A deliciously easy Cinnamon Apple Cake made from scratch. This soft and tender Apple Cake is packed with fresh apples and features a crunchy cinnamon topping and a drizzle of sweet frosting.
Apple-licious 🍎
Can we take a moment to talk about the match made in heaven that is apple and cinnamon? This terrifically tender Cinnamon Apple Cake is my new fave.
It’s soft, it’s sweet and it’s jam-packed with fresh, juicy apples. The final touch is a sprinkling of sugary cinnamon and a sweet milk glaze.
Can I just say that I never thought a Cinnamon Apple Cake could taste so good. I baked quite a few cakes to get this recipe JUST right and when I finally landed on the winning recipe, I was beyond excited.
One bite of this soft and fluffy masterpiece and I was fist-pumping the air. After many failed Apple Cinnamon Cakes, I instantly knew this one was the winner. Of course, I had to have a few more slices just to be oh-so-sure.
When I first attempted this cake, I started by using oil as the main fat. This is because oil tends to add moisture to baked goods, like in my Olive Oil Brownies or my Pistachio Cake. I love using oil in cakes.
The first cake was lovely and soft and the taste was on point. But the edges were a little dry for my liking. So I moved on to see if butter would work better, while also slightly altering the amount of flour and sugar.
Let’s just say, it didn’t. The first butter version used melted butter and the cake was heavy, dense and not great. To add lightness and get back closer to the original version, I tried creaming the butter and sugar, like I do in my Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donut recipe. It was better, but still nothing rivalled the oil version.
So finally, I returned to oil, but used a little less flour and added yoghurt to ensure the cake was soft, moist and never dry. It was crowned the WINNER.
What you have here is a melt-in-your-mouth cake that’s studded with fresh apples. It boasts a sugar cinnamon crumble, that once baked, becomes crisp and flavourful.
The cinnamon topping blends perfectly with the juicy, chunks of apple. Then, just because we can, we drizzle the entire cake with a two ingredient sweet sugar glaze. It’s pure perfection.
Tips for making Apple Cake
- This Cinnamon Apple Cake is incredibly easy to make. You only need a bowl and spoon – no need for an electric mixer.
- You can use any kind of apple you like, I use red Royal Gala apples. You’ll need to peel and then chop your apple into roughly 1/2 inch squares – discarding the core.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredient until combined – try not to over mix.
- The crumble is made using sugar and cinnamon. Mix together using melted butter until it clumps like sand. Sprinkle over the top of your cake batter – no need to be perfect here.
- Bake until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- The final touch? Drizzle over the sweet sugar glaze and serve!
Watch how to make it
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Cinnamon Apple Cake
A tender Cinnamon Apple Cake drizzled with a milk glaze.
Ingredients
Apple cake
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 cup (approximately 1 large) red apple, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt
Cinnamon topping
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Sugar glaze
- 30 grams (1/4 cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add chopped apple and stir briefly to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs, vanilla, oil and yoghurt. Whisk briefly just to break up the egg yolks.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon until combined – but be careful not to over mix. Spoon batter into prepared tin.
- To make cinnamon topping, combine cinnamon, sugar and butter. Mix together until lumpy and wet. Sprinkle over cake batter.
- Bake cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, mix together sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Drizzle glaze all over the cake.
Sairee says
Hi, can I use this recipe to make the cake in a Bundt pan? If yes, how would that work with the cinnamon butter topping?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sairee, this cake probably doesn’t have enough cake batter to fill a regular sized Bundt pan. If you did make it that way, I would suggest brushing the warm cake with butter and sprinkling over a mix of cinnamon sugar after baking, otherwise the crumble would be on the bottom of the cake.
Rebecca says
I made the cake in a bunt pan and it turned out great. I increased the recipe by 25%. It was still a smaller bunt. I made the cinnamon/butter/sugar crumble and put in on the bottom. I also built a mote a buried the crumble in the mote. I did that to help the sugar sink into the cake while baking. It turned into filling and not a topping. Worked great. I also cut the oil in half and replaced it with apple sauce. I topped the cake with the powdered sugar glaze. I love this cake! Will make again. Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Wow that sounds amazing Rebecca, well done!!
Jina says
I didn’t have most of the ingredients but it still worked out actually amazing, really soft, fluffy and moist. i used a can of peaches with the syrup, instead of the apple. Added a touch more flour, used icing sugar instead of sugar but a little less. Left out the baking soda and doubled the cinnamon topping. It was amazing!
Jessica Holmes says
Wow, a peach cake sounds amazing!
Dawn Miller says
Absolutely delicious, easy to make and beautiful looking! Only change I made was a 1/4 cup splenda bc my husband is diabetic.
Thank you Dawn
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dawn!
El says
Can you use 410g canned apples ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi El, I haven’t tried this recipe with canned apples. I think it could be ok but I recommend draining them so the cake doesn’t turn out too moist/wet.
El says
Ok tks. I might stick to what you said 1 big red apple 1 cup?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes that’s right!
Liz Sherry says
Can I substitute sugar with honey? I’m off refined sugars. Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Liz, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say – sorry!
Bugsy says
Haven’t tried it yet but hoping to try it by reducing oil to 1/4 cup and adding the other quarter cup applesauce. I’m sure it won’t taste as good but will help me with lowering the Weight Watchers Points.
Jessica Holmes says
Hope you love it!
Graeme Ashmore says
Completely forgot to put the vegetable oil in, still came out yummy. Will try with the oil next time.
Didn’t bother with the glaze, was sweet enough with the cinnamon crumble.
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Graeme, wow love that it worked out even without the oil!
Nina says
Wow! The easiest and most delicious apple cake I’ve ever made, it’s my dads favourite. I’ve made it twice and can’t wait to make it again- I use a large cooking apple in rough chunks and that works great.
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! Love hearing that Nina!
Amelia Vasquez says
This was the first cake i tried to bake all by myself and it was a total success!! It’s so delicious and so easy!
Jessica Holmes says
Aww I love hearing that Amelia! Well done!
Africa Rubies-Mirabet says
Hello Jess,
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is easy, comfy , healthy and delicious¨! After making it, my teenage daughter declared now it is her second favorite cake (the first being the carrot cake, unbeatable).
I made it with the cinnamon crunmble (delicious) and without the glaze. The result was a very homely buy not tww sweet cake. Nex time I’ll try adding some hazelnuts, as someone has suggested, or even pinenuts (very used in the Medierranean countries)..
Greetings from Catalonia!
Jessica Holmes says
Oh fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I love the suggestions you made as well – adding nuts would be lovely.
Sabrina says
I made this cake and can I just say that this is one of the absolute best cake I have made till now? I’m not even exaggerating. It’s fluffy, soft and little apple pieces in every bite! And btw, I absolutely dislike apples.- but now if I have apples it’ll be this way. I’m now gonna go through other recipes ti make – so happy I came across your page! Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Aww this makes me so happy! Thank you for the lovely feedback Sabrina. I’m so glad you love this cake as much as I do!
Brandi L Parsons says
I am wanting to try this recipe as it looks amazing, but I do need a little clarification.. Is caster sugar what we in the US call superfine sugar??
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Brandi, you can use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar if you like. It is a fine white sugar, I wrote a blog post about it you might find useful – you can read it here.
Nicky says
Thank you for this easy to follow, delicious recipe. My daughter is a coeliac so used gluten free flour which didn’t alter the look or taste. Can’t wait to try out other recipes you have suggested. I will be recommending you.
Jessica Holmes says
Aww thank you so much Nicky! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake – and love that it worked out gluten free as well!
Jeanine McAuliffe says
Making my third one today but his time will have bigger pieces of apple and adding chopped hazelnuts.
Jessica Holmes says
Oh hazelnuts would be delicious!
Arun says
Amazing taste and texture. I will stop buying store bought ones now 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
That’s amazing! Thanks for the lovely feedback!