In the spirit of Fall, I wanted to make some pies! That was, until I remembered that pie crust isn’t my forte and thought better of it! Instead, I wound up making this Apple Pie Layer Cake.

It’s made with a tender spice cake layers, homemade cinnamon buttercream frosting and a delicious apple pie filling. It’s basically a pie and cake all wrapped up in four layers of deliciousness.

Making The Best Apple Pie Cake Layers

This layered apple pie cake recipe is based on my spice cake recipe. It makes incredibly soft and tender cake layers thanks to a combination of few special ingredients.

This first unique aspect of this recipe is that it uses both butter for oil. I find that using both oil and butter gives the cake a lighter texture without taking away all of the wonderful butter flavor.

Most spice cakes use oil and have a lighter texture, and that’s what I was after with this recipe.

This recipe also uses both brown sugar and granulated sugar. The brown sugar adds so much flavor and compliments the flavor of the ground spices.

Brown sugar has more moisture than regular sugar, and if you use all brown sugar it causes the cake layers to turn out a bit dense. I find that using half brown sugar and half granulated sugar creates the best texture.

The other special ingredient is apple sauce!! It adds moisture and flavor and also helps lighten up the texture.

Decorating This Layered Apple Pie Cake

The decoration of this cake was inspired by Milk and Water Baking Co. Their beautiful and vibrant frosting techniques have taken over Instagram by storm, and I couldn’t resist trying it out on this cake!

With the help of some gel food coloring I was able to combine a few different colors of frosting to make these colors.

From left to right, I used a Wilton 1B, Wilton 1M, Wilton 104 and Wilton 6B frosting tip to pipe this design.

However, you can use whatever frosting tips you have on hand! The goal is just to create a variety of textures and colors with your frosting, so this design is very flexible.

Substitutions and Swaps – Apple Pie Cake Layers

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make in this recipe.

• All-Purpose Flour: This recipe turns out best with AP flour but you can use cake flour or gluten free flour if needed.
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe, but I prefer using light brown sugar. If needed you can use all brown sugar and omit the granulated sugar. However using both types of sugar gives this cake a great texture and flavor.
• Granulated Sugar – If needed you can use all granulated sugar and skip the brown sugar, but I recommend using both types of sugar if possible.
• Ground Spices – The ground spices are the star of the show. You can adjust the amounts a bit based on your preferences, but I don’t recommend leaving any of them out.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Whole Eggs – If you have an egg allergy you can use 4 flaxseed eggs or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce + 1 extra Tbsp baking powder.
• Sour cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce – I prefer using unsweetened applesauce, but you can use sweetened applesauce if that’s what you have on hand. You can also use additional sour cream in place of the apple sauce if needed.
• Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil will work in this recipe! You can use vegetable, canola, or even sunflower oil. I don’t recommend using olive oil though, as it has a strong flavor that can clash with the spices in this cake.

Substitutions and Swaps – Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Cream Cheese – If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, use additional butter in place of the cream cheese.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Gel Food Coloring – I colored a bit of the leftover frosting different shades of orange and red to decorate the cake, but this is totally optional. You can also use natural food coloring if you prefer.

Tips for Making the Best Layered Apple Pie Cake

• Properly measure your flour. Either spoon it into the cup measure, then level with a knife or use a kitchen scale.
• Don’t overmix your batter! Mix on the speed the recipe recommends until the ingredients are just combined.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better.
• Don’t level your cake layers until they are completely cooled.
• Make this apple pie cake vegan or dairy free! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the sour cream and heavy cream, vegan butter sticks in place of the butter, and additional applesauce in place of the eggs (see the note above in the substitutions section).
• Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency before frosting your cake! It will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
• If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, I recommend reading my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might’ve gone awry.

Making This Apple Pie Cake In Different Sizes

This recipe can also be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can make four 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350F for 34-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

One batch of batter can be also be used to make one 9×13 inch apple pie sheet cake. Bake it at 325F for 40-50 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly. Then top the cake with the apple pie filling, and pipe some pretty swirls of cinnamon buttercream on top! You will only need a half batch of frosting to top a sheet cake.

You can also use this recipe to make a bundt cake! I recommend filling the pan halfway full, then adding the apple pie filling and topping with the remaining batter. Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use, and can take anywhere from 45-75 minutes. I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness and checking on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes.

The final variation of this recipe is cupcakes!! This recipe makes about 24 regular sized cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove the centers of the cupcakes and fill with apple pie filling, then top with pretty buttercream swirls!

Making This Apple Pie Layer Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to a month. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• The apple pie filling will say good in the fridge for up to a week, so it can be made in ahead of time as well.
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The frosting locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this apple pie layer cake recipe, please tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets, so I can see your beautiful creations!!

Also leave a comment below and/or a rating to let me know your thoughts.

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