• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Southern Bite - supper made simple.

Southern Bite

Stacey Little's Southern Food & Recipe Blog

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Main Course
    • Sauces/Dressings
    • Sides
    • Slow Cooker
    • Snacks
    • Soups
    • Weeknight Bites
  • Videos
    • Simply Southern TV
    • Behind the Recipe
    • Recipes with Videos
  • Cookbook
  • About
    • About Stacey
    • Media/PR
    • Contact
  • Recipe Box
Home » Recipes » Desserts

Apple Butter Cake

Stacey – September 20, 2022 – 13 Comments

Jump to Recipe Save Recipe

This easy Apple Butter Cake combines moist, tender cake with the simple flavors of cinnamon and apple butter into a dessert that’s perfect for fall.

Piece of Apple Butter Cake with bite missing

I love a warm buttermilk biscuit slathered with apple butter. This thick, rich sauce is like an intensely flavored cinnamon apple sauce. It’s one of those things I hated as a kid, but just love now. You can often find apple butter in the grocery store with the jams and jellies or you can make your own in the slow cooker with this easy recipe.

Now, chances are you’ve heard of adding apple sauce to cake recipes to reduce the amount of fat and to keep the cake moist, but you can do the same thing with apple butter as well. Using apple butter gives you a stronger apple flavor, too. So that’s an added bonus.

Sliced Apple Butter Cake in pan

That’s why this Apple Butter Cake is so delicious!

A simple butter cake is amped up with the addition of apple butter and a little extra cinnamon to create a tender, moist cake that all of our taste-testers just loved!

In this case, the apple butter isn’t in there to lighten up the recipe because we’re still going to add a cup of butter. No, here the apple butter is there to add delicious flavor and it helps to keep the cake nice and moist.

Top it off with a simple cream cheese frosting (we snuck a little apple butter into that, too) to create a cake that’s perfect for fall!

Piece of Apple Butter Cake

If I’m being totally honest, I think I might even like this cake better without the frosting. It just has such a great simple, clean flavor that I really love. But y’all know I like simple stuff. It’s how I’ve earned my nickname – the mayor of vanilla-town. 🤣

Regardless, it’s great with the frosting, too. So I’ve included the recipe and y’all can decide if you want to add it or not.

Piece of Apple Butter Cake with bite missing
Piece of Apple Butter Cake with bite missing
Print Pin Save
5 from 1 vote

Recipe Card

Apple Butter Cake

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Author Stacey Little | Southern Bite

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons apple butter
  • 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated after each addition.
  • In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking power together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the apple butter and vanilla and mix until combined.
  • Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting:

  • Add the room temperature cream cheese and butter to the mixer and beat until smooth. Add the apple butter and combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cooled cake.
Piece of Apple Butter Cake with bite missing
Did you make my Apple Butter Cake?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @southernbite, and use the hashtag #southernbite!
Tag on Insta Leave a Rating

Know some folks who would like this?

Related Posts

Slices of Buttermilk Pound Cake
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Slice of Old Fashioned Vinegar Pie with whipped cream on top
Old Fashioned Vinegar Pie
bowl of Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Thick slice of Simple Apple Pie
Simple Apple Pie
Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter YouTube
About Cookbook Shop Contact

Join my mailing list!

Get new Southern Bite recipes delivered right to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you my Breakfast Bites mini ebook!

No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Rate & Comment Cancel reply

    I love hearing from y'all! Comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome. Kindness is required. Your email address will not be published.

    Recipe Rating




  1. Amy Holcombe

    January 27, 2023 at 5:25 pm

    I’ll definitely be making this cake and I just subscribed to your newsletter! Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      January 30, 2023 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks, Amy! Welcome!

      Reply
  2. Gloria Bonin

    January 12, 2023 at 9:35 am

    Good Luck on your health issues

    Reply
    • Stacey

      January 12, 2023 at 9:37 am

      Thanks, Gloria!

      Reply
  3. Myra Pentecost

    October 6, 2022 at 9:46 am

    This was the best cake! Well worth using my 8 oz jar of apple butter.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      October 6, 2022 at 3:31 pm

      So glad to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  4. Dorothy Williams

    October 3, 2022 at 9:40 pm

    Hey Stacey, I made this Apple Butter Cake for my grandsons kindergarten class. They were celebrating apples, and ALL the kids and teachers absolutely LOVED the cake. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      October 5, 2022 at 9:41 am

      Wonderful! Thank you Dorothy!

      Reply
  5. Jill

    September 21, 2022 at 10:38 pm

    This sounds amazing! Do you think I could use a bundt pan instead of a 9×13 pan?

    Reply
    • Stacey

      September 22, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      I’ve not tried it that way, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.

      Reply
  6. Velma Southard

    September 20, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    I will make this cake. I actually made this Apple Butter Recipe and it turned out amazing and I canned it. Best Apple Butter ever!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      September 22, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      Thank you so much Velma!

      Reply
  7. Mary Schallmoser

    September 20, 2022 at 2:53 pm

    Love apple butter! Thank you, I may try it with pumpkin butter too!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter YouTube
About Cookbook Shop Contact
The Southern Bite Cookbook cover

Trending Now

  • These quick and easy enchiladas only call for 5 ingredients and are ready in no time! It's the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight! #recipe #southernbite #enchiladas #easy #quick #weeknight5 Ingredient Beef Enchiladas
  • Closer photo of Ultimate Chicken SpaghettiUltimate Chicken Spaghetti
  • Two Easy Lemon Squares stacked on a blue plateEasy Lemon Squares
  • Bowl of Southern Chicken and DumplingsOld-Fashioned Southern Chicken and Dumplings
  • Bowl of Southern Lima BeansSouthern Lima Beans (Butter Beans)
  • Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta on a forkCream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

As Seen On

As seen on logos

Recipes by Category

  • Appetizers
  • Beverages
  • Breads
  • Breakfast
  • Desserts
  • Main Course
  • Sauces/Dressings
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooker
  • Snacks
  • Soups
  • Weeknight Bites
  • Work with Me
  • My Cookbook
  • Contact
  • Cookbooks I Love
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

© 2009–2023 Southern Bite / Stacey Little Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All Content Protected By Federal Copyright Laws.