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Perfect Brown Butter Apple Dapple Cake

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A tender, brown butter-infused apple cake with a nutty, butterscotch flavor and soft, jammy apple chunks. This happy accident turned into a beloved fall dessert that’s simple enough for a Tuesday but special enough for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 cups (about 2 medium) apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for glaze)
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted (for glaze)
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (for glaze)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
  • Pinch of salt (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter. Stir occasionally until it melts, foams, and turns golden brown with brown specks (about 5-7 minutes). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla.
  5. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Add half the buttermilk and stir. Repeat with another third of flour, then remaining buttermilk, then last of the flour. Mix until just combined (a few lumps are okay).
  6. Gently fold in chopped apples with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If browning too fast, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  8. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. For the glaze: In the same saucepan, brown 2 tablespoons butter. Let cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt. Add more milk if needed for pourable consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Notes

Watch the butter carefully when browning—it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Use a light-colored pan to see the color change. Room temperature ingredients help the batter come together smoothly. Don’t overmix the batter to keep the cake tender. For best results with glaze, ensure cake is completely cool before drizzling.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter apple cake, apple dapple cake, fall dessert, easy apple cake, brown butter cake, apple cake recipe

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