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The Best Apple Cake Recipe

The Best Apple Cake Recipe

The Best Apple Cake Recipe is a moist, tender, and perfectly spiced cake bursting with fresh apple pieces. Ideal for family gatherings, holidays, or cozy nights, it uses simple pantry ingredients and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the natural sweetness of crisp apples. Easy to prepare and versatile, this apple cake is a comforting treat that delights every time.

Ingredients

Scale

Fruit

  • 3 cups fresh apples, peeled, cored, and diced (preferably Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend for gluten-free option)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (or plant-based butter for vegan)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk (or dairy-free milk for vegan)

Instructions

  1. Prep and Slice the Apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples into even pieces so they cook uniformly and distribute evenly throughout the cake.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to combine all flavors and leavening agents evenly.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, creating a soft texture and enhanced flavor in the cake.
  4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract, ensuring the batter is smooth and fully combined.
  5. Alternate Adding Dry Ingredients and Milk: Gradually add the dry ingredients alternated with milk or buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry mix to maintain batter consistency.
  6. Fold in the Apples: Gently fold the diced apples into the batter, making sure they are distributed evenly without overmixing.
  7. Bake: Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool and Enjoy: Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing, so the flavors settle and the texture firms up perfectly.

Notes

  • Use fresh, crisp apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best texture and flavor.
  • Don’t overmix the batter to avoid a tough cake texture.
  • Measure flour using the spoon and level method to prevent heavy batter.
  • Check oven temperature with an oven thermometer for accurate baking.
  • Begin checking for doneness at around 40 minutes to prevent overbaking.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cake, moist apple cake, easy apple dessert, baked apple cake, cinnamon apple cake, gluten free apple cake, vegan apple cake