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.
Christine+Waters says
Does this cake take longer in 8″ cake tin, mine has been in oven 50 mins so far and still not done. Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Christine, every oven is different so I always recommend using baking times as a guide only. You should know your cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. You might find it helpful to get hold of an oven thermometer just to check your oven isn’t running cold. I do hope you enjoy the cake!
Khelda sewell says
Amazing 🤩
Made it twice now and got great feedback from my work colleagues all asking for your recipe ❤️❤️
Jessica Holmes says
I love hearing that!
KAREN says
Hi there . Could I make this with sunflower oil instead ?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes!
Moi says
Do you think it will be possible to use mango instead of apple.
Jessica Holmes says
I haven’t tried but it may work! If you try it, let me know.
Lynda says
Great Apple cinnamon cake we loved it
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Lynda!
Sarah cook says
Simple amazing recipe
Sarah says
Could these be made into cupcakes?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes!
gail says
I adore this cake and have made it many times, it’s a winner every time. I do double up the quantity of apple because I love apple.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Gail!
Ruth Darley says
Just made this lovely cake for the umpteenth time & at my son’s suggestion have put some chopped walnuts in the mix & used a cooking apple rather than a sweeter eating apple. Even more scrumptious!! 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Sounds amazing! Love hearing that Ruth!
Panpan says
Made it today. Was very delicious!
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that!
Janet Griffiths Just says
Best apple cake I’ve tasted – making it again today. Only problem is, due to lockdown I can’t share with friends and I live alone. Guess who eats all this delicios cake? Thanks so much for the recipe
Jessica Holmes says
Aww well I hope it’s made your lockdown a little bit sweeter Janet!
Jacqueline Fingland says
Made this cake this morning and it’s delicious. It took a lot longer to bake but all ovens vary . I used soured cream and rapeseed oil as didn’t have veg oil and Greek yoghurt and it was fine Think I’ll add more apples the next time I bake it . So glad I came across this recipe and ill be trying more of Sweetest menu recipes
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Jacqueline!
TravisNTexas says
Very tasty, but despite the top being evenly golden and skewer coming out clean in an around the center, then entire center was way undercooked on the bottom. I cut out the center of the cake completely, and the outer part of the cake was great. I need to figure out why it cooked unevenly. It could be that I just took it out too early. I will definitely try it again though, perhaps in a thinner cake tin.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, yes it sounds like it just needed a little longer in the oven.
Julia Ogden says
One of the best cakes I’ve ever made – so tempting looking too. I wonder if a pinch of salt wouldn’t go amiss though…
Excellent recipe. Thanks.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Julia!
Danielle says
This is honestly the most amazing (and easiest) cake I’ve ever made, so moist and light! I actually added 1tsp Smirnoff apple infused vodka into the glaze which made it even more delicious. I used a tin of apples (and drained most of the juice) rather than fresh apple and it worked beautifully.
Thank you Jess, this one is definitely a keeper!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Danielle!