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–+ servings

Apple Cake Mix Cake

Overhead photo of cake mix apple cake drizzle with a vanilla glaze and cut into 9 squares on a wood serving board.
Elevate your dessert game with my Apple Fritter Cake, a recipe that transforms a simple box of cake mix into a rich, warmly-spiced sensation. Featuring moist cake with tender chunks of apples, cozy spices, and a luscious vanilla glaze, this cake mix apple cake is a true showstopper! Super simple to prepare and impossible to resist, it's the ideal fall dessert.
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 9 servings

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet - for cooking the cinnamon apples
  • 1 9-inch Square Baking Dish - for baking the cake
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl - for making the cake
  • 1 Whisk - for stirring the cake batter
  • 1 Rubber Spatula - for stirring the cake batter

Ingredients

Cinnamon Apples

Apple Fritter Cake Mix Cake

  • ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar – packed (53 grams); plus 2 TBS for topping (optional)
  • ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter – melted and cooled
  • 2 large Eggs – at room temperature and whisked together
  • ½ Cup + 2 TBS Milk - whole milk or 2%; DIVIDED
  • ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
  • ¼ Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce – at room temperature (63 grams)
  • 2 tsp + ¼ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract - DIVIDED
  • 1 (15.25 ounce) Box Cake Mix - SEE NOTES

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar – sifted

Instructions

  • Make the Cinnamon Apples: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced apples, brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly tender and have released their juices to form a syrup, about 7-9 minutes. Then, remove the apples from the heat and let cool completely.
    Overhead photo of diced apples being stirred and sautéed with butter, cinnamon, sugar, and spices in a large skillet.
  • Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Arrange the oven rack to the middle position and then preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and the dust lightly with flour or line with parchment paper. Then, set the pan aside.
    Overhead photo of a 9-inch square cake pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Start the Apple Fritter Cake – Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup of the light brown sugar with ¼ cup melted butter until fully combined. Then, add the whisked eggs, ½ cup of milk, vegetable oil, apple sauce, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Use your whisk and stir until completely smooth.
    Overhead action photo of milk being added to a bowl containing sugar, melted butter, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla.
  • Continue Cake – Add Dry Ingredients: To the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the cake mix, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, remaining ¼ teaspoon allspice, remaining ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ½ teaspoon salt. Then, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until *just* combined.
    Overhead photo of cake mix and baking spiced dumped onto a mixture of wet ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Layer Cake Batter and Apples in Pan: Pour the apple cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Then, dollop the cinnamon apples and all their syrup evenly over the top of the cake batter. OPTIONAL: Next, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar evenly over the apple cake batter.
    Overhead photo of cake mix cake batter topped with cinnamon apples and brown sugar in a 9-inch pan.
  • Bake Apple Cake in Preheated Oven: Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs.
    Overhead action photo of hands moving a pan of apple fritter cake batter from the counter to the preheated oven to bake.
  • Meanwhile, Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla, and a generous pinch of salt. Use a whisk and stir the ingredients together until well combined. Taste the glaze and adjust as needed, adding more milk for a thinner glaze, sugar for a thicker glaze, and salt for overall flavor.
    Overhead photo of a whisk stirring together powdered sugar with milk and vanilla to make icing.
  • Cool Cake: Transfer the pan of baked apple cake to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before transferring the cake to a wire rack.
    Overhead photo of a cake made with fresh apples and cake mix cooling in the pan on a wire rack.
  • Glaze the Apple Fritter Cake While Warm: Once you remove the apple cake from the baking pan and while the cake is still slightly warm, drizzle half the glaze evenly over the top, reserving the remaining glaze for serving. Then, let the cake cool completely.
    Overhead action photo of vanilla icing being drizzled over a freshly baked cake mix apple cake.
  • Slice and Serve Cake Mix Apple Cake: Slice the apple fritter cake into individual servings and drizzle with some of the reserved glaze. Enjoy!
    Overhead photo of cake mix apple cake drizzle with a vanilla glaze and cut into 9 squares on a wood serving board.

Notes

  • Apples: When baking, it’s best to use a mixture of different apples for the most complex flavored cake. I like to use 2 honeycrisp apples and 1 granny smith apple in this recipe – but please use what you love.
  • Cake Mix: You can use any flavor of cake mix you’d like to make this apple cake. I typically use a spice cake mix for a cozy apple cake with plenty of warming spices; and vanilla or yellow cake mix for a more classic apple fritter cake.
  • Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  • Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 9 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal    Carbohydrates: 27g    Protein: 2g    Fat: 15g    Saturated Fat: 6g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g    Monounsaturated Fat: 4g    Trans Fat: 0.4g    Cholesterol: 63mg    Sodium: 224mg    Potassium: 124mg    Fiber: 2g    Sugar: 24g    Vitamin A: 339IU    Vitamin C: 2mg    Calcium: 50mg    Iron: 0.5mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American