This recipe is a slight modification of my grandmother’s popular Jewish Apple Cake Recipe (for those of you who don’t like change, I’ve made notes so you can make it exactly as her recipe is written!). Super simple to make, no mixer required! Recipe includes a how-to video!
(Mostly) Old Fashioned Apple Cake
We took Luke apple picking over the weekend (scroll to the bottom of the page for a picture!) and after bringing home approximately 20 lbs of apples I asked on Instagram if there were any apple recipes that you’d like to see. In addition to apple fritters and apple butter, I received so many requests for a “good apple cake”. Fortunately, I already had this recipe planned to share with you today.
This is my grandmother’s apple cake recipe…. sort of. Because I’m basically incapable of leaving any recipe unaltered, I made a few subtle changes to her original recipe. I truly wasn’t sure if I could improve upon the original, but after taste-testing (and having my family taste-test) I decided I wanted to share my version with the alterations. Look, I’ve shared plenty of her recipes as she shared them with me (like her hot milk cake and apple dumplings!), so just trust me on the changes here!
Because I know I’m going to get a few comments asking me exactly how my grandmother’s recipe was written, I included the notes on how to make it as per her instructions in the recipe card.
What You Need
The recipe is simple, and the texture and technique actualy remind me a lot of my banana cake. The crumb is a bit more dense than a classic cake and is almost like a quick-bread, between the sugar in the batter and on top it’s sweet enough that it doesn’t need any frosting.
- Apples! I use Granny Smith, though you can substitute your favorite apple (or whatever you have on hand).
- Flour. Use all-purpose (plain) flour. Do not use self-rising flour, and I have not tested this recipe with cake flour so I can’t advise on that.
- Sugar. This recipe uses a fair amount of sugar. My grandmother’s recipe used all granulated, but I love the flavor brown sugar adds so I substituted half of the granulated sugar with brown.
- Cinnamon. A bit of cinnamon mixed with sugar makes the topping for this cake (and I toss the apples in a bit of it, too).
- Oil & Butter. Another deviation from my grandmother’s recipe: she uses all oil. I love the flavor butter adds so again I split it right down the middle and melt a stick of butter for my variation of the recipe. The cake is plenty moist enough (thanks to the apples) and doesn’t suffer for the reduction.
- Baking powder. Helps keep the cake from being too dense.
- Eggs. You’ll need 4. Large or extra large will work.
- Salt & Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Buttermilk. This adds a subtle depth of flavor to the cake. Her recipe uses orange juice, which you can use instead, but I prefer to use buttermilk.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Apple Cake
The batter for this recipe can be made in a single bowl in 5 steps and it can be done completely by hand (no mixer needed).
- Toss together chopped (peeled) apples with a bit of cinnamon and sugar.
- Stir together dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
- Whisk together your wet ingredients in that well (this saves us a dish, but you could do it in a separate bowl if you prefer) then gently combine wet and dry ingredients and stir in apples.
- Spread into pan, top with the rest of your cinnamon/sugar and bake!
TIP: Because this cake is moist and a bit dense it can be difficult to tell when it’s finished baking (the toothpick test doesn’t always cut it). If you’re not sure if your cake is done, pierce the center with a sharp knife and take a peek inside to make sure it’s not raw!
Frequently Asked Questions
Use my easy buttermilk substitute instead (you just need whole milk and vinegar or lemon juice). Alternatively, use orange juice, which is what my grandmother uses in her recipe.
Yes, but either omit the topping and use the glaze from my bundt cake recipe or you can portion half the batter into the pan and then layer and swirl some of the topping in the center before adding the rest of the batter.
To make in a bundt pan, thoroughly grease and flour the pan first and then bake for approximately 1 ½ hours. Check after an hour and loosely tent with foil if the cake is browning too fast. Use a wooden skewer or knife to test if it’s done.
Granny Smith are my preference and a nice slightly tart contrast to the sweet cake. However, just about any apple may be used (Honeycrisp, Gala, Cortland are all good choices). Keep in mind Granny Smith apples are quite tart and substituting a sweeter apple (which is just about any other apple) will make the cake sweeter, too.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. It may also be frozen (tightly wrapped) for several months.
I haven’t tried it but I don’t really see why not. Instead I’d rather direct you to my apple crumble muffins, which are specifically designed to be made in a cupcake tin .
More Recipes You Might Like
- My Favorite Apple Pie
- Apple Crisp
- Homemade Apple Turnovers
- Apple Crumb Muffins
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Apple Cake
Ingredients
Topping
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups apples peeled, cored, and diced. I use Granny Smith (375g)
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed (200)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (115ml)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
- 4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup buttermilk or orange juice (80ml)
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.
- Prepare topping by whisking together ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Measure out just 2 tablespoons of the mixture and pour over your apples. Toss until all apple pieces are coated and then set aside.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 3 cups apples
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until well-combined.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Make a well in the center and add oil, butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Stir the liquid ingredients together until combined and then carefully fold the dry and wet ingredients together until well-combined (but don’t over-mix).½ cup canola oil, ½ cup unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, ⅓ cup buttermilk or orange juice, 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add apples and stir until combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with remaining topping mixture. Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 40-45 minutes if using a metal pan or 50-55 minutes if using a glass dish. Cake will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter!). Since it’s a somewhat dense cake, sometimes I like to use a knife to make a small cut in the center of the cake and make sure it’s baked through.
Notes
The Old-Fashioned Way:
My grandmother’s recipe was done by mixing together the cinnamon, sugar, and apples first and setting aside. She used all granulated sugar and no brown (2 ½ cups/300g total), all oil and no butter (so 1 cup oil total) and orange juice instead of the buttermilk. Half the batter was layered into the pan, then the apple/cinnamon/sugar mixture, then the rest of the batter, and it was baked for approximately 1 ½ hours.Bundt pan
This recipe may be made in a well-greased bundt pan. Toss the apples and topping mixture together and portion half the batter, then the apple/topping mixture, then the rest of the batter and bake approximately 1 ½ hours.Storing
Store in an airtight container (or covered with foil or plastic wrap) at room temperature for 5 days. May be frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Bruce
How can I decide whether I like this one or the apple crumb cake better? It doesn’t matter; I can make either one whenever I want. I made this with fake apples, and it’s delicious. Here at the height of zucchini season, it’s silly to let them go to waste. Take 8 cups of zucchini, sliced or chopped, and put it in a large saucepan with 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Drain them before using. Use in your favorite apple recipe (like this one, or apple crisp). Don’t tell anyone until after they’ve eaten it. When you tell them there were no apples in your apple cake, they’ll want another piece, so that they can prove to themselves that you’re kidding. If your zucchini are large, you should remove the seeds. If they’re small, you can remove them or leave them in. Also, the large zucchini don’t have exactly the same texture as apples, but it’s still very close, and no one would guess that your dessert is made with zucchini.
Sam
That is so interesting. I have never tried zucchini instead. I think I’ll give it a shot next time. 🙂
Bruce
I wrote that after trying just a piece shortly after it came out of the oven. For this particular recipe, the zucchini “illusion” isn’t very strong, since not much of the sugar and cinnamon go directly on it. If I make this recipe with zucchini again, I will use the 2Tbl of sugar/sinnamon as the recipe calls for, then add another Tbl of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon to the lemon-cooked zucchini. In aple crisp, however, where the sugar and spices are mixed with the zucchini, people are totally fooled by it.
I want to rave more about this cake before I go. The texture if amazing. I think the whole Tablespoon of baking powder is what allows that. It is much cakier in texture than apple cakes usually are, and that is a definite plus. I sill can’t decide between this and the apple crumb cake, though. I’ll just have to alternate between them.
Wayne
Cook this morning it was great. Loved the texture awesome cake will make again
Thanks Sam
Wayne
Vicki
This cake is delicious. Not too sweet, just perfect warm with ice cream. Made for my husband’s birthday as he doesn’t like overly sweet cakes and he loved it. Used gluten free flour and it still worked out great. Thank you Sam.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That’s wonderful, Vicki! Thanks so much for letting us know how your substitution worked. We’re so happy he enjoyed it 😊
Doris
Made your apple cake recipe this past week…AMAZING!!!…in my oven I had to bake it 10 minutes longer and was worried the edges would get dry, but no it was perfect!! And as Maria mentioned in the comments it did taste even better the next day. Also being such a dense cake you only need a small piece, so this large pan would be perfect for a potluck gathering. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes especially this one inspired by your Grandmother’s original recipe. 🙂
Emily
Hi Sam,
Do you think it would be good to put the crumble recipe from the apple muffins on top of this cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! That should work fine, or you could try our Apple Crumb Cake.
Anna
Thank you for this great receipe! I baked this cake today and it is so so good!!
Have you ever asked your grandmother who taught her this receipe? (She might have made small changes herself and would probably smile at yours 🙂 ).
Thank you again !
Sam
You know I haven’t asked her where she got it from, I will have to do that! So glad you enjoyed, Anna! 🙂
Patti
Made this apple cake using the buttermilk and added 3/4 c. pecans to the batter. Baked it in a bundt cake pan. The cake is absolutely delicious. Best apple cake I have ever eaten. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Patti! We’re so happy you loved it ❤️
Maria
Made this apple cake yesterday. I thought the cake was pretty yummy yesterday. Left it covered overnight on my counter. This morning it was even better! Super moist and delicious and the topping softened into more like a streusel. Will definitely make this again. Thanks so much for another great recipe!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Maria! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Ashlee Dashnaw
5 Stars just arent enough for this apple cake recipe. Honestly, this cake is life-changing delicious. Ive made it atleast 10 times in the last 6 months. I have used apple juice and peach juice plus buttermilk and orange juice and its always amazing. Thank you for the deliciousness Sam!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Ashlee! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂