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.
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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 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







Angela warman says
Wow.!! Second Apple cake this week.!!😀😀 Wonderful cake my husband has never eaten a cake with such gusto,his son is coming over today,so I have been asked to make another one.My forte is jam sponge,scones and Fairings.I love cooking,so thanks for putting this fantastic recipe up.Best regards Angela.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad your family loved this one Angela! Thank you for your kind review!
Sheila says
Can this cake be made in advance, without the icing, and frozen?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes!
Eileen says
Does this need to be refrigerated?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Eileen, it’s up to you. I leave mine in an airtight container at room temperature.
Jackie says
After 40 mins mine is still sloppy in middle.
I used cooked apple so I think that’s where I went wrong.
It looks good though lol
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jackie, yes unfortunately that would change the cooking time and the result! I’m sure it’ll still be tasty!
Karin Wessely says
The best apple cake, it’s absolutely delicious. We make it frequently. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you love it as much as I do Karin!
Irena says
It’s simply THE BEST! Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay!
Jane says
Such an easy and tasty recipe! It’s moist and delicious. I usually have all these ingredients in the house so it’s an easy one to throw together! Smells divine when baking in the oven!
Jessica Holmes says
Hooray! Love hearing that Jane!
Howard says
I see the pan size is only 8″ but a cup of apple seems like a really small amount. Any chance that can been increased without ruining the recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
Absolutely! You could do 1 and half or two cups if you prefer but cooking time may increase.
Howard says
I have granny smiths. Do you think I need to par cook them or will they get tender in the baking?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Howard, they will work fine as is! They will soften. I hope you enjoy it!
Jennifer says
What if I don’t have Greek yogurt?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jennifer, Greek yogurt works wonders so I encourage you to try it. Otherwise you could do sour cream.
Angela says
I floured and sprayed pan bottom of cake stuck
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Angela, sorry to hear that. I recommend lining the cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
Maureen says
This is my go-to coffee cake recipe. I add chopped walnuts with the apple and usually skip the icing. I bake it in a springform pan for easier cutting. And I buy half cup portions of Greek yogurt so it’s fresh and no need to measure. Quick and easy.
Jessica Holmes says
That sounds wonderful Maureen!
Glyn says
Actions speak louder than words. Made this twice in the last week and it disappeared before I got a chance to try it myself! I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of sultanas to the 2nd mix which got the thumbs up.
Jessica Holmes says
That is high praise Glyn! I’ll have to try it with sultanas next time.
Jodi says
This was devine! So light and delicious.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jodi!
Lorraine says
I’ve made this twice now. It’s so easy to make and tastes delicious.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Lorraine!
Robert Kuehne says
Tastes fine
Toothpick was dry
Baked 10 minutes longer than suggested
Center collapsed into mush
Jessica Holmes says
Sorry to hear that Robert. If you didn’t change the size of the pan or the amount of apple, it must have just needed longer to cook in your oven. Try inserting a butter knife next time to get a better indicator if the centre is cooked.