Easy Snickerdoodle Apple Cake Recipe - Inside BruCrew Life (2024)

Published: Sep 25, 2020 · Modified: Sep 1, 2021 by Jocelyn · As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

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What is better than the warm scent of cinnamon and apples? How about pairing them together in an apple cinnamon cake.Creamy frosting and a dusting of cinnamon sugar will make this Snickerdoodle Apple Cake bring a smile to your face.

There is something about the smell of apples that says fall to me. During the fall months, I like to keep a bag of apples on hand at all times. My preferred way to eat "an apple a day" is in baked goods.

Apples provide extra moisture to cakes, cookies, and muffins. They also make your kitchen smell amazing as you are baking.

This apple cinnamon cake is a match made in heaven. The soft dense cake is loaded with apple pieces and is topped with the creamiest cinnamon frosting.

The best part about this snickerdoodle cake is that it starts with a cake mix. See how to make a cake mix taste homemade with three kinds of apple love.

Ingredients Needed

Making an apple cake from a cake mix is easy with just a few extra ingredients. Adding cinnamon in the batter and in the frosting also gives this snickerdoodle cake recipe a great taste.

White Cake Mix - You can use your favorite brand for this box cake recipe. A yellow cake mix is also a good choice.
Vanilla Pudding Mix - Make sure you buy an instant pudding mix. This gives the cake a rich pound cake like texture.
Apple Juice - Use this in place of the liquid called for on the box mix to add more apple flavor.
Applesauce - Used in place of the oil to give the cake a moist apple texture and taste.
Eggs - Binds everything together.
Spices - A mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg gives the cake mix a great flavor.
Vanilla Frosting & Cinnamon Sugar - A delicious way to decorate the top of the baked apple cake and give it that snickerdoodle look and taste.

How to make a Snickerdoodle Apple Cake

This easy cinnamon apple cake comes together in minutes. The warm and cozy snickerdoodle flavor will have you snacking on it all day long.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick baking spray.
Mix together the cake mix, pudding mix, juice, applesauce, eggs, and spices in a large bowl.
Shred or finely dice two medium apples.
Stir flour into the shredded apples before stirring the shredded apples into the cake batter.
Spread the cake batter in prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place the baked cake on a wire rack to cool.

Decorating an Apple Cinnamon Cake

This apple cake recipe tastes amazing without any extra toppings. But trust me and take it to another level with creamy vanilla frosting and a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer to add a delicious flavor to this fall cake.

Frosting: A homemade cinnamon vanilla buttercream adds so much flavor to this cake mix hack To make the apple cinnamon cake look fancier, use a piping bag and icing tip 1m to swirl the frosting in rosettes on top of the cake.

Cinnamon Sugar: A dusting of cinnamon sugar gives a pretty look to the frosting swirls, and it gives the snickerdoodle cake a delicious sweet flavor and crunch.

Apple Slices: Add fresh apple slices to the top of each cake slice right before serving.

Recipe Tips

Shred the apples using a food processor. The smaller the pieces are will help them "melt" into the cake providing moisture and taste. You can also dice the apples very finely with a sharp knife.
Measure the apples after shredding them.
Stir a little bit of flour into the apple pieces. This will help absorb the extra liquid and will also keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter.
This apple cake is also delicious without the frosting. You can serve it with just a dusting of powdered sugar, if you prefer.
Want to make a homemade cake? Use this Praline Cake recipe and add the snickerdoodle toppings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best apples to use in baking?

Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp are sweet options to use in an apple cake. Using a mix of apples also adds a great flavor. Granny smith apples hold their shape a little bit more and will give a more tart flavor to the apple cake.

Do you need to peel the apples?

No, you can leave the peels on the apples when you shred or dice them. The apples and peels will soften as the cake bakes.

How do you shred apples easily?

A food processor is the easiest way to shred the apple slices into small pieces.

More Easy Apple Recipes

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
Apple Donuts
Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Apple Cheesecake
Apple Pie Filling recipe
Snickers Cake
Apple Bread Pudding
Apple Pie Cookies

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Recipe

Snickerdoodle Apple Cake Recipe

Yield: 24 pieces of cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

What is better than the warm scent of cinnamon and apples? How about pairing them together in an apple cinnamon cake.Creamy frosting and a dusting of cinnamon sugar will make this Snickerdoodle Apple Cake bring a smile to your face.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 vanilla cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
¾ cup apple cider or juice
⅓ cup applesauce
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups shredded apples
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

For the Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Topping

2-3 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar
sliced apples, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
Mix together the cake mix, pudding mix, apple juice, applesauce, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, and then 2 minutes on medium speed.
Gently stir flour into the shredded apples, then stir them into the cake batter.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 34-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool.
Beat the butter and vanilla until creamy. Add the salt and cinnamon and beat again.
Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream until light and fluffy. Spread or pipe on the cooled cake.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the cake. Add apple slices to the cake right before serving.