Apple Butter Cake with Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Apple Butter — The star of the show. Infuses deep, caramelized apple flavor and richness into the cake. You can use homemade or store-bought – or make a quick apple purée to use instead (see recipe notes). Apple butter, unlike applesauce, is dense and reduced with almost no additional water – that’s why this recipe leans into it.
• Warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) – For that intoxicating warm scent of fall. Replace with apple pie spice blend if preferred.
• All-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda — Give structure to hold those moist layers.
• Eggs and vegetable oil — Enrich the cake and give lift.
• Light brown sugar — Enhances sweetness and helps with browning.
• Frosting (mascarpone / cream cheese base) — Provides tang and balances the sweetness; helps the cake feel elegant and luscious.

How to Make Apple Butter Cake

Make the cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°F). Mist two 8-inch (you can also use three 6-inch cake pans for a triple layer cake) with cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper.
2. Add the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk at high speed until doubled in volume using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer).
3. Add the apple butter, oil and vanilla and whisk at high speed until batter is smooth.
4. Sift the flour, almonds if using, baking powder, soda, salt and spices into the wet ingredients and fold together to combine. Rest for five minutes.
5. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake in the centre of the oven for 22-25 minutes. The cakes are ready when springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the tester comes out with wet batter, continue to bake for a few minutes longer and check again.
6. Leave cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and carefully turn out onto a wire rack and cover with plastic wrap.

Make the frosting

1. Beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar, a little of the cream, cinnamon and vanilla on low speed.
2. Gradually ad the cream and increase the speed until you have firm peaks, scraping the down the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.

Assemble the cake

1. Transfer the frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the bottom cake layer.
2. Spread apple purée inside the ring and level. Top with second layer (or repeat if you have made three layers) and cover the top with frosting.
3. Pipe a thick a layer of frosting over the sides of the cake. Use a palette knife to smooth the top of the cake letting the frosting spread over the edges.

4. Use a side scraper to smooth the frosting on the sides of the cake – using a turntable will make this easier. Use a serrated side scraper to create a pattern (optional).
5. Drizzle apple butter or caramel sauce around the edge of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
6. Pipe any remaining frosting on top of the cake, add a few chopped nuts around the base (optional) and decorate with small apples or toffee apples.

Recipe Notes

• The cake layers can be made up to three days in advance and kept, covered in plastic wrapped, at room temperature. You can also freeze the unfrosted layers, covered in layers of plastic wrap and foil for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature, then frost before serving.
• Use two 8-inch cake pans as pictured, or divide the batter between three 6-inch cake pans for a triple layered cake.
• Replace the apple butter drip with caramel sauce or smooth Biscoff spread.
• Leftovers and storage: Store the cake in a covered container away from direct light for up to four days. Freeze slices in layers of plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge before serving.