Apple Pecan Cream Cheese Loaf Cake
Layered loaf cake with spiced apples and pecans, topped with cream cheese filling and vanilla glaze. Soft crumb with nutty texture and subtle cinnamon warmth. The cream cheese layer adds richness between apple-studded batter sections.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup chopped pecanswalnuts1:1earthy tasteFull guide →
- 9 ounces cream cheese, softenedmascarpone1:1richer flavorFull guide →
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅝ cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flourwhole wheat flour1:1nutty flavoradds glutenFull guide →
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milkbuttermilk1:1tangier crumbFull guide →
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoons milk, adjust as needed for best consistency(optional)buttermilk1:1tangier crumbFull guide →
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (350°F). Spray or grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- 2
Combine diced apples, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- 3
Mix softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in another bowl.
- 4
Beat softened butter and white sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time while mixing. Mix in oil and vanilla.
- 5
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- 6
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese filling on top and spread evenly with a spatula. Add half the apple mixture and pat lightly into batter.
- 7
Pour remaining batter over apple layer. Top with remaining apple mixture and pat lightly into batter.
- 8
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
- 9
Mix vanilla glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of cooled cake.
Tips
Dice apples into small pieces so they distribute evenly through the cake.
Softening cream cheese and butter to room temperature ensures smooth mixing.
Use a spatula to spread cream cheese filling evenly for consistent layers.
Check cake at 1 hour with a toothpick, as baking time varies by oven.
Adjust glaze milk gradually until you reach pourable consistency.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Freezable up to 1 month.
Prepare cake up to 1 day ahead. Add glaze on serving day.
Serve at room temperature or chilled. Pairs with coffee or tea.
Common Mistakes
Overmix batter to avoid dense, tough crumb.
Don't skip sifting dry ingredients to prevent lumps and ensure even baking powder distribution.
Pat apples gently into batter to avoid sinking to pan bottom.
Add glaze milk slowly to avoid runny consistency.