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Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze is a sugary sweet cake filled with fresh apples, pecans, and topped with buttery brown sugar decadence. This simple cake is a little slice of comfort just waiting to be devoured!

A closeup of this fresh apple cake with a brown sugar glaze on a white plate with a fork

This Fresh Apple Cake is packed full of sugary goodness. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Imperial Sugar for providing me with all the sweets for Apple Week!

Being a food blogger sure does require using lots of sugar, so I am so very thankful for the abundance they so graciously shared with me! And I have to say I have always been so impressed by the quality of the product. It’s always a perfect consistency and never clumps up (And that is so important y’all)! Just perfect for all this Southern Baking going on this week.

Sweet Hospitality 

And speaking of sweet! I have to tell you about some of the wonderful people we have come to know and love through my daughter. You may have heard me talk about her going away to college. She has made her way to Mississippi via a friend that moved here to FL for a few years with her family and then moved back to her hometown. Well, that took my daughter there for spring break and summer visits to see her friend she missed so dearly.

So when the time to go to college came around she wanted to be with her bestie and some of the wonderful friends she had made. That led us to visits in Mississippi and meet Marilese’s (Bri’s friend) grandparents, who generously opened their home to us!

If you ever get a chance you want to visit (wink wink), because both Wayne and Barbara Carter are the SWEETEST friends, best cooks, and most hospitable people you will ever meet!  Wayne had breakfast ready each morning and it was a feast! We also enjoyed long talks, laughs, sightseeing, and family dinners with them. AND…. Barbara’s Fresh Apple Cake! This is one of the recipes I had to bring home and share with you! There may be more in the future because they can cook!

How to make Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Step 1.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Fresh Apple Cake Ingredients

Step 2.   In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix oil and sugar until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in self-rising flour until combined and mix in vanilla. Fold in nuts and apples. The batter will be very thick.

TIP for using All Purpose Flour: Mrs. Barbara makes this with self-rising flour. But you can use all-purpose flour if you do not have self-rising. Her original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Apple Cake Batter in mixing bowl

Step 3.   Spread into prepared 9 X 13 dish. Bake for about 40 to 55 minutes or until golden brown.

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Apple Cake Batter in 9 x 13 Dish ready for oven.

Remove from oven and let cool as you start the glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze

Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar and butter on a tray

Step 1 for Glaze.  In a saucepan, over medium heat, while stirring add butter and brown sugar and cook until it dissolves. Add in powdered sugar and milk and stir until well combined and melted into the glaze.

Step 2 for Glaze.  Immediately pour glaze over the cake and serve warm.

A clear glass baking dish with this fresh apple cake with a brown sugar glaze

Make sure to share Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze with someone you love! I truly believe recipes are meant to be shared. I am so glad the Carters shared this with me. Not only do I now have lifelong friends, I have cherished memories made around the table!

A slice of this fresh apple sheet cake on a white plate with green granny smith apples in the background

Other Apple Recipes to Enjoy

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A closeup of this fresh apple cake with a brown sugar glaze on a white plate with a fork
Recipe
4.85 from 70 votes

(click stars to rate)

Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Nikki Lee
Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze is a sugary sweet cake filled with fresh apples, pecans, and topped with buttery brown sugar decadence.

Ingredients 

Cake

  • 1 ¼ cups cooking oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ½ cups self rising flour
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup nuts, chopped
  • 3 apples, peeled & chopped, (I use granny smith apples)

Glaze

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix oil and sugar until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in flour until combined and mix in vanilla. Fold in nuts and apples.
  • Bake for about 40 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool as your start the glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze

  • In a saucepan, over medium heat, while stirring add butter and brown sugar and cook until it dissolves. Add in powdered sugar and milk and stir until well combined and melted into glaze.
  • Immediately pour glaze over cake and serve warm.

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Notes

Mrs. Barbara makes this with self rising flour. But you can use all purpose flour if you do not have self rising. Her original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Check cake at 40 minutes for doneness. Cook until golden brown. Each oven and the moisture in the apple will affect cook time. Using Granny Smith or a firm apple will produce the best results.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 11 serving Calories: 686kcal (34%) Carbohydrates: 83g (28%) Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 38g (58%) Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 51mg (17%) Sodium: 420mg (18%) Fiber: 3g (13%) Sugar: 60g (67%)

Nutritional Disclaimer

Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

©️Soulfully Made

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4.85 from 70 votes (51 ratings without comment)

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43 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I only have dark brown sugar and didn’t realize till baking the cake. Will it make a difference and do I need to cut back on the amount? I also added cinnamon and allspice ❤️

  2. 5 stars
    This cake was a huge hit! A friend asked me to make one for her in a Bundt pan. Have you tried it? Just wasn’t sure about it because it is so moist and I don’t know how well it will hold.

  3. 5 stars
    Can this recipe be made in a 11×17 pan? I made this and it is absolutely delicious!!! Our whole family said it was a hit!

    1. Thank you so much! I haven’t tested it in a pan that size. If you try it, I would love to hear your results. I would reduce the cook time if you do attempt it.