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.
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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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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.
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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
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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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Has anyone added frangipani to this recipe?
Just looking for a variation…
Made with avocado oil. I could eat the whole pan myself. I doubled the recipe
Wondering what type of oil would work best. I like to cook with olive oil but i have issues with baking with it sometimes. Is there any oil suggestions preferably no seed oil? Thanks
I bake with avocado oil frequently; it works great, and the oil has no flavor.
Delish! I added a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter and I doubled the topping to cover the whole cake. I didn’t make the honey butter tho. My family gobbled it up! Thanks for this!
I make this GF by using King Arthur 1:1 mix. Recieves raves from wife’s office.
Hi Lindsay:
My neighbor brought over apples she picked. Want to make her your cinnamon sugar apple cake. Need to know what 1/2 an egg is and what 1/6 cup of oil equates to. Would like to make it tomorrow. Thank you.
Joanne
Made this apple cake today. I added 1-1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice and 1/8 t nutmeg and walnuts and dried cranberries to the batter. I was not interested in the topping – just had with whipped cream and it was great. Wanted more fall spices and appearance.
This cake is fabulous ❣️❣️ First night with whipped cream. Then this morning with honey butter. Second day taste was better (if that’s possible). Absolutely delicious ❣️❣️Will be making this often❣️
So good but this desperately needs salt!
It is impossible to have the layer of sugar on top using 1/2c sugar 1tbl butter and 1 tsp cinn. absolutely will not cover a 9×13 cake like you video shows.
you don’t that for sure until you make it
It is impossible to have the layer of sugar on top using 1/2c sugar 1tbl butter and 1 tsp cinn. absolutely will not cover a 9×13 cake like you video shows.
It’s absolutely NOT impossible… I’ve made this cake so many times. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch. It’s not supposed to cover every square inch. If you’d like more, than add it.
you don’t that for sure until you make it
This was fantastic. Can’t stop eating it 😋. I did change the sugar to only a cup (plenty!) Also added a pinch of salt and a tsp of cinnamon to batter too. It only took 20 mins in a 9×13 glass Pyrex. The sugar top came out lovely and crisp but unfortunately it was a bit soggy the next day (though my son thought it tasted better. Going to make again with the glaze next time. Thanks for the easy yummy recipe 😃
So I made this again with only a cup of sugar (plenty) and also a pinch of salt and tsp cinnamon to batter. This time with the maple glaze and it was AMAZING!!
Brought it to a charity function and everyone raved about it. I’m about to make again for a neighbour who loved it. Only 20 mins in a glass Pyrex 9×13. 🥰
I love this recipe! I made it on Sunday for my family, and almost all of it was devoured by the next morning. I ended up making another for my coworkers, and it was a hit! It will definitely be one of my go-to recipes!
I left Put an ingredient. Baking soda! Ahh so it’s a gooey apple cake. Lol
Delicious! Grandsons gobbled it up after Sunday dinner! Don,t bother trying to half the recipe. Whenever you make it will disappear! I did use apple slices instead of chopped .Next time I will chop. Almost too moist this way. Next time I will use a liitle nutmeg or cardamon also.This is a keeper!
Yay! So glad to hear it, Celia!
I made this apple cake recipe and it was a big hit at my potluck! It turned out so moist and yummy. I read other reviews and followed some of their suggestions.
To the cake batter – I added 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cinnamon. I only put in 1 cup of brown sugar.
To the cinnamon sugar topping – I added 1/2 cup walnuts.
Everyone loved my cake and I will be making it again…very soon!! It’s definitely a keeper!
I made this apple cake recipe and it was a big hit at my potluck! It turned out so moist and yummy. I read other reviews and followed some of their suggestions.
To the cake batter – I added 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cinnamon. To the cinnamon sugar topping – I added 1/2 cup walnuts.
Everyone loved my cake and I will be making it again…very soon!! It’s definitely a keeper!
Do you peel the apples for the apple cake?
We don’t to make it easier!
The cake is delightfully fluffy and the crunch top is great. But this recipe DEFINITELY needs salt. I tried it a second time and added half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon and it was great.
I love this cake. It is light, fluffy, moist, with just the right amount of sweetness. I used apples from one of my apple trees. I’m planning to make muffins with your batter. Thank you!
I love this recipe. I make it often when I have apples that need using up. I’ve subbed the oil for butter with no problems and reduced the brown sugar by 1/2 a cup once when I ran out and couldn’t tell the difference. Always gets great compliments, thank you!
The best fall cake! So moist and delicious I’ve made it twice and it’s amazing
The cake was much too sweet and did not have much flavor (beyond sugar). There should be even a few spices added to the cake itself, and not just relying on the cinnamon sugar for flavor. I can’t even imagine the honey butter on top! Also, the sugar mixture melted into the cake and was not a crunchy topping, as displayed in the video.
This cake is delicious! Super easy to make and so flavorful! Do not forget the honey butter! Yum!
This is delicious cake. It is sweet. I made it to send my crush
I made this with oat flour and the texture and flavor was amazing!!! Now if I could figure out a way to cut down on the brown sugar. Well done, it’s an amazing recipe! I made the cake on a Labor Day family lake trip, everyone enjoyed and went back morning after morning for more. Whole Milk Vanilla Stoneyfield yogurt on the side is an added bonus.