Apple Fritter Texas Sheet Cake

If you're searching for a cake with all of the cozy flavors of Fall without any sign of pumpkin, this recipe is for you! This Apple Fritter Texas Sheet Cake features a soft, tender, vanilla and cinnamon-spiced cake that's loaded with spiced apples and topped with a sweet brown butter icing. It is an easy one-bowl recipe that serves a crowd just like any good Texas sheet cake does. You'll pour over the glaze while the cake is just slightly warm and let it soak into the crevices a tad, making it almost juicy. I love to sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top just before serving to make it extra festive and fritter-y. If you love making sheet cakes, check out my classic Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, and if you love baking with apples, check out my Brown Butter Caramel Apple Crumb Cake, Apple Fritter Bread and my Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Soft and tender cinnamon cake - this simple one-bowl cake recipe makes a very soft and tender cake that's perfectly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla. It melts in your mouth.
• Moist texture - the spiced apples bake into the batter and make it so moist.
• Loaded with apples - I packed as many apples as possible into this cake so you feel like you're eating as much fruit as you are eating cake.
• No deep frying - this cake really does taste like an apple fritter without all the oil.
• Party perfect - Texas sheet cakes are perfect for parties. You decorate and serve the cake in the same pan you bake it in which makes it very fuss-free and perfect for when you're short on time. The thinness of the cake also means it cools quickly.
• Vanilla brown butter icing - this is the finishing touch that is quintessential to Texas sheet cake as well as an apple fritter. It is a simple icing, elevated with brown butter.

INGREDIENTS FOR APPLE FRITTER CAKE

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for this tender spiced cake batter.
• Unsalted butter - warm butter melted with some milk adds richness and full flavor. Buttery cake with spiced apples is a match made in heaven.
• Oil - liquid oil keeps this cake soft so it melts in your mouth. Even when you need to refrigerate this cake with the fresh apples, it will still stay soft.
• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake tender and sweet.
• Brown sugar - I love pairing brown sugar with apples and cinnamon. I use light brown sugar so the molasses flavor isn't too strong and doesn't take over the apples.
• Eggs - two large eggs will add structure so this cake holds up around all these apples.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to make this delicious cake. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Plain yogurt - use full fat sour plain to add body and balance the flavor. It adds a lovely tanginess and cultured dairy note that enhances the cake.
• Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking. It should be at room temperature so measure it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
• Apples - you must use fresh apples for this recipe. It really works with any kind of apple, but I prefer tart apples such as Granny Smith or Red Prince, which is what I used here.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the cake batter. Combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 2). Add wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Break up the eggs to give them a head start with a whisk, then begin stirring with the whisk to blend the ingredients. It will be thick and look lumpy at this stage. You don't need to mix it thoroughly yet.
• STEP 3). Make the warm butter-milk mixture. Combine butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture is steaming. Carefully pour this hot mixture into the bowl and whisk until smooth and glossy. The heat helps dissolve the sugars and bring out the spice flavors for a glossy and fragrant batter.
• STEP 4). Prepare the cinnamon apples. Combine diced apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl and toss well so the apples are evenly coated. Add the apples to the batter and fold them in gently.
• STEP 5). Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake is evenly golden brown and feels firm to the touch in the center. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes.
• STEP 6). Prepare the icing. Place butter in a small saucepan and cook it until it browns. Read this post here for instructions on how to brown butter. Essentially you let it boil and bubble gently with frequent stirring until the milk solids brown and all of the water has evaporated. A golden foam will form at the surface when it is almost ready. Transfer the hot brown butter to a clean bowl to cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the milk. Add powdered sugar, yogurt or sour cream and salt and whisk until smooth and glossy.
• STEP 7). Ice the cake. Pour the warm glaze evenly over the just slightly warm cake and spread it out evenly. I will seep in where the apples are and it makes this gooey syrup that is irresistible. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes to create that shiny finish, then sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar if desired.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Sift the ingredients. It is important to evenly distribute the ingredients to ensure an even crumb and tender texture. I use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. This removes lumps and separates the particles as well as distributes the leavening agents. Add the sugar and salt after if they don't pass through the sieve.
• Blend the dry ingredients thoroughly to minimize the amount of mixing required after you add the wet ingredients.
• Use a neutral tasting oil like vegetable, canola or pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the apple flavor stand out.
• Do not reduce the sugar. The right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
• Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer - it should come out clean.
• Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.
• Chop the apples into small pieces. This will ensure that the apples distribute evenly throughout the batter - they shouldn't be much bigger than ¼-inch dice. It is important that they are small so that they bake quickly and evenly. If the pieces are too large, then they will poke up through the batter since this is a thin cake.
• Use tart apples. you can use any apple for this recipe, but I do love Granny Smith for their tartness.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR APPLE TEXAS SHEET CAKE

• Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple one bowl mixing method, it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold) in order to help them blend evenly together. Make sure the eggs and yogurt are at room temperature.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter. It will give you the best results for a finer texture crumb as well since the sieve will break up all the flour particles and help disperse the baking powder.
• Do not over-mix the batter. It is important that the batter is smooth, but stop as soon as you get to that point. Over-mixing can lead to a dense cake, although this particular recipe is pretty forgiving with the apples baked in.
• Do not over-bake. It is important to not under-bake this cake since the apples will add a lot of moisture which increases the baking time, however over-baking can lead to a dry cake.

RECIPE FAQ

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Video

Apple Fritter Texas Sheet Cake

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

This Apple Fritter Texas Sheet Cake features a soft, tender, vanilla and cinnamon-spiced cake that's loaded with spiced apples and topped with a sweet brown butter icing. It is an easy one-bowl recipe that serves a crowd just like any good Texas sheet cake does.

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Ingredients

  

Apple Cake Batter:

• 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (145g) packed light brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80ml) oil
• ½ cup (120ml) full fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (56g) salted butter
• ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk

Cinnamon Apples:

• 3 cups (330g) peeled and diced apples, cut into small ¼-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoon (8g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon (6g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Brown Butter Icing:

• ¼ cup (56g) salted butter, browned and warm
• ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk
• 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional):

• 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Spray a 13x18-inch pan or 17¼ × 12¼-inch half sheet pan with cooking spray or lightly grease it with butter and then line it with parchment paper. It is very important spray the pan laying down the parchment paper so it sticks. This is a wet batter and it can leak underneath the parchment if it is not flush with the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Make the cake batter. Combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Break up the eggs to give them a head start with a whisk, then begin stirring with the whisk to blend the ingredients. It will be thick and look lumpy at this stage. You don't need to mix it thoroughly yet.
• Make the warm butter-milk mixture. Combine butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture is steaming. Carefully pour this hot mixture into the bowl and whisk until smooth and glossy. The heat helps dissolve the sugars and bring out the spice flavors for a glossy and fragrant batter.
• Prepare the cinnamon apples. Combine diced apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl and toss well so the apples are evenly coated. Add the apples to the batter and fold them in gently.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake is evenly golden brown and feels firm to the touch in the center. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Place butter in a small saucepan and cook it until it browns. Read this post here for instructions on how to brown butter. Essentially you let it boil and bubble gently with frequent stirring until the milk solids brown and all of the water has evaporated. A golden foam will form at the surface when it is almost ready. Transfer the hot brown butter to a clean bowl to cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the milk. Add powdered sugar, yogurt or sour cream and salt and whisk until smooth and glossy.
• Pour the warm glaze evenly over the just slightly warm cake and spread it out evenly. I will seep in where the apples are and it makes this gooey syrup that is irresistible. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes to create that shiny finish, then sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar if desired.