Fall is my favorite time to bake apple dessert recipes. I found an Apple Spice Cake with Brown Buttercream Icing recipe from Displaced Housewife. It is a lovely recipe that is perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients:

For the Apples

• 2 cups apples, unpeeled and small dice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

For the Cake

• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup veggie oil (I prefer sunflower seed oil)
• 3 teaspoons real vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk

For the Brown Butter Buttercream

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoon milk or more to thin

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease, flour and line a 11 x 7 loaf pan with parchment paper letting the excess fall over the sides of the pan.
2. In a medium bowl add the diced apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Continue whisking and add in sour cream, oil and vanilla extract.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
5. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the egg mixture, ending with the milk. Fold in the apple mixture into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the center of the oven (you can test with a toothpick -press into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is good to go). Let cool for 50 minutes in the pan then remove (using the excess parchment paper to pull it out of the pan) and let cool.
7. While the cake cools, prepare your icing. Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium low heat. Once melted, increase heat to medium high. Stand by, stirring. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
8. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the cooled butter and powdered sugar. Mix on low until fully blended. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg and the milk until it reaches your desired consistency. Mix until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and enjoy.