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slice of the easy apple cake recipe
Jon Simon

Easy Apple Cake Recipe | Classic & Moist

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A simple one-bowl apple cake made with sweet Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith apples, warm cinnamon, and vanilla. Moist, tender, and ready in just over an hour — no mixer required.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 285

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and levelled — do not scoop directly from the bag
  • 1 cup granulated sugar can substitute up to half with a baking-friendly monk fruit or erythritol blend to reduce sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup butter melted and cooled slightly
  • ¼ cup neutral oil vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large Honeycrisp apple peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks

Equipment

  • 1 9x13 inch baking pan
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Wire Rack
  • 1 Toothpick or cake tester

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter and dust lightly with flour, or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate bowl or measuring jug, whisk the eggs, melted butter, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix or the cake will be dense and tough.
  5. Fold in the chopped Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apple pieces until evenly distributed through the batter.
  6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. The batter will be thick — use the spatula to push it into the corners.
  7. Bake for 40–50 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Start checking at 40 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 180mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24g

Notes

Net carbs: approximately 40g per slice (42g total carbs minus 2g fiber). This is not a low-carb recipe — see substitution notes below to reduce sugar content.
Do not overmix: Fold the batter until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a dense, tough cake.
Apple variety matters: The combination of sweet Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith creates a balanced flavour. Using only one variety works but produces a less complex result.
Reduce sugar: Substitute up to half the granulated sugar with a baking-friendly erythritol or monk fruit blend for a lower-sugar version.
Gluten-free option: Replace all-purpose flour 1:1 with a GF flour blend. Results are slightly denser but the cake holds together well.
Optional add-ins: Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans with the apples for crunch. ⅓ cup raisins also work well.
Storage: Covered at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen (sliced and wrapped) for up to 3 months.
Reheating: 20–25 seconds in the microwave from refrigerator temperature. From frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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