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This easy Glazed Honeycrisp Apple Fritter Cake will become an autumn favorite. Made with melted butter, brown sugar, apple butter, yogurt, and lots of cinnamon, this cake is stuffed with cinnamon and vanilla-tossed apples and frosted with a quick, salted-vanilla glaze. Enjoy the warm smells of fall while this cake bakes away. It’s the ultimate fall treat; prepare to become obsessed!
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Desserts in the fall are just better, and this cake is the perfect example. I’ve been excited to share this for weeks, but I’ve been waiting for just the right Friday in September to share it. Today’s launch of our Apple Cider candle felt perfect!
If you haven’t yet done so, be sure to order your apple cider candle! They’re already almost sold out!
When I was younger, I didn’t eat apple fritters or apple cider doughnuts. My family did, however, do a lot of apple picking in upstate New York. We’d pick up buckets and buckets of New York apples, and my dad and I would eat them all.
I remember them being so delicious. Heading to western New York in the fall to pick apples is something I miss about living in Ohio.
Every time we’d head out to the apple farms, their farm stands would be selling their sweet treats. From doughnuts to fritters to heavily glazed apple cakes. They had it all! And while we’d never pick up anything but apples, those memories inspired this cake! The best way to describe this is like an apple fritter but in cake form!
These are the details
Step 1: make the cake batter
It’s a simple batter made with melted butter, brown sugar, apple butter, yogurt, vanilla, and eggs. Then, the usuals: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix this all up in a bowl; nothing fancy is needed.
Step 2: the apple filling
I used up Honeycrisp apples and chopped them up. Then mix the apple bites with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and toss them together in a bowl.
I love to leave the skin on my apples. The skin provides more flavor and fiber! If you prefer, you can remove the skin, but around here, there’s no time for that!
Step 3: the layers
Now, layer the cake batter with the apples. Start with 1/2 batter on the bottom, then one layer of apples, the remaining batter, and then add the remaining apples on top to finish.
Now bake into a sweet sheet cake. The smells from the oven will be the sweetest autumn scents, so wonderful and cozy.
Step 4: the vanilla glaze
For the glaze, mix powdered sugar with warm milk, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt.
Ice the cake while it’s still warm. This ensures the glaze melts into every inch of the cakes, seeping into all those crannies!
If you’re heading out apple picking this fall, make this easy apple fritter cake. Serve with coffee, hot cocoa, or even a steaming mug of cider. It’s a fall delight! And make sure the candles are burning. You’ll certainly have created the perfect autumn experience!
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
Lastly, if you make this Glazed Honeycrisp Apple Fritter Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Glazed Honeycrisp Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple butter, (or applesauce/pumpkin butter)
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Apples
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, chopped, (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, apple butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, until combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. 3. To make the apple mix. In a bowl, combine the chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. 4. Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared dish. Spoon over about 1/2 of the apples, then cover the apples with the remaining batter. Top with the remaining apples and any juices left in the bowl. 5. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until just set. Let cool for 10 minutes.6. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk all ingredients in a bowl, adding milk as needed to thin. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. enjoyI
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I substituted the apple butter with apple sauce and it was still great!
Hey Carissa,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! XxT
Delicious use of my Wisconsin apples! Followed recipe, outside of used 8×8 pan and baked for about 5-10 less.
Yay!! Thanks so much, Nicole! So glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! XxT
i made this as a stacked cake and it was great! i wish i could post a photo of it.
Hey Hannah,
Wonderful! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for trying it! Have the best autumn weekend! xT
My husband loves apple fritters and we love honeycrisp apples so this was a must try—-so incredibly delicious!! Made it with 1:1 gluten free flour, in an 11×7 Pyrex and baked somewhere between 45-50 minutes (forgot to start my timer). Thank you Tieghan for another winner!
Hey Margaret,
Yay! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! Have a great day! Xx
This was absolutely delicious!! I will be making it on repeat! I used one Granny Smith and one golden delicious and it was perfection! Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Hey Amanda,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Hope you are enjoying fall! XxT
Made this a little larger in a 9×12 sheet pan with 1.5 times the ingredients – was so delicious! Used pumpkin butter but next time I’ll use appple butter to drive home the yummy apple flavors in this .
Hey Jill,
Happy Fall Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you:) XxT
Does this freeze well?
Hey Jenna,
Sure, this should be just fine for you to freeze! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made this for Rosh Hashana with whipped honey instead of the glaze. It was perfection! There was nothing left.
Hey Julia,
Fantastic!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! xT
Great as coffee cake or as a dessert. Would be good with whipped cream or ice cream as a dessert. I made in an 8×8 pan and would lessen the time 3-5 mins because it was a tad dry. I will definitely make again. This is a keeper.
Thanks so much, Mary! So glad to hear you enjoyed this cake! Happy Sunday! xT
This recipe is super easy and comes out so delicious!! It’s almost too good to be true!! The only change I made was I added apple cider to the glaze instead of milk and it added some extra flavor. This will definitely be a fall staple in our house for years to come.
Hey Carolann,
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy fall weekend! xT
How would you change the cooking time if you made this in a mini muffin tin?
Hey Maureen,
I haven’t tested this, but I would check for doneness at 12-15 minutes. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Hi! Can I use an 8×8 pan instead? How should I adjust recipe/cooking time?
Hey Jill,
Sure, I would add 10-15 minutes to the bake time. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Great recipe. I didn’t realize I didn’t add the eggs until the cake was already in the oven but it still came out well! The cake is holding together but I’m going to make it again WITH the eggs next time.
Hey Caroline,
Perfect! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well for you:)
How many eggs
Hi Joe,
This recipe calls for 2 eggs. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This was very good! I added more spice (1/2 tsp nutmeg and ginger, 1/4 tsp clove) and I made the glaze with apple cider instead of milk.
Thanks so much, Rachel! Love to hear that you enjoyed this cake, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT