Apple Cake

Our apple cake is a classic dessert that will wake up your senses and warm your heart with its cozy fragrance, moist crumb, and delicate apple flavor.

This recipe is packed with apples inside and on top, and it’s really easy to make with simple pantry staples.

Similar recipes: vegan apple cake, apple crumble, apple bread.

As usual with our recipes, we try to squeeze in as much fruit as possible for several reasons.

More fruit means more flavor and moisture, which is precisely what we want in a cake.

We do the same for this apple cake, using four big apples in total, some mixed in the batter, some on top 🤯.

We wanted a round one-layer cake with some height and apples on top for extra moisture and flavor.

The recipe was tested several times before publishing and it always turned out delicious.

As we were testing, we noticed that the cake cooks slightly differently depending on the size of your pan.

So we recommend using a 9-inch round cake pan and bake it for around 50 minutes.

An 8-inch pan is also good. It makes a taller cake but takes a little longer to cook. A 10-inch pan works well, too, but the cake is a little too short for our taste.

But no matter what you do, make sure to check the cake with a skewer at the 50-minute mark.

If the skewer comes out mostly dry, the cake is ready! If not, bake it a few more minutes, then check again.

More apple recipes: apple cinnamon muffins, apple crumble, apple bread, apple cinnamon rolls, vegan apple pie, apple tart, vegan apple crisp.

Apples

You can use any apples, from pink ladies to golden delicious, from fuji to granny smith.

Here, we use Fuji apples. As we tested the recipe, we tried it with peeled and unpeeled apples.

If I have to be honest, I preferred the version with unpeeled apples because it was faster to whip together and turned out more colorful.

Flour

We made the recipe with plain all-purpose flour.

You can substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.

You can also substitute 50% whole-wheat flour for 50% all-purpose flour.

We haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour, but we suspect it would work well if you used a 1-to-1 GF flour for cakes.

Baking powder

Baking powder is essential to allow the cake to rise.

Milk

You can use regular or non-dairy milk. We tested almond, oat, and rice milk, and all worked really well.

Can you use yogurt? Sure, a plain one (not Greek yogurt). The cake will be denser with yogurt.

Sugar

We tested with both white and brown sugar. There is no noticeable difference there.

Oil

Our preferred oil for baking is olive oil.

You can substitute sunflower, safflower, canola, or avocado oil for olive oil.

For an oil-free cake, substitute the same amount of apple puree for the oil.

We use oil instead of butter because oil adds moisture and keeps the cake more moist. It also makes the cake lighter and taller.

Eggs

We added two large eggs.

To make this vegan, follow our vegan apple cake recipe.

Vanilla extract and cinnamon

We add vanilla extract to the batter and cinnamon on top of the apples.

You can add more cinnamon to the batter if you like; however, doing so will color the batter, which we don’t like because my parents are picky and won’t eat a brown-looking cake (yes, I give leftovers to my parents, who eat this for breakfast).

Lemon zest

Lemon zest is optional, but it adds a pleasant lemon aroma. You can substitute orange zest for lemon zest.

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a cake pan with parchment paper, bottom and sides.

Add 2 large eggs and 3/4 cups sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes on maximum speed.

Add the zest of half a lemon, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup olive oil, and beat for 2 more minutes.

Note: Can you do it with a hand whisk? Sure! SWhiskthe mixture for a couple of minutes.

Add 2 cups of flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup milk to the bowl while whisking at a low speed.

Whisk for a few seconds to incorporate the batter. Then, using a spatula, clean the sides of the bowl to remove the dry flour.

Tip: Try not to overmix the batter. A short minute should be enough.

2. Add the apples

Now add small apple pieces from 2.5 apples (about 1 pound).

The apples should be cored and seeded, but you can keep the peel on.

Yes, it’s a lot of apples. But it’s going to be delicious!

Fold the apples with a spatula until fully incorporated with the batter.

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan.

Then, cover the batter with thin apple wedges arranged in a circular pattern.

You can use peeled or unpeeled apples. You’ll need about 1.5 apples.

Sprinkle the apples with a couple of tablespoons of sugar mixed with 1oneteaspoon of cinnamon.

3. Bake the cake

Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 50 to 60 minutes. Time varies significantly depending on the oven.

Please do not open the oven while the cake bakes, or it will deflate.

A skewer inserted in the center should come out mostly dry. Check at the 50-minute mark.

Note: We tested this recipe multiple times, and it always cooked within 60 minutes and, in some cases, was ready at 50. If you use a 9-inch pan, 50 minutes should be enough. If you use an 8-inch pan, you’ll need closer to 60 minutes.

Let it cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then take it out and cool down completely on a cooling rack.

You can dust it with powdered sugar if you like.

Enjoy this apple cake for breakfast, as a snack with tea or coffee, or as a dessert.

Room temperature: it will keep for 2-3 days in a cool, dry place, best if stored in a cake dome or covered with a kitchen cloth.

Refrigerator: it can last 3-4 days if wrapped carefully in foil or an airtight container.

Freezer: Freezing is the most effective method for longer storage, allowing the cake to be kept for 2-3 months. You can freeze it whole or in single portions, each wrapped in foil or placed in a freezer-friendly bag.

In all cases, letting the cake cool completely before storing it, protecting it from moisture and odors, and avoiding exposing it to direct heat sources is essential.

To best maintain flavor and texture, it is advisable to consume it within a short period and to check its condition periodically.

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