Breakfast Baking
Easy Whole-Grain Spiced Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Frosting Recipe
Original recipe: 10 servings · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 40 min · Total: 60 min
By Beginnerbakes Editorial TeamPublished May 2, 2026 | Updated Oct 1, 2026
American
60 mins
Beginner-friendlyEasyStep By StepWhole Grain
Easy Whole-Grain Spiced Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Frosting Recipe with measured ingredients, 60-minute total timing, 10-serving yield, oven settings, and step-by-step instructions.
Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Total
60 min
Servings
10
Difficulty
easy
Cuisine
American
Ingredients
Servings
10
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or the same amount of plain dairy-free yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened (or dairy-free cream cheese)
- 1/4 cup powdered erythritol or confectioners' sugar substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper for easy release.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until evenly combined.
-
Add the finely chopped apples to the dry ingredients and toss gently to coat them so they stay evenly distributed in the cake.
-
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until smooth and slightly lightened.
-
Stir the applesauce, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract into the egg mixture until combined.
-
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry flour pockets remain. Avoid overmixing so the cake stays tender.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
-
Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
-
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
-
For the frosting, beat the softened low-fat cream cheese, powdered erythritol or sugar substitute, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy.
-
Spread the cinnamon cream frosting over the cooled cake with a small spatula or butter knife.
-
Slice and serve, or refrigerate the frosted cake and bring slices to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
The yogurt swap is an ingredient alternative, not a vegan version: the cake still contains eggs. To avoid dairy, both yogurt quantities and the frosting cream cheese need dairy-free alternatives.
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