This simple cinnamon sugar apple cake is light and fluffy, loaded with fresh apples, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer!
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
This cinnamon sugar apple cake is just one of those things that is very regular but somehow elevates the day a little bit. It’s low maintenance, highly snackable, has delicious sweet apple flavor, and 100% as warming, fragrant, and cozy a basic apple cake should be.
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This is my most requested cake recipe at work. If I don’t cut the first piece- poof all gone! Don’t change a thing. Delicious and addicting.
This apple cake is
- light and fluffy
- loaded with fresh apples
- sweet but not overly sweet
- magically crispy with that layer of cinnamon-sugar on top
- a nice vehicle for some whipped cream or honey butter
- excellent with coffee
- and a sweater
- and a fall candle
- coming to you, warm, fresh-out-the-oven, in just under an hour.
It’s just so, so good. And I want to tell you all about it.
In This Post: Everything You Need For This Apple Cake
- VIDEO for how to make this recipe
- Ingredients you need
- Three ways to cut your apples
- Best apples for apple cake
- Frequently asked questions about this Apple Cake
- How to make this Apple Cake
- How to serve this apple cake
- Recipe variations on Apple Cake
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Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
Ingredients For Apple Cake
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Apples (anything can work, but Honeycrisp or Granny Smith Apples are 💯)
- Dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, brown sugar)
- Wet ingredients (egg, oil, buttermilk, vanilla)
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
- BUTTER
It’s very likely you already have everything on hand which makes this the best lazy weekend last-minute treat.
How To Cut Apples For Apple Cake
First of all, let me just establish that I do not peel my apples for anything. No thanks, man. I just cannot be bothered to spend any time removing a perfectly good, edible, nutritious peel. You go ahead and make the rules in your own kitchen.
Here are some apple-cutting options for you:
- Finely diced (top): classic apple cake situation. You’ll get tiny pockets of juicy apple tucked into your cake. Very normal and delicious.
- Thinly sliced (middle): my personal favorite. I use a mandoline (affiliate link) to slice the apples super thinly, and then I run through them again with a knife to create bite-sized, paper-thin pieces of apple. This allows you to still get those pockets of apple in your cake, but helps distribute the apples a bit better so you’re not ending up with such heavy chunks of apple in the cake.
- Shredded (bottom): the pieces of apple will magically sort of “disappear” into the cake. No pockets of apples – just lots of that naturally wonderful apple sweetness. This is my second favorite way to cut the apples.
The Best Apples For Apple Cake
Now that you know how to slice ’em, what’s the best type of apple to use in this recipe?
Here are a few of my favorites:
- My First Pick: Honeycrisp! Juicy, crunchy, local to Minnesota (true story!), and just the perfect tartness and sweetness for this cake. I also love these in apple crisp.
- A Close Second: Granny Smith. I love the tartness of these green wonders, so if you like a little more zing, this is a good one.
- In a Pinch: Fuji or Gala. Great apples, but not as good as our friends above! These will still work great for this cake and are very delicious.
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake: Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of flour do you recommend?
All-purpose flour is perfect here!
Will this work without the crumb topping?
It totally will, but also, why would you not?! It’s so good!
Can I make this vegan?
Sure! Just use a vegan flax or chia seed egg, vegan butter, and dairy-free milk to make the buttermilk.
What type of apples would you recommend for this cake?
Just about any type of apple would work (it’s pretty forgiving!), but I prefer Honeycrisp apples.
Could I freeze this cake?
After baking? Yes. It won’t be quite as delicious as freshly-baked, but you should be able to freeze and then thaw it with no problem. I’d just recommend warming it a bit at a very low temp in the oven after thawing.
How could I make this healthy?
By nature, this is a cake, so I’d recommend trying another recipe! These Healthy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Muffins or Feel-Good Apple Muffins might be your best bet.
What is the best way to store this cake?
This would keep at room temperature (covered) for about three days. If you want it to last longer, I’d recommend storing it in the fridge after baking.
Here’s How To Make This Apple Cake Recipe
Let me show you how it’s done, step by step (in photos!).
Mix your apples into the batter in a large bowl and spread that mixture into a pan.
Top with a dust of that buttery cinnamon sugar sand.
Bake, slice, and now eat, like, a lot of apple cake.
This cake was the perfect weekend treat (not to mention Monday snack and Tuesday 2nd dinner), and guess what’s right around the corner? Wednesday breakfast.
Add some honey butter and coffee and you are in Cozy Fall Business.
In our house, we have no problem eating the. whole. thing. As in, two adults and one entire cake. A little piece here, and a little piece there, and three more pieces after dinner, and suddenly it’s time to make another apple cake.
Ways To Serve This Apple Cake
This cake makes for an excellent dessert, but also a little treat for a fall brunch.
Any way that you swing it, here are my favorite toppings to serve with this cake:
- Whipped Cream: Simple, delicious, easy to whip up.
- HONEY BUTTER: That’s what’s pictured in this post. You can find the quick method for this in the note of the recipe card.
- Glaze It: The glaze from these muffins is DELICIOUS and could absolutely work on top of this cake as well.
- Ice Cream: If you’re serving this as dessert, this cake is also delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Apple Cake Variations
We like this one just the way it is, but there are some options if you’re looking to mix it up.
- Bake it in a different size pan. While we’ve never tested it officially, it should work to bake this in another pan, like a loaf pan or bundt pan. How pretty as a bundt! You could also maybe bake this in two 9-inch square pans, but your cake may be a little thinner.
- Make it into muffins. I’ve already mentioned this recipe, but I think this could work in muffin form too if you’re looking for something a little more grab and go (Jennifer Garner did it!). Just reduce the baking time.
- Use another fruit. I think this could work with some other fruit variations – like pears? peaches? berries? Lots of options here.
Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
This simple cinnamon sugar apple cake is light and fluffy, loaded with fresh apples, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Apple Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk or (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 cups chopped Honeycrisp apples (see notes)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix or whisk ingredients in order given, stirring until just combined. Fold in your apples.
- Pour batter into a buttered 9×13 pan (alternatively, you can line with parchment paper).
- Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping and sprinkle / spread it evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick if needed. Serve with honey butter or whipped cream if you want. APPLE CAKE IS THE BEST!
Equipment
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Notes
Apples: I found that two average sized apples was about the right amount to get 2-ish cups of cut apples. For cuts/textures, see the photo and notes in the post! I like to use a crispy, sweet apple like Honeycrisp for this cake, but honestly, I think just about any type of apple would work.
Types of Oil: Canola or vegetable oil is what I normally use, but olive oil is also really delicious in baked goods – it just has a unique, distinct, olive oily flavor. Also, I haven’t tried it yet but I’d be willing to bet that an equal amount of coconut oil or butter would work, too.
Honey Butter: Mix 2-3 tablespoons softened butter with 2-3 tablespoons of honey. Add a sprinkle of sea salt if you want to take it over the top (you do).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cinnamon apple cake, cinnamon sugar apple cake, apple cake
More Delicious Fall Baking Recipes To Try
- Super Moist Pumpkin Bread (a fall must-bake!)
- Favorite Pumpkin Muffins (healthy, easy, and made in a blender)
- Five-Minute Single Serving Apple Crisp (the classic, made for one)
- Healthy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Muffins (like this cake, but a healthier boost!)
- Favorite Pumpkin Granola (big batch granola to give you all the delicious house smells)
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September 1, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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I made this today. My topping did NOT look like Krista’s at all! It melted into the cake. Even when I sprinkled it on, it didn’t cover the cake like hers in the photos. I’m wondering if it needs to be doubled…? It’s cooling right now, so I’m curious to see how this is going to taste. Fingers crossed!
I just made this cake. I love the cake but NOT the topping. It is too hard and crunchy for me. I thought it would be more like a coffee cake topping. I would make the cake again but WITHOUT the topping! Thanks for the recipe.
Planning on making this for next weekend when my kids arrive for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Do you peel the apples or leave the skin on?
Ordinarily I see brown sugar instructions – i.e., firmly packed, lightly packed…would help to add specifics as it makes a big difference in the amt used. Thanks
Hi Chris! Thanks for the feedback. We firmly pack the brown sugar into the measuring cups.
Wow! This cake is AMAZING!! It was baked perfectly in 45 min. I did test for doneness with a toothpick. I did the traditional dice for the apples since I don’t have a mandoline. Also, I measured out the apple using the metric conversion, but it turned out that 2 average size Honeycrisp apples was perfect. I Followed the recipe exactly as written with just a few tweeks:
*I added 1/2 tsp salt as recommended by a lot of readers
* I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the flour
*I combined any dry ingredients with the flour before mixing in with the wet ingredients (baking soda, salt, cinnamon)
* added 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the dry ingredients
*I doubled the ingredients for the topping, and I used coarse sugar (turbinado) for 3/4 of the mixture, and 1/4 regular sugar- made quite a difference in the crunch!
Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Love your recipes!!!👏💖
Delicious! The whole family loves this recipe.
Sounds perfect for fall
This was good but very much needs some salt. I ended up adding a sprinkle on top of a slice and it made the flavors pop. Next time I’ll make it I’ll probably start with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a bit of cinnamon in the batter.
Forgot to mention I doubled the topping.
Wow! So simple and easy! I had everything on hand (used GF flour for my GF my daughter), subbed apple sauce pouch for the oil. Turned out great! Very fall vibes.
Next time I may double the topping to sprinkle inside the cake.
Hey there! How do you properly store this? Just made it for a girls get together and not sure if I should stick it in the fridge or just leave it out.
Ps. My house smells AMAZING! Thanks!!
The flavors are delicious, but mine did not rise has high as posted pics. My baking soda isn’t expired, but has to have been the issue. Only rose 1 inch. Oh well, still tasty.
I made this for a girls’ weekend slash birthday celebration spa day and everyone was blown away. Do not skip the honey butter and sprinkle of salt! I went with the mandolin method and it was honestly much easier than dicing and provided better pockets of apple goodness. Even the masseuse was raving about how amazing the house smelled – we of course sent her home with a big piece!
This looks delicious and like a great way to use up some of those apples I picked last weekend haha. But I was wondering is the flour measurement spooned and leveled or should I just scoop it out with the measuring cup?
It’s fairly forgiving, but typically scooped!
Okay great! Thank you so much for the quick reply! I can’t wait to try it!
Great cake and very quick to make. The crunchy topping was a really nice addition.
This cake came together very quickly (just 5 minutes!) and my children loved it. Baking time/temp was perfect, it came out moist and flavourful.
Thanks for a great recipe, this one is a keeper.
its so good, took a while to cook but i think its just bc my oven sucks. the crumb is the best part!! if u love apples or have some you need to get rid of, make this !
This is amazing. Truly.
I accidentally used more apple, but I’m not mad about that. For the topping (YUM), I used raw sugar and the crunch…O.M.G.
This will be a fall/winter staple. Thank you!
Can you tell me if you used a combination of raw and regular sugar, or all raw for the topping? I was thinking myself of substituting raw sugar for the topping. Thank you!
Can this be made ahead? How would you keep it fresh?
I halved this recipe but accidentally made a whole batch of the topping and decided to just throw it all on. This cake is so delicious it will be on rotation all fall in my house! Lindsay, you have been killing it with the recipes lately! I appreciate you!
Delicious, easy recipe. I made it gf and used King Arthur gf flour.
My kids and I picked honeycrisp apples at a MN orchard this morning…we came home and knew I had to make this. Heaven on a spoon. And it made my house smell amazing!
Perfection! Glad you enjoyed it!
Just made these as a batch of muffins and they turned out great. The only modification I made was to add some salt to both the batter (1/2 tsp) and the topping (1/4 tsp). This recipe made 12 perfect muffins. If you’re going the muffin route, I recommend using the tulip baking cup liners, they allow for more lift and you can use up all the batter in 1 batch. For my friends at a higher altitude, this took closer to an hour for me to bake.
Hi Pinch of Yum Team, could you use almond milk instead of the buttermilk? Would you add vinegar to the almond milk or just straight almond milk? Thank you!
Yep, that should work!