This easy apple sheet cake is a low-fuss dessert that feeds a crowd and is ideal for autumn. It’s topped with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting and finished with pretty apple roses for a beautiful seasonal touch.
Fall has arrived and with it comes cooler weather, cozy sweaters, boots, seasonal decor and, of course, an abundance of delicious apples. A sheet cake like this is perfect for gatherings: it’s simple to make, slices easily and balances comforting autumn spices with tender apple pieces.
I’ve always loved visiting apple orchards, though I couldn’t make it this year. Fortunately, grocery stores carry great baking apples in the fall — Honeycrisp stood out as especially nice for this cake because of its firmness and sweetness.
Best Apples for Baking
When choosing apples for baking, a firm variety that holds its shape is usually best. Sweetness can be adjusted in the recipe to suit your taste — use a slightly tarter apple if you prefer more tang or a sweeter apple if you want less added sugar.
- Honeycrisp: A firm, crisp apple that keeps its texture while baking and brings natural sweetness. This is the recommended apple for the recipe.
- Braeburn: Slightly tart with a firm bite; it bakes well without turning mushy.
- Jonathan: Juicy and firm, a classic apple that holds up in baked goods.
- Granny Smith: Very tart and tangy; great if you want a contrast to a sweet frosting.
How to Easily Remove the Cake from the Pan
This apple sheet cake is straightforward to assemble. For a neat presentation, line the 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches hanging over the edges. After baking and cooling, you can lift the whole cake from the pan using those parchment overhangs for easy, clean slicing.
If you don’t need a fancy presentation — for example, if you’re serving straight from the pan or taking it to an event — you can simply spray the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray and skip the parchment lifting step.
How to Make the Cake
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the oil, granulated and brown sugars, eggs and vanilla until evenly blended. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined, then stir in the apples.
I like to thinly slice the apples and then chop those slices into roughly ¼-inch pieces; this creates uniformly sized apple chunks throughout the batter so each bite has a good distribution of apple without very large pockets. Be careful not to overmix the batter — stir just until the apples are evenly incorporated.
The batter will be thick. Spread it into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before lifting it out if you used parchment or before frosting if you plan to frost in the pan.
Creamy Cinnamon Frosting
The final step is a silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Beat together softened cream cheese and softened butter with vanilla and ground cinnamon until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then thin the frosting with a little heavy cream or half-and-half until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Adjust the amount of cream to make the frosting thicker or thinner as you prefer.
Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top. If you like, decorate with thin apple slices formed into small roses for a pretty finish. Slice generously and enjoy — the combination of tender cake, sweet apple pieces and tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting is cozy and satisfying.
Related Apple Recipe Ideas
- Apple pie-inspired cupcakes or single-serve desserts
- Apple-filled cinnamon rolls for breakfast or brunch
- Apple crisp topped with a spiced crumble for an easy warm dessert
- Apple babka or other enriched dough treats filled with apple-cinnamon filling
If you make this cake, I’d love to see your results — tag it on social media and leave a rating or comment below if you enjoyed it. Thank you and enjoy!
Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Apple Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large apples, thinly sliced and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream (more as needed)
Instructions
Apple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides if you plan to lift the finished cake from the pan. If serving directly from the pan, lightly spray it with cooking spray instead.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In a larger bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before attempting to lift it out if you used parchment. Once cooled, frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream a little at a time until you reach the desired spreadable consistency.
Notes
- The best way to cut the apples is to thinly slice them and then chop the slices into roughly ¼-inch pieces for even distribution in the cake.
- Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Frosted cake will keep best chilled.