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, like in my Easy Peach Cake, 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.
save this recipe

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 or flavourless 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 sugar, cinnamon 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.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: Calories: 310 Sugar: 25 g Sodium: 143.8 mg Fat: 14.1 g Carbohydrates: 42.7 g Protein: 4.8 g Cholesterol: 42.2 mg







Lynda Plumtree says
This is one of the best cakes i have made. Everyone loved it and it was so easy. I just found that at 160°c it needed about 40 minutes cooking
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that Lynda!
Nicole says
I only made 1/2 the recipe and it yielded (4) 1/4 cup muffins, which was perfect for 1 person. They freeze nicely! I only used 1/4 cup of sugar because I didn’t want the muffins too sweet. I used 1 small gala Apple and didn’t peel it.l, and used I lactose free plain yogurt, instead of Greek. They turned out really moist and using canola oil reduced the total amount of calories. If I had used butter, they would’ve had a better flavor, but butter would’ve add 200 plus more calories. The recipe definitively deserves 5 stars
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Thanks for the feedback Nicole!
Yvonne says
I used a gluten free flour and substituted sour cream for yogurt because I didn’t have yogurt. I also used olive oil because I didn’t have vegetable. It was moist and perfect … I saw one reader added another apple which I will try next time. My family loves it! I will definitely make it again.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love that Yvonne!
Patricia says
Made this yesterday as I had all the ingredients. I do love an easy to make cake and this wine was not only easy but so yummy. My husband had two pieces as it was barely cooled. Great with a cup of something.
It’s a keeper.
Also loving the look of other cakes on your blog. Very approachable and good to share type cakes
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that! Thank you for the lovely feedback Patricia!
Frankie says
I added an extra apple, pecans and walnuts to the topping and cinnamon to the batter!
Jame McCall says
I made this recipe and couldn’t believe how great it was given the ease of putting it together. I have now made three in two days! Great way to use apples going old!
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Jame!
Wendy Flint says
Having recently been made redundant, I am finding time to do home baking for the first time in years. Have made the Cinnamon Apple Cake and it is absolutely delicious….. and oh so easy! Hubby loves it and is taking huge wedges to work with him….looks like I shall be making it again!
Jessica Holmes says
Aw I’m so glad baking is bring you joy Wendy. Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Ruby says
I could replace Greek with Icelandic yogurt right?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes I think that would work fine Ruby!
Lisa says
I just made this cake today and it is delicious!! I used 2 medium empire apples and I subbed 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce for 1/4 cup of the oil. I also used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Seriously amazing cake – super moist and great taste. I baked it in a 9×9 in pan for 35 min. I think if you use an 8×8 you will have to bake it for a good 5 to 8 minutes longer.
Jessica Holmes says
Awesome! So glad you liked it Lisa.
Martina says
I made this cake again the other day. Although I doubled the amount of apples again, I stuck with the recipe, including the sugar frosting which I didn’t bother with the first time round. OK, I sprinkled some flaked almonds on top of the cinnamon mixture but all I can say is don’t skip the sugar glaze. It makes all the difference, it elevates the cake to new heights whilst not making it too sweet. My family practically fought for every crumb.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Martina!
Mariela Capriles says
Made the cake and it was good. Better the next day. I will make again the recipe but, with another apple, a pinch of salt and more cinnamon.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Mariela!
Marieta says
I just love it
Jessica Holmes says
Yay!
Jaspreet Kaur says
This is the first time I tried baking with apples. I am glad I came across this recipe. It turned out absolutely delicious 😋. I will definitely make it again.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Jaspreet.
Jennie Jack says
I loved the idea of making a new apple cake recipe but disappointed when after giving it an extra 5 and then another 10 minutes, it still wasn’t cooked in the middle, but wary of it drying out at the edges, I reluctantly took it out of the oven. When it had cooled sufficiently, I tried a small piece and the flavour was worth waiting for. I’ll try a higher temp next time.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jennie, I always recommend using baking times as a guide only as every oven is different. If you find your cake needs a bit longer and you’re worried about the outside over baking, try putting a piece of foil over the cake towards the end of cooking. I hope you get to try it again.
Sharon Gaffney says
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Sharon!