Cottage Apple Spice Cake

The addition of cottage cheese to this nicely spiced apple cake makes it so moist and adds a bit of zing to the cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

This is a glorious cake that is super moist thanks to the addition of tangy cottage cheese. But even better are the spices of cinnamon, ginger and cloves which make every bite reminiscent of pumpkin pie but with the rich texture of a melt-in-your-mouth coffee cake. Topping the cake with cinnamon whipped cream is a must. Served warm or room temperature, it was inhaled by my family.

The recipe for this Cottage Apple Spice Cake is one I discovered and updated from this vintage gem…

I stumbled across Pillsbury’s 7th Grand National Cookbook tucked away in a cupboard when we moved into our home. The booklet, published in 1955, was yellowed with age and even had a few pages stuck together—but I fell in love with it right away. Flipping through it like stepping back in time. It’s a collection of winning recipes from the National Bake-Off Contest held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York City, where 97 women, one man, and two teenage boys competed.

The opening pages include contest details for the following year, with Ann Pillsbury herself assuring readers that “Juniors, Seniors, or Brides can win!” The black-and-white contestant photos could be straight out of Happy Days, and short bios list hobbies ranging from photography and doll collecting to “entertaining for my bridge club.” My favorite? “Inventing household appliances and creating new recipes.” Over time, I’ll be sharing more updated recipes from this booklet, along with the original author notes and photos when available.

The creator of Cottage Apple Spice Cake was a “Junior” winner named Felicia Schroetel from Portland, Maine. While no photo or bio was included for her, her recipe was worth keeping alive. I’ve modernized some ingredients and streamlined the steps for today’s kitchen. Nearly every recipe in the book originally called for Crisco, but I’ve swapped in coconut oil here for a more wholesome fat. If you’d like a lighter option, this cake is also an excellent candidate for using applesauce in place of the oil.

How To Make Cottage Apple Spice Cake

• Prep the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan (round, square, or springform). If using springform, line the bottom with parchment, grease again, and flour the whole pan.

• Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

• Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, beat sugar and coconut oil until combined. Add molasses and mix, then beat in eggs one at a time.

• Blend cottage cheese mixture: In a blender or with a fork, combine cottage cheese and milk until creamy (doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth). Stir into wet ingredients along with lemon zest and juice.

• Combine and fold: Add dry ingredients gradually to wet, mixing just until combined. Fold in diced apple and walnuts (if using). Pour batter into prepared pan.

• Make crumb topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

• Bake: Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a serving plate.

• Make whipped cream: Beat whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until soft peaks form. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

• Serve: Enjoy cake warm or at room temperature with cinnamon whipped cream. Best eaten the same day but keeps, wrapped, for up to 2 days.

Cottage Apple Spice Cake FAQs

Can I use a different oil instead of coconut oil?
Yes, you can substitute vegetable oil or even melted butter, though coconut oil adds a subtle richness and moisture.

Do I need to blend the cottage cheese?
Blending makes the texture smoother, but it’s not required. You can mash it with a fork and mix with the milk—small bits of cottage cheese will melt into the cake as it bakes.

What kind of apple is best?
Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Granny Smith all work well. Choose a firm apple that holds its shape when baked.

Can I leave out the nuts?
Absolutely. Walnuts add texture and flavor, but the cake is delicious without them.

Can I make this ahead of time?
This cake is best the day it’s baked, but it will keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. The crumb topping may lose some crispness over time.

Can I freeze this cake?
Yes. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Is the whipped cream necessary?
The cake is great on its own, but the cinnamon whipped cream adds a cozy, spiced finish. You can also top with plain whipped cream, ice cream, or even a dusting of powdered sugar.

This Cottage Apple Spice Cake is proof that some recipes never go out of style. With its tender crumb, cozy spices, and fresh apple pieces, it’s the kind of cake that feels just as right for a weekend treat as it does for sharing with friends over coffee. I love that it has roots in a vintage 1955 Bake-Off, yet with a few simple updates it fits perfectly into today’s kitchen. However you serve it—plain, with a dusting of sugar, or topped with cinnamon whipped cream—this little cake is guaranteed to bring comfort and smiles.

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5 from 8 votes

Cottage Apple Spice Cake

This Cottage Apple Spice Cake is a vintage recipe updated from Pillsbury’s 1955 Grand National Bake-Off. Moist, warmly spiced, and filled with fresh apple pieces, it’s been modernized with coconut oil (or applesauce for a lighter option) and topped with a buttery crumb. A nostalgic classic made simple for today’s kitchen.

Course Dessert or Coffee Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 459

Author Good Dinner Mom

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

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For the Cake:

• 1 ½ cups Sifted all-purpose flour, Sift first and then measure. Yes, it matters
• 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ⅓ cup Coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons unsulphered molasses
• 2 Large eggs
• ½ cup Full-fat cottage cheese
• ¼ cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Medium apple, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces (a good baking apple, like Golden Delicious, Jonagold or even Granny Smith for a bit of tart)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the Crumb Topping:

• ½ cup All-purpose flour
• ¼ cup Brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ cup Chopped walnuts, optional
• 3 Tablespoons Salted butter, melted

For the Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

• 1 Half-pint whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar,
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease with butter and flour any 8-inch cake pan (round, square or spring-form. If using a spring-form, grease the entire pan then place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom and grease again. Then flour entire pan.)

Make the Cake:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together, 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
• In a second bowl, beat ¾ cup sugar and ⅓ cup coconut oil until well incorporated. Add 2 Tablespoons molasses and mix again. Beat in 2 eggs, mixing well after each egg.
• In a blender or food-processor, add ½ cup cottage cheese and ¼ cup milk. Pulse just a few times to cream the cheese. (If you don't have a blender/processor, or if you just don't want to get it dirty, place the cottage cheese and milk in a bowl and using a fork, break up the cheese and stir together with the milk. It doesn't need to be totally smooth.) Add the cheese and milk mixture to your wet ingredients, along with 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice. Mix well.
• Add dry ingredients a little at a time and mix about 30 seconds.
• Fold in the apple cubes. Using a rubber spatula, pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Make the Crumb Topping:

• In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ cup nuts. Stir to combine. Pour 3 Tablespoons melted butter over mixture and stir until pea-size balls form.
• Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Bake in 350F degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
• Set cake on cooling rack for about 15 minutes. Then place your hand on the cake and flip it over and remove the pan (the cake is substantial enough to hold together in your hand, but you can use a plate if you want). If using parchment paper, remove the parchment and gently turn your cake over onto a serving platter.

Make the Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

• Pour One half pint whipping cream into a chilled bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Beat until peaks form and then taste to see if you want to add more sugar.
• Serve cake warm or room temperature with whipped cream on top. Add an additional dash of cinnamon to each portion if desired.
• The Cottage Apple Spice Cake is best served the day of baking, but keeps well covered in plastic wrap for up to two days.

Nutrition Facts

Cottage Apple Spice Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 459 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 55mg18%

Sodium 172mg7%

Potassium 310mg9%

Carbohydrates 59g20%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 33g37%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 239IU5%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 96mg10%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.