I have several apple trees at home and my boys love to climb them to pick apples, often coming inside with laundry baskets heaping full. This simple apple cake recipe is the perfect way to use up some of them and has become one of my family’s favorite apple recipes. It packs in lots of fresh apple flavor from both apples and applesauce, and it’s right up there with other favorites like my apple protein muffins and this baked apple cinnamon oatmeal.
Recipe Highlights
Lots of apple flavor: Two apples are shredded into the batter for a moist, tender texture, while the third is thinly sliced and arranged over the top for a beautiful presentation.
One-bowl recipe: The batter comes together in a single mixing bowl with just 15 minutes of prep, keeping both preparation and cleanup easy.
Easy to adapt: It’s easy to make this cake gluten free or dairy free, as needed, or to slightly adjust the flavor with different spices and apple varieties.
Main Ingredients And Substitutions
This apple cake recipe comes together with a simple list of pantry staple ingredients:
- Apples: I use three medium-sized baking apples. I think sweet-tart apples provide the best flavor and I prefer red apples, such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Cosmic Crisp. Any variety will work, though. I’ve also used Fuji, Braeburn, and Granny Smith apples with success.
- Unsweetened applesauce: This adds even more sweetness and apple flavor, reducing the amount of white sugar needed while contributing moisture to the cake. I use unsweetened applesauce to keep the sweetness balanced.
- Milk: I typically use unsweetened non-dairy milk so my youngest and I (who are lactose intolerant) can enjoy a slice after dinner with the rest of the family. But any cow’s milk or dairy-free milk alternative will work. Combined with a little white vinegar (or lemon juice), it contributes to the cake’s soft, tender crumb.
- Butter: I use melted unsalted butter over vegetable oil, olive oil, or coconut oil to give the cake a rich flavor and add moisture, preventing it from being dry or crumbly.
- Eggs: Two large eggs provide structure and help the cake hold together. I have not tested this recipe with flax eggs or other egg substitutes.
- All-purpose flour: This forms the base of the batter, creating a soft, tender cake. Gluten free flour blends also work.
- Cinnamon: A generous amount of ground cinnamon adds warm flavor that complements the fresh apples and gives the cake depth.
- Powdered sugar: A light dusting over the cooled cake adds a touch of sweetness and gives it a pretty finishing touch.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Putting This Simple Apple Cake Together
Even with such a bakery-worthy appearance, this cake comes together with just 15 minutes of prep time. It’s beginner-friendly and truly so easy.
- Create homemade buttermilk: Stir the milk and vinegar in a bowl, and set it aside at room temperature. It will curdle slightly. The acid helps break down proteins and gives the cake a nice rise, so it turns out soft and fluffy.
- Combine the batter: Whisk the wet ingredients with the buttermilk mixture. Then, add the dry ingredients, and stir just until the batter is combined and no streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix. Then, fold in the shredded apples, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Add the topping: Pour the cake batter into a parchment paper-lined cake pan, spreading it out evenly. Arrange apple slices on top, placing them in a circular pattern starting from the center of the cake.
- Bake: Transfer the cake to a preheated oven and bake. Every oven is different, so I keep a close eye on my cake, adjusting the baking time as needed and pulling the pan from the oven as soon as the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Cool and serve: Invert the cake onto a large plate. Then, place a second plate on top, and flip it again so the top of the cake is face-up. Let the cake cool completely, add a dusting of powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Make It Dairy Free
I make this cake dairy-free by using plant-based butter and dairy-free milk.
Make It Gluten Free
To make this cake gluten-free, I swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. And I weigh it with a food scale for the most accurate results. It turns out just as soft and tender as when I use regular all-purpose flour.
How I Like To Serve It
I serve this apple cake for my family as an after dinner fall dessert with a light dusting of powdered sugar. I sometimes add a sprinkle of brown sugar and pecans, too. My boys prefer their slices topped with cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.
This recipe is also delicious served as an afternoon snack with a cup of quality coffee or tea, similar to my apple coffee cake and this cinnamon roll coffee cake. Since it isn’t overly sweet, I often serve this cake alongside some of my favorite brunch recipes for a fun weekend spread. It’s perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
Save Some For Later
Once the cake is completely cool, I store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, I freeze individual slices in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, placing parchment paper between pieces to prevent sticking. Then, I thaw slices overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
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Apple Cake Recipe
This simple cake is packed with apple flavor from both fresh apples and applesauce. Shredded apples keep the cake moist and tender, while thinly sliced apples arranged on top create a beautiful presentation with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (275 g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 medium apples, divided
- 1– 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper* then set aside.
- Shred two of the apples (with the peel still on) using a box grater or food processor; set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the milk and vinegar. Stir together and set aside for 2-3 minutes.
- To the milk-vinegar mixture in the bowl, add the applesauce, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; whisk well to combine.
- To the same bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir until just combined.
- Fold the shredded apples into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the remaining apple into thin slices with the peel on. Arrange the sliced apples over top of the batter in a circular pattern
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-42 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
- After the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, place a large plate over the top of the cake and gently invert the cake out onto the plate.
- Place another plate or serving tray over the bottom of the cake and flip it over again so the cake is face up.
- Let the cake cool completely before dusting lightly with powdered sugar and cutting into 12 slices.
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Notes
* To make the parchment circle, place the baking pan on a sheet of parchment paper and trace around the pan with a pen or pencil before using scissors to cut just inside the lines to create a perfectly sized parchment liner.
Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp or any sweet-tart apples work well. Leave the peels on, shredding two apples for the batter and thinly slicing the third for the topping.
For gluten-free cake, use a gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (296 g) in place of the all-purpose flour.
For dairy free, use a non-dairy milk of choice and plant-based butter.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/12th of the cake
- Calories: 223
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 193 mg
- Carbohydrate: 29 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 17 g)
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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