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
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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.
Lauren says
Hi
Can you swap the yogurt for sour cream?
Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lauren, yes you can!
Meredith says
Absolutely gorgeous cake, rose beautifully and uniformly and tasted divine, especially with more Greek yoghurt on the side! Thanks for this wonderful recipe, I’ll be making it again!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that! Thanks for the lovely feedback Meredith!
Ruth Fleurant says
I knew this cake was a winner when I cut the first piece and could feel the slight crunch of the topping, and then tasted it and literally cheered! Thank you, Jessica!
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Ruth!! Thank you for the kind feedback!
Vineet says
Excellent recipe!! Came out very well ! Made for my wife’s birthday!!
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that!! 🙌🏻
Samantha says
This was a very easy cake to make, without a lot of dishes. My picky 3 year old loves it. I tried making a second batch as muffins but they didn’t turn out as well, I recommend sticking with the pan.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed the cake Samantha!
Michelle says
This cake was a hit with the entire family!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that Michelle!
Rajavi Agarwal says
Outstanding to another level …….easiest and most delicious tea cakes I’ve ever made and tasted
Jessica Holmes says
Thank you so much!
Dave says
This is a delicious cake which is now a family favourite. We were worried about the oil but it really works.
Jessica Holmes says
Thanks for the kind review Dave!
Angela says
Haven’t even tried this cake yet… it’s still cooking in the oven but the aroma in the house!! I cannot wait until it’s complete. I already know we are going to love it ❤️
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that Angela!!
Ang says
As I thought … this is definitely a new favourite. So incredibly moist and the perfect balance of sweet
Areej says
THank you so much for a wonderful recipe…. This is an incredibly easy and tasty…
I tried it yesterday. I just skipped the baking soda, and used less sugar and oil. It turned out perfect. I think I will use it as a classic cake recipe and then add fruits and other flavours.. Thank you..
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Areej!
ebony says
wow amazing
Huge says
You must try this cake! It is moist with a perfect texture. An absolutely brilliant recipe and so easy. When using very sweet apples I like to use a little less sugar.
Jessica Holmes says
Thank you for your kind review!
Karen Wiffen says
Delicious. Made it vegan using flax egg, non dairy spread and soya milk
Jessica Holmes says
Love that Karen!
re says
is it 386 calories for one pieces? we love this cake so much xx
Jessica Holmes says
Yes per slice, if sliced into 8 pieces.
Marcelle Boutis says
Delicious!!! I ended up undercooking by mistake so it sank in the middle but thankfully putting it back in the oven saved my yummy cake. It still turned out awesome. I love the simple sugary crisp on top. Next time I won’t be so eager. It’ll be even more delicious when I don’t screw it up! Thank you for sharing this perfect recipe!
Jessica Holmes says
Aw so glad you enjoyed it Marcelle!