutorial on how to measure flour to make sure you are adding the right amount.
• Baking Soda - Provides the lift needed in this cake recipe.
• Spices - A combination of cinnamon and nutmeg adds the perfect fall flavor to the cake.

For the Vanilla Bean Glaze

• Butter - Unsalted and melted.
• Powdered Sugar - Sweetens and thickens the glaze.
• Vanilla Bean Paste - Adds a delicious vanilla flavor and little vanilla bean specks to the frosting.
• Milk - Thins the glaze down.

How to make an Apple Butter Cake

This apple butter cake recipe comes together very easily with just one bowl.

1. Mix together the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl.
2. Add the apple butter and vanilla and mix again.
3. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low until everything is combined.
4. Spread the cake batter in a greased 9x13 pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack.
6. Add a vanilla bean glaze while the cake is still warm.

Vanilla Bean Glaze

This apple butter cake is delicious just the way it is.  But trust me and finish the cake off with a layer of vanilla bean glaze.

Can you see the specks of vanilla bean paste in it?  It is the perfect compliment to this dense apple butter cake.

The glaze is made from melted butter, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, and milk. Mix it all together until it is nice and creamy.

Spread the sweet frosting on top of the cake while it is still warm!  It will melt slightly and soak into the top of the apple butter cake as it cools.

Recipe Tips

Room temperature apple butter works the best for this cake. Set the apple butter out ahead of time, so it can loose the chill from the fridge.

This cake does not use any eggs. Apple butter and applesauce are both great substitutes for eggs when baking.

The batter will be very thick when you spread it in the baking dish. Use a spatula to evenly spread it out in the pan.

Bake the cake until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

More Ways to Use Apple Butter

• Glazed Apple Butter Bars
• Apple Butter Crumble Cake
• Apple Butter Bars
• Apple Butter Waffle Donuts
• Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

 
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Recipe

Apple Butter Cake Recipe

Yield: 24 pieces of cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This spicy and dense Apple Butter Cake is topped with a sweet vanilla bean glaze. Each bite will melt in your mouth and have you going back for more. This simple sheet cake recipe will be a delicious addition to fall parties.

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Ingredients

For the Cake

• ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups apple butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon table salt

For the Glaze

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 3 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix together the melted butter and sugars. Add the apple butter and vanilla and stir together.
3. Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into the apple butter mixture until completely combined. Spoon into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool 5 minutes.
5. Mix together the frosting ingredients until creamy. Spread on top of the warm cake. Let the cake cool. Cut into 24 squares.

Recommended Products

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• 
  9 x 13 Pyrex Dish with Lid
• 
  Wilton 409-7698 Angled Spatula, 9-Inch

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

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(original photo from October 2012)

*This Apple Butter Cake post and recipe was originally posted on Oct 27, 2012.  The pictures were updated August 2017, and the post was republished October 2018.