This Cream Cheese Apple Cake is moist and delicious with a sweet and spicy apple pecan topping. One of the best apple cakes around!
This Cream Cheese Apple Cake is everything you could possibly want in an apple cake.
For starters, it’s super easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. It’s a great way to bake with freshly-picked apples this time of year (or any time of year!). Plus – this cake is so good – you might want to make some room for it on the dessert buffet this upcoming holiday season.
The wonderful dense and creamy texture you’ll get in this Cream Cheese Apple Cake could be best described as ‘coffee cake meets cheesecake.’ You’ll enjoy tender chunks of apple in every bite – both in the cake as well as the nutty, sweet, cinnamon-infused topping.
This Cream Cheese Apple Cake is perfectly sweet and really – one of the best apple cakes I’ve tasted. (And that says a lot – considering we already have this Best Apple Cake Ever recipe on our site!)
You can use any variety of baking apple to make this easy apple cake. We used a mix of Granny Smith plus a Japanese baking apple variety called Mutsu. But any variety of apple that stays firm while baking will do.
We make this Cream Cheese Apple Cake in a ten-inch springform pan so we could easily serve this cake in wedges. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can also bake this cake in a 9×13” pan or dish.
You may like these other cream cheese recipes:
- Cream Cheese Crumb Bars
- Vanilla Cream Cheese Custard
- Cream Cheese Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Cream Cheese Apple Cake
This Cream Cheese Apple Cake is moist and delicious with a sweet and spicy apple pecan topping. One of the best apple cakes around!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 slices 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Butter and flour for 10” springform pan
3 cups baking apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice, divided* (See Notes below)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 whole eggs
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and flour a 10” springform pan with 3” sides.
- As you dice the apples, place in a medium bowl and squeeze lemon juice as you go, tossing to coat. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Scrape and beat again.
- With mixer running, add one egg at a time and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
- With mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape the sides and mix to a smooth batter.
- Fold in half of the diced apples and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Pour the remaining apples back onto your cutting board and chop very small (pea size) then place back into the bowl along with the brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans.
- Mix to combine then sprinkle over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Ours took exactly 65 minutes.
Notes
Use any type of apple that stays firm when baked. We used a mix of Granny Smith and a Japanese variety called Mutsu.
Hi Martha, I’ve made this cake and it smells heavenly, can’t wait to try it. It’s meant for a gathering tomorrow – would it be okay left at room temperature until then, or better to keep it in the fridge overnight?
Thank you!
Hi Jo – With the cream cheese, I’d suggest the refrigerator, but you can let it come back to room temp for serving. Enjoy!
Does this cream cheese apple cake really take 18 oz of cream cheese or one 8 0z cream cheese? ?
It’s 1 (one) 8 ounce package.
Made it tonight for dinner with adult children and significant others….Wow! They all loved it so much and said make it for Thanksgiving!!! It was a hit.
BTW…took my oven a very long time to bake it.
Thanks Rose!
For Thanksgiving, I want to make a variety of cupcakes. Could I make this recipe as cupcakes?
Hi Laura – With the cream cheese in the batter, this cake is more dense than a typical cake recipe – but even so, I think it could work. We haven’t tried it ourselves so I don’t have any specific advice on baking time etc. Please let us know how it works out!
It is Sunday morning. I am serving this apple cream cheese cake tomorrow evening.
Can I make it now? Do I refrigerate it
Or leave it out ? Please help🙏
Sure Sonja – You can make it this morning. It should be fine unrefrigerated until this evening, but I’d cover and chill after serving.
Just took out of the oven.
How long before I take it out of the pan?
Hi Sandi – I’d suggesting allowing it to cook for about 30 minutes or so, then run a knife around the outside before loosening the springform pan.
can you freeze this cake after baking
Yes – we froze some of it ourselves and it thaws nicely. Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Hi there can I make this ahead of time? Will the apples be soggy if it sits in the fridge for a few hours before serving?
Hi Cristina – A few hours (or even a day ahead) shouldn’t be a problem at all. Enjoy!
Looks delicious!! Can it be frozen?
Hi Connie – We actually froze some of the cake ourselves and it thaws nicely!
Do you cook the apples first and if you how long what temperature
No – we didn’t cook the apple first. The recipe should be followed as written.