Ina Garten Apple Spice Cake Recipe
This Ina Garten Apple Spice Cake Recipe is a moist, flavorful cake full of warm spices and sweet apples. It’s perfect for fall or any time you want a comforting dessert.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – 2 1/2 cups
- Baking powder – 2 tsp
- Baking soda – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Ground cinnamon – 1 1/2 tsp
- Ground nutmeg – 1/2 tsp
- Ground cloves – 1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter softened – 1/2 cup
- Granulated sugar – 1 cup
- Brown sugar – 1/2 cup
- Eggs – 2 large
- Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
- Sour cream – 1/2 cup
- Apples peeled, cored, chopped – 2 cups
- Optional: powdered sugar for glaze – 1/2 cup
- Optional: milk for glaze – 1–2 tbsp
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf or bundt pan and line with parchment paper if needed for easy removal.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Whisk together and set aside. This ensures even spice distribution.
Cream Butter and Sugars
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This creates a soft, tender cake texture.
Add Eggs and Vanilla
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract to enhance the cake’s flavor.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, starting and ending with dry. Mix gently to avoid overworking the batter.
Fold in Apples
- Gently fold chopped apples into the batter. Ensure apples are evenly distributed without breaking them down too much.
Pour Batter into Pan
- Transfer batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula for even baking.
Bake the Cake
- Bake for 50–55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil if top browns too quickly.
Cool and Glaze
- Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Mix powdered sugar and milk for glaze and drizzle over cake, if desired.
Notes
- Use firm, sweet apples for best texture.
- Do not overmix the batter; it keeps the cake soft.
- Room temperature butter and eggs mix better.
- Fold apples gently to avoid breaking.
- Add glaze for extra sweetness and shine.
- Test cake with a toothpick before removing from oven.