A quick and easy homemade fresh apple cake that’s moist, sweet, and delicious! Top it with whipped cream or homemade frosting.
Fresh apple cake is one of our favorite recipes to make each Fall. Not only is it easy, but it’s full of all our favorite warm Fall flavors. We love to make it along with our Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Cake, and Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls.
Fresh Apple Cake Recipe:
This apple cake has been in my family as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to pick little green apples off the tree in her backyard and use them in the cake. She’d even make extra and freeze it for when family came to visit over the holidays.
This cake is very easy to make. It’s sweet, perfectly spiced, and has just the right amount of fresh apple pieces. The batter is quite thick, so it’s not like making a traditional cake. You’ll want to grab a sturdy spoon for this recipe.
How to Make Fresh Apple Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar, oil, and eggs.
- Next, use a sturdy spoon to mix in the all-purpose flour, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Fold in the peeled and diced apples.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Recipe Tips:
- The batter will be extremely thick. One time, Kim actually broke a rubber spatula trying to stir it. So, I definitely recommend a heavy duty wooden spoon.
- I do NOT recommend using apple pie filling for this recipe. It will add too much moisture to the batter and create a gummy cake.
- Honestly, the cake is sweet enough to enjoy without any sort of frosting. However, if you feel inclined to create one, consider a using a maple whipped cream. It’s a Fall flavor that works perfectly with apples.
Storage Options:
Room Temperature: Fresh apple cake stores well at room temperature for about 3 days.
Refrigerator: This cake will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Freezer: Apple cake freezes nicely. Wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap covered by another layer of aluminum foil. The cake will stay fresh in the freezer for about 2 months.
Thawing and Reheating: Place the frozen cake in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. To reheat, place a slice of cake in the microwave for a few seconds until warm and soft.
Do you peel apples for apple cake?
Yes, you always wash and peel the apples before dicing them for the cake. Otherwise, they’ll come loose during baking and give your cake a weird texture.
What are the best kind of apples to use in apple cake?
Use an apple that will hold up to baking and not get mushy. We love honeycrisp, granny smith, or braeburn.
Is there a frosting for fresh apple cake?
Our recipe does not include an icing or frosting, but a caramel sauce drizzle, powdered sugar sprinkle, or simple vanilla glaze would all be great options.
Other Fall recipes you may love:
Don’t forget to check out our Fresh Apple Cake web story!
Fresh Apple Cake
A quick and easy homemade fresh apple cake that's moist, sweet, and delicious! Top it with whipped cream or homemade frosting.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ¼ Cups Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 Cups Fresh Apples, peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, and eggs.
- Add the flour, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Use a sturdy spoon or spatula to stir. The batter will be very thick like a paste.
- Fold in the apples, and press the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool until just barely warm. Serve with plain or with vanilla ice cream.
- See post for storage options.
Notes
*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 piece of cake. Actual calories will vary.
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 3g
*The calories are an estimate and are based on the ingredients and serving size listed. The calories can vary depending on the brand of product purchased.
Aimee Evans
Sunday 10th of October 2021
Hey gal, can I use butter instead of oil? Or half and half oil/butter? I hope this makes sense. There js a video covering the comment box as I type.
Kimberly
Sunday 10th of October 2021
Hi Aimee!
We haven't tried to swap the oil for butter, so I'd say try for half oil, half butter to start and see how it goes. So sorry about the video! We'll get in touch with our ad agency to let them know. Thanks so much for letting us know. We hope you have a wonderful week! :)
Samantha
Saturday 9th of October 2021
Hey! I made this exactly as the recipe says and added about 3/4 cup of sour cream to the batter before adding the apples. It came out so moist and delicious! Also added a vanilla glaze to the top. Thanks for the recipe 😄
John
Sunday 10th of October 2021
Good Morning Samantha, that's wonderful! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the apple cake. Adding the sour cream was a great idea and I bet the vanilla glaze was lovely. Thank you for dropping by to leave a comment. We appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend :)
Michelle
Thursday 7th of October 2021
Can this be made into muffins/cupcakes?
Kimberly
Friday 8th of October 2021
Hi Michelle!
We've never tried to make muffins or cupcakes with this recipe, so I'm not sure. If you decide to try, we'd love to know how it turns out. Have a great day! :)
Diane L Villalpando
Monday 4th of October 2021
How can u make this cake not so dense, more moister??
Kimberly
Tuesday 5th of October 2021
Hi Diane!
I don't know of a way to do that with this particular recipe. Maybe someone else has tried a different way and will comment. Have a great day! :)
Kimberly
Wednesday 29th of September 2021
Hello. I cook for the time the recipe recommended and a little longer but the center is really mushy but the outsides you crispy. I used a glass dish. Have you ever had this problem. Still tastes yummy but really mushy! Please help.
Kimberly
Thursday 30th of September 2021
@Kimberly,
Thanks for the info. I will definitely be making this cake again. It was yummy. I will try the metal pan next time and see if that helps. My oven is new so I wondered if it was the glass pan. Thanks again. Highly recommend this recipe. :) Might try the caramel topping the next time too.
Kimberly
Wednesday 29th of September 2021
Hi Kimberly!
I'm sorry to hear that the cake was still soft in the center. Normally, I use a metal pan for this recipe. If you only have glass, try decreasing the oven temperature by 25°F and add a few extra minutes to the cook time. Glass pans tend to get very hot and can make the sides of the cake crunchier and leave the center slightly undercooked. Hope this helps if you decide to make the cake again. Have a great evening! :)