Apples in cake? Groundbreaking! Not but really these brown butter apple cake bars are actually VERY GOOD! And surprise, there’s brown butter involved. It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t sneak in some brown butter somewhere. It’s really my only personality trait.
So these cake bars are a cross between a cake and kind of a blondie. And I didn’t know what to call them, so bars sounded fitting. They’re a little chewy, but also have a light, super moist crumb. So delicious and so easy to make!
This cake batter is very thick. It starts off with creaming brown butter and sugar together. Vanilla eggs and flour. A bit of baking powder and salt. That’s it. Thin slices of tart apple spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg are added to the center of the cake. It’s not a super apple forward cake, but it has just the right amount in the center for that bite and bit of spice and sweetness. And the powdered sugar on top is totally necessary!
Ingredients in Brown Butter apple Cake bars
- Brown butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Flour, baking powder & salt
Filling
- Thinly sliced tart apples
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
I like to bake this cake in a brownie pan. I usually slice it into 9 large squares but you can slice it into 12 mini squares as well. Aside from being super easy and delicious, you can substitute apples for pears with this recipe which would also be DELICIOUS!
Brown Butter Apple Cake Bars
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan
- Offset Spatula
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 sticks butter
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs room temp
Apple Filling
- 2 cups thinly sliced tart apples peeled
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt your butter on low-medium. Once the butter turns golden brown, remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Pop it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes until the butter is soft but not melted. Give it a good mix every 2 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425. Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, add your sliced apples along with the spices & sugar and mix. Set aside.
- Cream the browned butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes. Add in the vanilla and eggs and continue mixing for another 2 minutes. Next add in your flour mixture and mix until there are no dry pockets of flour left. The batter will be thick.
- Add half the batter to lightly greased 8 inch square pan and spread your apple filling evenly. Top with the remaining batter. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and then reduce the temp to 350 and finish baking for 35-40 minutes, until the center is set. Allow the cake to cool before slicing. Top with powdered sugar (optional) and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use any apple you’d like as long as it’s crisp. In my opinion, tart works best for this cake, so aim for a Granny Smith if you can.
