This Apple Cake recipe is from a reader and is a gem of a find! The cake is really moist, perfectly spiced, and studded with tender pieces of fresh apple. The batter is incredibly fast to make with just a wooden spoon – no electric mixer required!
Dozer got in so much trouble over this Apple Cake.
This is how the usual routine goes down: He’s technically not allowed into the kitchen – albeit my house is open plan so strictly speaking, it’s hard to have a clear boundary that he needs to stay out of. But when I shoo him away, he is generally pretty good about taking himself off into the yard to chase rabbits, bark at birds or whatever other important contribution he’s making to make this world a better place.
But the minute whatever I’m making is ready and I take it to the area where I shoot my photos, he comes dashing inside.
“Dashing” is honestly the word. He doesn’t walk or lope. He dashes at a very fast paced trot, his heavy footed paws thudding through the house making the wooden floor shake (really, he does).
And that’s when he becomes a real nuisance. Because I’m concentrating on taking photos, I don’t always manage to catch him in the act of photo-bombing.
Case in point: Dozer photobombed EVERY SINGLE photo of this cake being dusted with icing sugar. 🙄
THAT CHEEKY BUGGER!!!
See look. Here he is AGAIN. And again. And again. GRRRRR!!!!!
So I apologise profusely to all those who find it a real turn off to see a DOG in food photos, but my bottom can’t afford for me to make this ridiculously delicious Apple Cake yet again just so I can get one single shot (I just wanted ONE!) of me dusting the Apple Cake without Dozer in the background.
OK, now I’m done stomping my foot over Dozer ruining my photos, a quick word on this Apple Cake recipe: It’s crazy easy and fast to make the batter, it’s made with FRESH apples (won’t work with canned, cake is not as moist), and it really is beautifully moist.
This easy Apple Cake recipe was given to me by the lovely Dorothy in Tennessee in the US. It was meant to be, because I had just shared an Apple Cake disaster on Instagram then a couple of days later, she shared this recipe with me (without having seen my epic failure!). I tried it once, twice, three times, then I decided I had to share it here because it is that good and that easy!
– Nagi x
More afternoon tea favourites
Cinnamon Swirl Bread – easy, no yeast!
Cheese, Herb and Garlic Loaf or Zucchini Cheese Loaf– quick bread, no yeast
Blueberry Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze or Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Cake
Savoury Cheese Muffins or Cornbread Muffins (personal fave😇)
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Easiest Ever MOIST Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour , plain / all purpose (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda) (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp EACH salt, cinnamon and ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (or 1/4 tsp freshly ground)
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar (Note 2)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs , large, at room temperature (55-60g/2oz each)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups apple , peeled, cored and cut into 8mm/ 1/3" cubes (~2 large, 3 small) (Note 3)
Optional Extra
- 1/2 cup flaked raw almonds
- Icing sugar . confectioners sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Grease and line a 21 cm / 9" springform cake pan. (Note 4)
- Place flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Whisk oil and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in eggs and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until JUST combined. Stir through apple (optional: add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts).
- Pour into cake pan. Sprinkle over almonds.
- Bake for 50 minutes – 1 hr. Check at 50 minutes – it is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar if using, then serve. This cake doesn’t need cream or ice cream because it is so moist, but I wouldn’t turn it down!
Recipe Notes:
2 1/2 cups sugar (I reduced to 2 cups)
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp EACH baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves
3 cups peeled and chopped fresh apples
1 cups chopped nuts (I use walnuts) 5. Measures – Cups and teaspoons are slightly different in size between some countries. For most recipes on RecipeTin Eats, the difference is not large enough to matter or is relative throughout the recipe. For recipes where the difference does matter, different measures are provided for different countries, like in this Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For this Apple Cake, the measures per the recipe can be used no matter which country you are in except Japan. If you are in Japan, please do not use cups, use the weight measures provided. OVENS: I have a fan forced / convection oven but have made this in a standard / conventional oven too. I found that this recipe works better using the same temperature no matter which oven type you have. The only difference is the cook time – fan forced is ready at 50 minutes, standard oven is ready at 60 minutes. But no matter which oven you have, check your cake at 50 minutes. If your oven is weak, it may take over 1 hour for the skewer to come out clean. 6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 12 servings.
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Well! After telling you how naughty he was while I photographed this Apple Cake, I’m not sure he deserves to be featured in his own section on this post…..
But who am I kidding. I can never stay mad at him.
Here he is “minding” the Apple Cake as it cooled. Just minding it. No cheeky thoughts running through that furry head, I’m sure….
This cake was sublime. Took it to my book club luncheon and it got rave reviews. Thank you.
Fantastic, I had so many apples in need to be put in some recipe so I Googled easy apple cake and your recipe came up 1st. I am a fan of everything you make so I just made it and I can say it’s now my favorite. Very moist not too sweet and great for a light snack, with coffee of course. 😋😋😋😋
The best Apple cake recipe I’ve made. Keep up the good work.
This cake came out exactly as it was described, except for the spices (i’ll try it next time). Definitely going to be a regular cake to make from now on and a great base for other cakes as well.
Sorry, forgot to rate the stars with my comment.
Thank you both for sharing this. It’s very similar to (or actually is) an apple cake i made about 20 years ago & have been trying to recreate since. I love the slightly crusty top and perfect blend of spices. I took a tiny sample piece after 1o minutes, then another, etc. Now I’m afraid I’ve eaten a quarter of it and it isn’t even fully cooled yet haha but I don’t feel bad because it has apples so that makes it healthy 🙂
I forgot to give stars
My cake is in the oven. Batter tastes great. I loved that I could measure out my spices and vanilla with a single 3/4 tsp measure and all my sugar, flour and oil with a single cup measure (fewer dishes to wash!)
The spices overwhelm the apple. You can’t really even tell the apple is there. This should be relabeled Spice Cake with Apple. That said, the recipe came out beautifully. The cake was moist. But I really missed tasting any apples!
Hi Nagi, You have been my go too person for recipes for years…sorry I have not acknowledged your wonderful site before… life gets in the way. I really do appreciate all the hard work you do. Me, I am British (Shropshire born) Left during the Thatcher eras, first to Copenhagen, DK then to Beirut Flying with MEA during the best times and worst times… Married a pilot, went to live in Alaska, used to frequent his routes Bangkok, Tokyo… Then went to Malta where he was based for a time… then Jordan… as I was no longer a flight attendant I studied to be a teacher. and that’s what I did for many years, before having a wonderful daughter and we left to Florida via Chicago 2000, I owned a British tearoom/restaurant/invitation store….I love food… love cooking but not your run of the mill British cook…Now, I live in Greece and spend my days cooking up meals for my man… daughter is married and I have a 10 year old blind white “Kokoni” Greek dog… smartest man I have ever met…I love him to bits… Enough…Hugs, and <3 … Thelm
Love this recipe so easy and great textures and flavours. I used gluten free flour and it’s a bit crumbly. May I ask your suggestions when substituting gluten free flour? Thank you Nagi
This might be the first recipe on this website that didn’t work for me and I’m not sure what I did wrong. As always, I followed the recipe to the dot (in metrics) and the end result was very oily, too sweet and hard. How could I get it so wrong. Luckily my family is just warming the slices for 10sec in the microwave and then eating with natural yogurt.
Dozer should be renamed Dasher! I love him in the photos, makes it so homely and happy.
Oh..the cake?!
Perfect and delicious
I’m confused(not hard😁)
Nagi mentioned baking powder in the notes bit all I can see in the ingredients is .75 of bicarbonate of soda?
One of the best cakes ever! And so quick and easy to prepare. Yum! I did use less sugar though.
One of the best cakes ever! And so quick and easy to prepare. Yum!! I did use less sugar though.
Live in NZ
I reduced the sugar by a few tablespoons….don’t like cakes too sweet.
Added an extra half cup of chopped apples.
Everything else as stated in recipe.
Perfect 👌
This apple cake is exactly what fall should taste like—warmly spiced, beautifully moist, and effortlessly simple. I love that it comes together in one bowl using just a wooden spoon, no mixer needed. The generous cubes of fresh apple add delightful texture, and the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves gives it such depth. Bonus points for freezing so well—I’ll definitely be baking this again.
Great recipe, I made it in regular tin then Bundt tin – both cakes delicious. After reading other comments I will reduce sugar next time.
I had apples in freezer from last years crop and they worked fine .
I made this with half the amount of sugar (I prefer cakes a little less sweet) and it was delicious. I was tempted to use less oil, but trusted the recipe and I’m glad I did as the moisture was perfect – still good three days later. I love the chemical reaction when you add the eggs to the oil and sugar mix, however mine was definitely not pouring consistency. Mine was a thick batter, but the end result was fabulous.
Thanks Bee, that’s very useful as I’m planning to do the same!