This Fresh Apple Cake is soft, fluffy, buttery and packed with lots of fresh apple chunks. If you are looking for the best apple cake recipe, this is it!
If you are looking for more simple cakes without frosting, then try my date walnut cake or the almond flour chocolate cake recipe next!
Why You'll Love This Apple Cake
This apple cake is everything you want in a cozy fall dessert—soft, fluffy, buttery, and packed with fresh apples. Even though it's a small cake, it’s loaded with two whole apples in every bite.
It has a texture similar to a classic coffee cake, with tender apple pieces throughout and layers of cinnamon brown sugar swirled in the middle and sprinkled on top for extra flavor. It’s the perfect treat for fall baking, whether you're enjoying it with a cup of coffee or sharing it with family.
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to use apples this season, be sure to check out my other apple recipes!
-maria doss
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Recipe testing
Like my mango cake, this recipe took a few rounds of testing to get just right. The biggest challenge was balancing all the moisture from the fresh apples while still keeping the cake light and fluffy.
I first tried grated apples, like I use in my apple bread, but they made the cake dense and not fluffy. Chopped apples worked much better. I also tested layering the apples with the cinnamon sugar, but they baked into a separate layer instead of blending into the cake. Folding the chopped apples into the batter gave the best texture. Finally, I found that two medium apples added the perfect amount of moisture and apple flavor without making the cake too wet.
Best Apples for Apple Cake
For the best flavor and texture, I like using sweet-tart apples that hold their shape when baked so you get soft, juicy apple pieces throughout the cake.
My favorites are Pink Lady, Fuji, and Jazz apples. Honeycrisp and Braeburn are also great options. I find Gala to be too sweet for this cake. I personally don’t use Granny Smith for this apple cake because I find them a little too tart, but they will still work if that’s what you have on hand.
Tips for Success
- Chop the apples into small pieces: Cut the apples into ¼-inch dice.
- Choose the right apples: Sweet-tart apples like Pink Lady, Fuji, Jazz, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn work best.
- How to serve: My favorite way to enjoy this fresh apple cake is warm or at room temperature, just like a cozy coffee cake with afternoon tea or as a simple dessert.
- Storage: Store the cake in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It stays soft and delicious, making it perfect for enjoying over a few days.
Apple Cake FAQ'S
Absolutely! Mixing different apple varieties is a great way to create a more balanced flavor. For the best-tasting cake, use a combination of sweet and tart apples.
If you’re using Granny Smith, pair it with a sweeter apple like Gala to balance the tartness. Some of my favorite combinations are Honeycrisp + Granny Smith or Fuji + Pink Lady. The mix gives you the perfect balance of sweetness, tang, and fresh apple flavor in every bite.
Yes, I recommend peeling the apples for apple cake. Apple skins can stay slightly chewy and stringy after baking, which can take away from the soft, tender texture of the cake.
Peeling the apples helps them soften completely and blend beautifully into the batter. It also gives the cake a cleaner look, with smooth apple pieces instead of darker flecks of skin throughout.
Fresh apples are made up of about 85% water, which is one of the reasons they work so well in cakes. As the cake bakes, the apples slowly soften and release their natural juices into the surrounding batter, creating a cake that is soft, tender, and incredibly moist.
The natural sugars in apples also help hold onto moisture, keeping the cake flavorful and preventing it from drying out. This is why fresh apple pieces add so much more than just apple flavor—they help create the perfect texture too.
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More Apple Desserts
Fresh Apple Cake
Equipment
- 8-inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar (not packed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 medium apples
- 1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup) at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease an 8-inch round baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. 1 cup flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking pdr, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl. Whisk together until well combined, breaking up any lumps.½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Chop apples. Peel the apples, core, and chop them into ¼-inch dice.2 medium apples
- Make batter. Add the butter and sugar to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times, until the mixture is very light and fluffy.👉 Don't rush this step - it helps create a soft, light, and fluffy cake.½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar
- Finish batter. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl once to make sure everything is evenly mixed. Add the flour mixture and chopped apples, then mix on low speed just until combined.👉 Don't overmix the batter. Mix only until you no longer see dry flour.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Assemble. Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan, then sprinkle half of the cinnamon brown sugar mixture over the top.Dollop the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer—I find it's easiest to add small spoonfuls all over the pan first, then gently spread them together. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake. Bake for 38–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
🍎 Looking for more delicious ways to enjoy apples this fall? Try these cozy favorites: easy blender apple waffles for a comforting breakfast, our wildly popular apple cinnamon muffins for a sweet treat, or our Thanksgiving-favorite apple hand pies that can be baked in the oven or made in the air fryer.
🍎 Looking for more cozy apple recipes this fall? Try my apple cinnamon muffins, apple hand pies, or quick and easy apple mug cake!
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love to hear your feedback! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
