Apple Pie Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream Recipe

This festive Apple Pie Cake brings together everything you love about a classic homemade apple pie in a beautiful layer cake. Moist spiced cake layers are filled with tender apples and buttery pie crumble, then finished with rich browned butter Italian meringue buttercream for a dessert that’s full of warmth and nostalgia. Perfect for festive gatherings, autumn celebrations, and special occasions, this Apple Pie Cake by Deva Williamson combines comforting flavors to create a memorable centerpiece for any dessert table.

Ingredients

For the Apple Pie Cake

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 18 ounces white cake mix
• 1 packet instant oatmeal (optional, but suggested)
• 1 tbsp apple pie spice
• Pinch of salt
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tbsp apple flavoring (Lorann oil)
• 1 ⅓ cup water
• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg

For the Pie Crumble Filling

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tbsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• ¼ cup butter, softened

For the Apple Pie Filling

• 1 cup Granny Smith Apples, 1 cup Jazz Apple ( or a tart crisp), cubbed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Apple pie spice
• 3 tbsp water
• **¼ cup water +1 tsp cornstarch for slurry** optional

For the Browned Butter Italian Meringue Buttercream

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 8 eggs
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Instructions for Apple Pie Cake

For the Apple Pie Cake

1. Measure all of your ingredients, and set aside refrigerated items to come to room temperature
2. Prepare baking pans and/or cupcake tins for baking. Warm oven to 315°F convection or 325°F conventional.
3. In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Take care not to over mix.
4. Portion batter into pans by filing each pan just a bit over half.
5. Bake in the oven for 26-28 minutes. Test to see if it is done by inserting a skewer, if it comes away clean it is cooked. Then remove from the oven to cool.

For the Pie Crumble Filling

1. Heat oven to 350F. Prepare a sheet pan by lining with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.
3. Spread mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, toss, bake for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove from oven to let cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

For the Apple Pie Filling

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, stir to coat apples in sugar.
2. Heat on medium and stir with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Apples will become tender after about 15 minutes.
3. If you are satisfied with the liquid consistency, remove apple filling from heat and store refrigerated in an airtight container. If you desire a thicker sauce with your apples, whisk together your slurry in a separate dish and mix into your apples to thicken.
4. Remove from heat and store refrigerated in an airtight container

For the Browned Butter Italian Meringue Buttercream

1. Begin by browning your butter.
   • Cube half a pound of butter, set aside the other half-pound to use later in the recipe.
   • Place your cubed butter in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. *Take care not to leave your butter unattended because there is a thin line between brown butter and burnt butter*
   • Melt your butter slowly. You will begin to see clear bubbles and foam, continue to stir. You will begin to smell a nutty aroma and that is your cue to look for brown granules to appear.
   • Continue stirring and remove from heat as soon as you see brown granules appear on the bottom of the pan and the butter gains an amber tint.
   • Place brown butter in an airtight container and store immediately in the refrigerator so it may firm up to use in the recipe later.
2. Separate egg whites and yolks, place egg whites in a mixing bowl. Mix with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy.
3. In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the water and sugar and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved into the water.
4. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue boiling without stirring, until the sugar solution reaches 240° F.
5. Meanwhile, continue whipping egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.
6. As soon as the sugar mixture reaches 240° F, as fine as a thread of hair, begin pouring the hot syrup into the whipping whites.
7. ALWAYS TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WHILE WORKING WITH HOT SUGAR SYRUPS!
8. Continue whipping until the mixture has cooled completely before you add the butter or you will have Butter Soup! Once the Italian Meringue is cool to the touch you may add the butter that is at room temperature and the browned butter that you previously refrigerated to the meringue while whipping on medium-high speed
9. Add the vanilla extract as your buttercream comes together – Voila, browned butter buttercream!

Assembling the Apple Pie Cake

1. Before assembling, make sure the cake layers are completely cooled and the apple pie filling, pie crumble, and browned butter Italian meringue buttercream have cooled and are ready to use. If needed, level the cake layers with a serrated knife to create flat, even surfaces.
2. Place a small dollop of buttercream onto a cake board or serving plate and secure the first cake layer on top. Spread an even layer of browned butter buttercream over the cake. Pipe a buttercream border around the edge to create a dam that will help contain the filling.
3. Spoon a layer of apple pie filling inside the buttercream border and spread evenly. Sprinkle a generous layer of pie crumble over the apples for added texture and flavor, then repeat the layers, placing the final bottom-side up for the smoothest top surface.
4. Apply a crumb coat by frosting a thin layer of browned butter buttercream over the top and sides of the cake to seal in any crumbs. Smooth with an offset spatula or cake scraper. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until firm.
5. Apply a final coat of browned butter Italian meringue buttercream to the chilled cake. Smooth the sides and top with a cake scraper or offset spatula until your desired finish is achieved.
6. For a festive finish, pipe decorative buttercream borders or frost festive colors along the cake. Sprinkle additional pie crumble around the top, base, or between buttercream swirls. You can also garnish with thin apple slices, a dusting of apple pie spice, or a drizzle of caramel sauce, anything to your linking. Once decorated, your apple pie cake is complete!

Deva Williamson

Deva Williamson is a self-taught decorator and food photographer from St. Louis, MO. After being in the culinary industry for 18 years, she sought out different ways to express her artistic bent. Inspired by color, blooms, and visual storytelling, cake decorating showed itself to be the perfect outlet of artistic expression. Deva spent years growing her buttercream skills but afterward realized how important it was to not only get a picture of her cakes, but a good one to remember each by. As the owner of Big Laugh Kitchen, you can not only count on Deva to be generous with her stock photos for bakers, but she also strives to share her knowledge to help fellow bakers grow and be encouraged.