12 to 15 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
Update 10/2/2023- The almond extract is an optional ingredient.
What you’ll need
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 medium-sized lemon
1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix.
2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese (Room temp)
Unsalted butter
Large eggs (Room temp)
Vanilla extract
Almond extract (Optional)
Cinnamon
Salt
Confectioners’ sugar
Brown Sugar
Tools you’ll need.
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
Parchment paper
Fruit peeler
Apple corer
9 by 13-inch baking pan
Hand mixer
Preparation of ingredients
Apples and lemon
Step 1- Peel all 4 apples using a fruit peeler. Rinse each apple and one medium-sized lemon off with cold water. Core each apple using the apple corer. Align the apple corer toward the center of each apple and push down. Discard the apples core. Once done you should have 5 large apple quarter pieces.
Step 2- Slice each quarter piece of apple into slices. You should get up to 3 slices per piece. Place the apple slices into a medium-sized bowl. Cut a medium-sized lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon on top of the apple slices. This will prevent the apples from turning brown and also give the cake flavor. Carefully toss the apple slices with your hands and set aside until it’s ready to be assembled onto the cake.
Making the spice cake crust
Step 3- Add 15 ounces in weight of Duncan Hines Spice cake mix, 1 stick melted unsalted butter, 1 large egg (Room temp), and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into a large bowl. Stir all ingredients with a sturdy spoon until mixture forms a dough. Knead for 30 seconds to 1 minute with your hands and set aside.
Making the cream cheese topping
Step 4- Add 2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese (Room temp), 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 4 large eggs (Room temp), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon all spice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon until it’s starts to combine. From there mix it with a hand mixer on high speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and set aside.
Preparation of baking pan
Step 5- Spray your cake pan with Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray or spread softened butter onto the bottom and sides of baking pan. From there add a sheet of parchment paper into baking pan and make sure it fits throughout the bottom and sides of baking pan.
Assembling and baking the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 6- Add your spice cake dough into your baking pan and press it down into the baking pan as evenly as possible using your hands. Make sure it reaches all around the bottom of your baking pan.
Step 7- Add the apple slices on top of the flattened spice cake dough. Spread them around as evenly as possible. Pour the cream cheese topping on top of the apples. Topping should cover the apple slices entirely.
Step 8- Shake the baking pan and tap it along the bottom. As you shake the baking pan, the apples will float to the surface of the cream cheese. From there lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top of the apple cream cheese topping.
Step 9- Place into a preheated 350-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 1 hour.
Step 10- Remove the cake from the oven. If you tap the cake at the top and it springs back, the cake is done. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours before flipping.
Step 11- To flip the cake over, add a sheet of parchment paper on top of the cake and flip onto a flat surface like a wooden chopping board. The cake should release easily out of the baking pan. From there place a cake serving pad, upside down on to the bottom of the cake and flip the cake back over onto the opposite side. From there cut it with a knife into 12 to 15 squares and afterwards the cake is ready to be served. You can also dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving as well. For best results serve the next day so that way the flavors can settle and increase overnight.
YouTube instructional video
