Ahh, Apple Cake 🍎🍰—a moist, spiced cake loaded with tender apples, perfect for fall or anytime you crave a sweet, fruity treat. It can be made as a simple sheet cake, bundt, or layer cake. Here’s a classic, easy-to-follow recipe:
🍎 Classic Apple Cake
Serves 8–10
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- 2 cups peeled, cored, and chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)
- Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan or an 8-inch round cake pan.
- Mix dry ingredients
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugars
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in apples (and nuts/raisins if using)
- Gently fold chopped apples and optional mix-ins into the batter.
- Bake
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40–50 minutes (for 9×13) or 50–60 minutes (for round pan), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool & serve
- Let cool slightly before slicing. Optional: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel sauce.
🔥 Tips for Perfect Apple Cake
- Apple variety: Granny Smith for tartness, Honeycrisp or Fuji for sweetness.
- Extra moisture: Mix apples with 1 tsp lemon juice to prevent browning and keep the cake moist.
- Spices: Cinnamon + nutmeg is classic; add ¼ tsp allspice or ginger for warmth.
- Add-ins: Nuts, raisins, or even shredded coconut for texture.
Variations
- Upside-down Apple Cake: Caramelize sugar and butter at the bottom of the pan with apple slices before pouring batter.
- Caramel Apple Cake: Drizzle baked cake with warm caramel sauce.
- Layer Cake: Slice into layers and frost with cream cheese frosting.
If you want, I can give you a super moist, spiced apple cake with a crumb topping that’s almost like a coffee cake 🍎✨—perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
Do you want me to do that?
