This moist grandma's old-fashioned apple cake comes straight from my childhood - it's the one my grandma used to make with apples from our orchard. With just 20 minutes of prep, it delivers that perfect balance of sweet apples and warm cinnamon in every bite.
🍏 Serves 12 | ⏱ 1 Hour Total | 🌿 Vegetarian | ✨ 10-Ingredient
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If you love this recipe, I'm sure you'll also enjoy my Apple Cake - packed with more apples than dough, my flourless yoghurt cake, or my old-fashioned lemon pound cake, which happens to be a favourite among readers.
Continuing with fruity cakes, check out this Morello Cherry Sponge Cake or the best Raspberry and Coconut Cake recipe. Looking for more crumble ideas? Try my Plum Crumble Recipe-it's simple, delicious, and easy to make.
For celebration-worthy cakes, don't miss the Classic Italian Tiramisu Cake or my guide on How to Make Lemon Drizzle Cake with Cheese Frosting.
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Paula says
"I adored this apple cake! It was moist and tasted like a dream of fall! Loved it."
This is the apple cake my Romanian grandmother made weekly - moist, cinnamon-spiced, and packed with fresh fruit. Unlike fussy desserts, it comes together in one bowl while the apples cook themselves into a jammy filling. The secret? A unique two-layer bake that keeps every slice perfectly balanced.
💗Why This Recipe Works
✅ No soggy bottom - The par-bake trick keeps layers perfect
✅ Self-sweetening - Apples caramelise while cooking
✅ Works with any apples - Tart or sweet varieties, both shine
✅ One-bowl easy - No mixer needed
♻️ Substitutions & Variations
- Eggs → Applesauce or yogurt (¼ cup per egg)
- Sugar → Brown sugar or reduce by ⅓ for less sweetness
- Oil → Melted butter or any neutral vegetable oil
- Milk → Almond, oat, or soy milk
- Flour → 1:1 gluten-free blend
- No baking powder? → ¼ teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon vinegar
Pro Tip: For apple filling, use 1 cup jam instead of fresh (reduce sugar).
Flavor Variations
- Upside-Down → Arrange apple slices at the bottom of the pan before adding the batter
- Caramel → Drizzle 2 tablespoon sauce between layers
- Spiced → Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Nutty → Fold in ⅓ cup toasted walnuts/pecans
- Vegan → Use flax eggs + plant-based milk
👩🍳 How To Make Apple Cake
While you're here enjoying apple treats, you might want to check out my yogurt frosting apple cake - it's another easy, cozy bake you'll love. And if you have a sweet tooth, get inspired with these dessert recipes - you might discover some new favorites!
Step 1: Making the batter - Mix eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add oil and vanilla extract; mix well. Whisk flour and baking powder. Mix into the batter with milk until smooth. The dough should be runny but thicker than the pancake batter.
Step 2: Bake half of the mixture: Cook apples with sugar and cinnamon until reduced, then cool. Grease and flour in a pan. Bake half of the batter for 10-12 minutes at 180°C. Spread apple filling over the baked batter.
Step 3: Adding the remaining batter - Add the remaining batter over the apple layer and bake for 30 minutes until golden.
Step 4: Serve - Dust with powdered sugar and slice when completely cool.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
💡 Pro Tip
For extra flavour depth, brown your butter instead of using oil* - it adds a nutty richness that pairs perfectly with the apples. Just melt butter over medium heat until golden (about 3 mins), then cool slightly before using.
❓ Grandma's Old-Fashioned Apple Cake FAQs
Popular choices are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Gala for a delightful flavour.
You can, but it's not necessary. The peels can add a rustic touch to your cake.
Walnuts or pecans make a fantastic addition.
Fresh apples are best, but canned apples can work.
If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You Will Love These Too
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📖 Recipe
Apple Cake of my Childhood
Video
Equipment
- Whisk or electric mixer
- Rectangle Cake Pan ( I used a 37x25cm pan) Using a smaller pan will make the cake taller.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 8 tablespoon sugar
- 11 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 11 tablespoon milk
- 11 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
For the filling
- 1 kg apples or 250g apple jam (1 jar)
- 4 tablespoon sugar to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Powdered sugar to serve
Instructions
- Mix the eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add in the oil and vanilla extract and mix well.2 eggs, 8 tablespoon sugar, 11 tablespoon sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk the flour with the baking powder, then incorporate it into the batter until smooth, alternating with the milk. The dough should be runny when taken with a spoon, but be thicker than pancake dough.11 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 11 tablespoon milk
- First, give the apples a good wash. After that, peel off the skin and remove the core. Use a grater with big holes, like the wide side of a box grater, to grate them. Squeeze out any extra juice and then cook them in a shallow pan with some sugar and cinnamon until they get all thick and yummy. If you prefer, you can also cut the apples into small cubes or thin slices. Once they're cooked, let them cool down a bit.1 kg apples, 4 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Grease the pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour half of the dough and bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C.
- When it's ready, remove the pan from the oven and spread the fresh apple filling or apple jam evenly over the baked batter.
- Add the remaining batter over the apples and bake for another 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Lastly, when it is baked dust with powdered sugar and slice it when completely cool. Enjoy!Powdered sugar
Claudia-Cristina Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Nora says
So moist and full of apple flavor! This cake didn’t last long at all!
Paula says
I adored this apple cake! It was moist and tasted like a dream of fall! Loved it.
Agnieszka says
Super easy recipe. I used homemade jam and it worked great.
Maggie says
This was so delish!! Perfect fall cake!
b says
Excellent apple cake.
I used a 9X9 pan and used apple butter that I had made last fall.
Yummy.
Criss says
My family loved this!
swathi says
Apple cake is delicious, my family enjoyed it, I am going to make it again.
Jacqueline says
I love all kinds of apple cake and desserts! This is one of my favourites because it's so easy to make and so tasty!
Elizabeth says
This apple cake is so delicious and perfect for Fall! My family loved it!
Nora says
These apple cakes reminded me of the ones my Granny used to make! So wonderful! Thank you!
Matt says
I had a bunch of fresh apples, so this recipe was perfect. I loved how moist and flavorful the cake turned out.
Razvan C says
This was the dessert of my childhood! So easy to make, but so delicious 🤤