Julie Clark
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Apple Butterscotch Cake (with Sugar Crunch Top)
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Apple butterscotch cake is a buttery sour cream cake loaded with apples and butterscotch chips. It bakes in a 9″ round pan and is finished with our signature sugar crunch top.
This is the newest cake in our sugar crunch cake recipe series. It features a unique flavor combination of apples and butterscotch, which I lovingly term “applescotch”. Tart apples balance the sweetness of the butterscotch in a perfect way.
Do butterscotch and apples go together?
Yes. Butterscotch and apples are a classic fall pairing. Butterscotch flavor is similar to brown sugar and almost tastes like caramel apples.
What makes this apple butterscotch cake different?
Most apple butterscotch cakes are dense, oil-based snack cakes, similar to our apple dapple cake. This one is a creamed butter and sour cream cake with a crackly sugar crunch top. It has a tender crumb, plus apples and butterscotch in every bite.
Creamed butter and sour cream. Beating the butter and sugar for a full five minutes whips in air for a lighter crumb. That’s an upgrade from the dense, oily texture of the old version.
No cinnamon. We let butterscotch lead here. If you want a warm-spiced version, our apple cinnamon sugar crunch cake is the one for you.
What ingredients do you need?
You need butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt, sour cream, apples, butterscotch chips, and walnuts. Measurements are in the recipe card below.
What are the best apples to use?
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn are the best apples for baking. Granny Smith balances the sweet butterscotch well. Honeycrisp add a slight fresh sweet flavor.
Dice the apples small, about 1/4″ thick. Big chunks of apples may leave pockets in your cake batter.
For more ways to use a bag of tart apples, see our best green apple recipes.
How do you make apple butterscotch cake?
Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch round pan. Line it with a parchment round if you want to lift the whole cake out to serve.
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter with 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Don’t skimp on the time since this is what gives it the best texture.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add the vanilla.
Alternate the dry ingredients and sour cream. Add half of the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture. Mix gently. Add the sour cream, mixing until barely combined, then add the remaining flour. Mix just until combined after each addition. Overmixing is what makes cakes tough.
Fold in the apples and chips. Fold in the apples and butterscotch chips with a spatula.
Add the sugar crunch topping. Spread the batter in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar evenly all the way to the edges, then scatter the walnuts and the remaining chips over the top.
Bake. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is crackly and lightly golden and the center jiggles just slightly.
Cool completely. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know when apple butterscotch cake is done?
It’s done when the top is crackly and lightly browned, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and the center has just a slight jiggle. A toothpick in the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. The cake finishes setting as it cools, so don’t wait for a completely clean toothpick or it will bake up dry.
Why is my apple cake gummy in the middle?
A gummy center usually comes from apple pieces that are too large, apples that are too juicy, or pulling the cake before the center has set. Dice the apples small, pat juicy apples dry, and look for only a slight jiggle before taking it out.
Can I make apple butterscotch cake with cake mix?
This recipe was developed to be from scratch. If you want a shortcut apple dessert, our caramel apple dump cake and butterscotch coffee cake start with a box mix and still tastes homemade.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake it up to 1 day ahead and store it loosely covered at room temperature. The crust is crunchiest the day it’s baked and softens slowly as the apples release moisture. The flavor stays great for days.
Can you bake this cake in a different pan?
Yes. You may use a 9″ springform pan and bake for the same time. You can also use an 8×8 or 8-inch round cake pan and bake for a few minutes longer. For a 9×13″ cake, double the recipe and bake longer. (Start checking at 40-45 minutes.)
What should you serve with apple butterscotch cake?
Serve it with warm vanilla ice cream for dessert, or at room temperature with hot coffee for breakfast. It’s one of my favorite sweet fall breakfast recipes next to apple crumble cinnamon rolls and apple oatmeal bars.
Looking for a new apple dessert to try? Try our apple cider cake, famous apple dumplings and apple butter recipes.
Love butterscotch? Try our easy better than anything cake, butterscotch potato chip cookies and butterscotch bars.
Apple Butterscotch Snack Cake
Apple Butterscotch Snack Cake is one of our best apple recipes for a special fall treat. The flavors of moist apple cake and butterscotch pair perfectly!
Servings 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 ½ cups finely diced Granny Smith apples 2 small apples
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar for topping
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan (or springform pan) with cooking spray and set aside. If you’d like to completely remove the whole cake from the pan to serve, line the cake pan with parchment paper before adding the cake batter.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a large bowl and hand mixer), whip together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about five minutes.½ cup salted butter , 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture. Mix gently. Add the sour cream, mixing until barely combined, then add the remaining flour. Mix just until combined after each addition.1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoons salt, ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- Gently fold in the diced apples and butterscotch chips to the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the sugar and walnuts evenly over the top of the cake batter.1 ½ cups finely diced Granny Smith apples , 1 cup butterscotch chips, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- Bake 35-40 minutes, until the top is crackly and lightly browned and the center still jiggles just a bit. A toothpick inserted in the center will have moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then serve.
Notes
- Pan swaps: An 8×8 pan uses the same batter and bake time. For a 9×13, double the recipe and start checking at 40 minutes.
- Nuts: Pecans work in place of walnuts, or leave them out entirely.
- Storage: Keep loosely covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 5 days. Freeze slices for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 547IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
Do you think these would freeze well? Would you freeze before or after baking?
Im actually not a huge fan of butterscotch chips either, but WOW that is something to talk about and taste! YUM!!!
I LOVE the addition of butterscotch chips to this apple cake! What a great idea….and that streusel topping looks awesome!
Wow! This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe. By the way I love the new name “applescotch.”
I love different flavors combined and this cake looks SO good. I also love creating new words and I”m totally using applescotch! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the great recipe – pinning!
Thank you for the nice recipe.
Oh! I like the idea of a snack cake! It seems so much easier to make! 🙂 Sounds absolutely delish!