diff --git a/pandas/core/sparse/frame.py b/pandas/core/sparse/frame.py
index 36a18d8f8b4a0..05f39a8caa6f6 100644
--- a/pandas/core/sparse/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/sparse/frame.py
@@ -861,11 +861,17 @@ def apply(self, func, axis=0, broadcast=False, reduce=False):
                 new_series, index=self.index, columns=self.columns,
                 default_fill_value=self._default_fill_value,
                 default_kind=self._default_kind).__finalize__(self)
-        else:
-            if not broadcast:
-                return self._apply_standard(func, axis, reduce=reduce)
-            else:
-                return self._apply_broadcast(func, axis)
+
+        from pandas.core.apply import frame_apply
+        op = frame_apply(self,
+                         func=func,
+                         axis=axis,
+                         reduce=reduce)
+
+        if broadcast:
+            return op.apply_broadcast()
+
+        return op.apply_standard()
 
     def applymap(self, func):
         """