If you are a busy working mom like me, there is very little time to bake from scratch. I’m all about those shortcuts from ready-made cake mixes. One of my go-tos is Trader Joe’s vanilla cake mix. It is fragrant, moist, and just overall yummy. I used this to make a classic fall cake: apple spice cake. Using this cake mix made it the easiest apple spice cake you can make.
What spices should I use for the easiest apple spice cake?
- clove
- cinnamon
- optional: nutmeg
If you can get these spices whole and then ground them yourself, the flavor will be even better. But buying ground should be just fine as well. Having just clove and cinnamon will be enough. It’s more about the quality of your spices and using enough of them. Luckily this recipe has plenty of cinnamon and clove to pack a punch!
For some of the best quality spices you can find, check out Penzey’s! They have changed my cooking with their super delicious and fragrant spices.
How do I keep my apples from falling to the bottom of the cake?
Cut your apples into small cubes and toss in all purpose flour to help them stick to the cake batter. This will prevent them from falling to the bottom of the cake.
Serve with my bourbon salted caramel sauce and a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The Easiest Apple Spice Cake
Equipment
- 1 9-inch cake pan
- 1 9-inch diameter circular piece of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 package vanilla cake mix
- 1 egg
- 1 stick butter melted
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp ground clove
- 2 apples cored, peeled, and diced
- 1 tsp canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- Follow directions for cake mix: mix melted butter, egg, and cake mix into a batter.
- Toss diced apples into all purpose flour.
- Add apples, cinnamon, and clove into the cake batter. Fold in gently until just incorporated.
- Take out a roll of parchment paper. Trace the underside circle of your cake pan onto the parchment paper. Cut out the circular pattern. Lay the circular piece of parchment onto the bottom of the cake pan. Then, using a brush or paper towel, grease the entire inside of the cake pan with oil.
- Add cake batter into the cake pan.
- Bake cake according to package instructions, approximately 50-60 minutes. The cake is done when you stick a toothpick into the middle and it comes out clean.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
For other easy dessert recipes, check out my passion fruit panna cotta and fresh peach crisp.
