Apple-Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting

5 from 32 votes

Apple-Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting

This cake is fragrant with warm spices, the sweet and slightly nutty flavors of crunchy apples combined with earthy notes of the pumpkin puree make this cake a fall treat.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 694kcal

Author: Maureen Celestine

Ingredients

For the Apple-Pumpkin Cake

1 cup Butter, softened room temperature ( 2 sticks)
2 cups Granulated sugar (I used a combination of white and brown sugar)
2 Large eggs
½ cup Pure pumpkin purée (Not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons Pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
3 Apples, thinly sliced ( I used a combination of gala, honey crisp, and Granny Smith apple)

For the Maple Butter Frosting

1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 Package Wilton buttercream frosting mix
1 lb confectioner sugar, sifted (about 3 ½ -4 cups)
3 tablespoons Pure maple syrup
¼ cup Heavy cream (milk or water works just fine)
Wilton Icing Colors
Pinch of Salt

Instructions

For the Apple-Pumpkin Cake

Thoroughly grease a 9 x 13 sheet pan with butter or baking spray, set aside
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. Set aside
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes or until creamy. Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
Begin adding the dry ingredients, ¼ cup at a time, and beat on low speed. Once combined, remove the bowl from the stand (if using a stand mixer). Scrape the sides of the bowl, and gently fold in the chopped apples.
Pour the batter into the greased pan. Soak the even bake strips in cold water, remove excess and secure strips around the pan for a leveled top. Bake for 30-35mins or until a wooden stick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the Maple Butter Frosting

Add the butter and buttercream Icing mix in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix on low speed for a minute then increase the speed to medium-high, and beat for about 4 minutes or until light and airy.
Gently add the powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Add in the heavy cream, and maple syrup one tablespoon at a time checking the consistency as you whisk. If the frosting is too stiff, add more whipping cream, and if it’s too runny, add some powdered sugar. Once the frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable, remove from the stand.
Spread a thick layer of the frosting over the cooled cake and refrigerate while you combine the colors.
Next, divide the frosting into 3 portions or however many you wish to color.
For the mustard flowers, I used a combination of golden yellow and orange. No taste red, burgundy, and black for the red roses. Copper for the brown, and Kelly green for the leaves.
Insert desired Piping Tip in the piping bag, cut out the tip of the bag so the tip could fit snugly.
Place the piping bag inside a tall glass, and fold outwards. Use a spatula to add frosting into the piping bags. Seal the end of bags with rubber bands, a wand or tie back.
Finally, begin to frost cake as desired.

Notes

Bakers Tips

Can I freeze the Apple-pumpkin cake?

Yes. This cake freezes well. Wrap in a cling film, aluminum foil, and place in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can equally store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Thaw the cake entirely at room temperature or in the fridge overnight before serving.

Can I make the frosting ahead of time?

Yes. You can make the frosting the night before. Cover properly and store it in the refrigerator. Allow to sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes, then whisk before using over cake.

Mixing colors

Always start with one drop and add more as needed. Darker colors require more drops, so be patient.

Use a toothpick to add drops of colors into the buttercream, ⅓ -½ cup at a time depending on the quantity needed.

I used the following combinations below to achieve the colors for my frosting;

Yellow/mustard -

5 drops golden yellow and 4 drops orange.

Red -

¼ tsp no taste red, 4 drops burgundy, 2 drops black.

Gingerbread/ caramel brown-

12 drops Lemon yellow, 1 drop Kelly green.

Green-

⅛ teaspoon Kelly green, 1 drop black.

Nutrition