This Apple Cake Traybake is a simple sponge recipe with grated apple and spices to make it super moist and delicious. Traybake cakes are so easy to make and decorate, with no comprise on taste. I've paired the apple sponge with a sweet caramel buttercream to give the whole cake a toffee apple vibe. And then I've drizzled over some irresistable caramel sauce! It's a great cake for autumn in particular, but can be enjoyed any time of the year of course. It'd also be perfect for bakes sales and parties as it's quick and simple to make, and portions easily for a crowd.

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used unsalted butter for the buttercream, for the cake I used a baking spread.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a mix of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, or use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead.
I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the cake a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
If you can’t get caramel extract, add 75g caramel sauce to the buttercream instead.
If you need a caramel sauce recipe, try my Homemade Caramel Sauce.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Apple Cake Traybake

To make the sponge whisk together butter and light brown sugar. Then whisk in eggs, followed by grated apple, then flour and spices.

Pour it into a lined tin and spread the mixture out evenly. Bake for around 25 minutes until golden.

Make a caramel buttercream by mixing together butter, icing sugar and caramel extract (or caramel sauce). Then smooth it all over the apple cake. Decorate with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place and will last for 3 days. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend, and the plain wholemeal flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for both the cake and buttercream. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make this recipe if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

What caramel sauce should you use?

My favourite caramel sauce to use is my Homemade Caramel Sauce, it's rich, smooth and absolutely divine! You can also easily add salt to it to make it into a salted caramel sauce. If you don't want to make your own, it's quite easy nowadays to find a good quality ready made caramel (or salted caramel) sauce in the shops or online. I have used Tesco's Finest, Bonn Maman and Carnation Caramel in the past with great results.

What kind of apples should you use?

I have used Jazz, Gala and Pink Lady apples to make this cake, but any sweet eating apples will work.

More tips for making the Apple Cake Traybake:

You can flavour the buttercream with vanilla instead if you like, or leave it out entirely and just enjoy the apple sponge with some custard!
I grate the apple, but you can also chop it up into small cubes

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

Recommended equipment & ingredients*

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