Apple Spice Cake with Cake Mix
Want a bakery-quality fall dessert without spending all afternoon in the kitchen? This easy Apple Spice Cake uses a box cake mix upgraded with fresh sliced apples and brown sugar crumble. It takes under 15 minutes of hands-on prep, but it tastes 100% scratch-made!
Ingredients
- 15.25 oz spice cake mix
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup salted butter (room temperature; half a stick)
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 Granny Smith apples (cored, peeled, and sliced thin)
For the Brown Sugar Crumble
- ¼ cup salted butter (melted; half a stick)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup crushed pecans
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Toppings
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- bottled caramel sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, blend the spice cake mix, cup of milk, applesauce, and eggs. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13" baking dish lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray very well.
- Press the peeled apple slices into the cake batter.
- In another bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, crushed pecans, flour, and cinnamon with a fork until there are no lumps. Pour this crumble over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake cake according to package directions (toward the higher end of the cooking time estimate).
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and tablespoon of milk to form a thick glaze.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven and cools for 10-15 minutes, garnish with the sugar glaze and caramel sauce.
Notes
- Pan Size: Use a 9x13" pan. Smaller pans will overflow once you add the layers of fruit and crumble.
- Fruit Slicing: Slice your apples nice and thin (think ¼" thick). Just lay them right on top of the batter and push in lightly - the cake will puff up around them as it bakes.
- Baking the Center: Because fresh fruit adds moisture, expect to bake on the higher end of your box's time limit (around 30-35 minutes) to get the center fully set.
- Cool Before Drizzling: Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes before adding your glazes. If the cake is piping hot, the caramel and glaze will melt and slide right off.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 241mgPotassium: 207mgFiber: 2gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 253IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg
