This easy recipe for apple cake is a wonderful way to showcase fresh apples. Soft and tender with a stick-to-your-fork moist crumb and juicy apples in every bite, this cake is delicious plain, topped with buttery brown sugar glaze, or even a quick dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
One reader, Jenny, commented: “So there are ok and good recipes, and then there are recipes like this – ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! This will be put in the recipe box and made for years to come. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Kathy, commented: “I have made many different apple cake recipes in the past, but yours is absolutely the best! I love all the spices you include and the brown sugar glaze! It is also the most moist apple cake I have ever made. ★★★★★“
This apple cake is just the thing to make when you have some freshly picked apples from the orchard (or the grocery store), and you want a simple recipe for a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s ready to eat in the next couple of hours. And will be just as tasty served tomorrow!
The apple flavor is front and center, complemented by the background flavors provided by warm spices and sunny orange juice. If a beautiful fall day were a cake, it would taste like this.
And if you need more inspiration, here is a list of 30+ fall cake recipes.
Everything You’ll Love About This Fresh Apple Cake:
- Tender, soft, and moist like fresh peach cake, banana cake, pumpkin cake, and spice cake
- Chock-full of juicy apple chunks
- Perfectly spiced with the flavors you love in apple pie (with less time + effort)
- Easy to make—no mixer required, no fussy decorating
- Don’t have to wait hours for it to cool completely before eating
- Dairy-free cake recipe like zucchini cake
- Transport and serve right from the baking pan
- Wonderful plain or topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a brown sugar glaze
Sheet cakes are renowned for being easier than layer cakes—no leveling off cake layers, no fancy decorating tools, no assembly whatsoever. Slicing and serving is a breeze and you’ll appreciate that this dessert can feed a crowd, but is still completely manageable to make. It’s easy to transport, too!
Favorite Pan: I really like to bake quarter sheet cakes in a glass 9×13-inch pan or this metal pan that comes with a lid. The lid is super convenient for storing & transporting!
Recipe Testing: What Worked & What Didn’t
I love this spice cake and knew it would be the best starting point for today’s version. The biggest change, besides altering the spices, is using apple chunks instead of shredded.
- Test cake #1 included 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 cup each of brown and white sugars (like the spice cake). The cake browned pretty heavily and rose a bit too high, and needed just a touch more moisture and flavor.
- For test cake #2, I reduced the baking soda slightly, to 3/4 teaspoon, and changed the ratio of sugars to be 1 cup white and 1/2 cup brown. To brighten up the apple flavor, I added a little orange juice and a bit of lemon zest. This cake came out lighter in color and perfectly moist, but the lemon zest was overpowering the apple.
- For test cake #3, I kept everything the same as the previous cake, but left out the lemon zest. This apple cake turned out perfectly golden and rose up just enough, with those beautiful dimples on top revealing the apples within. And the orange juice adds the perfect amount of fresh flavor and moisture, allowing the apple flavor to really shine.
Ding ding ding! We have a winner!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the base. You’ll use sturdy all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in this recipe because of the thick, wet batter.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These ingredients help the cake rise.
- Spices + Vanilla: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and vanilla—apple’s flavor support team! We use a similar spice combination for apple cobbler, too.
- Oil: Helps guarantee a moist crumb without weighing the cake down.
- White + Brown Sugar: Both sweeten the cake and brown sugar provides flavor. We’re using a mix of brown sugar AND white granulated sugar, though, because brown can weigh down a cake.
- Applesauce: Applesauce adds moisture, and the combo of applesauce + apple chunks ensures an apple-forward flavor in every bite! Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce.
- Eggs: Eggs add to the cake’s structure. This is a big cake, so you need 4 of them.
- Orange Juice: I promise this cake doesn’t taste like oranges! We’re using 2 Tablespoons, and it works so well to bring out the sweet-tart apple flavor. I love using orange juice with fall spices—it’s also the surprising ingredient in my pumpkin bread.
- Fresh Apples: I like to use a mix of sweet and tart apples.
Best Apples to Use
Firm apples are ideal for baking, and you may remember that if you’ve tried my apple crisp before. Avoid soft or mealy apples. For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of sweet and tart apples. For this fresh apple cake, I usually use about 1 and 1/2 Honeycrisp apples and 1 Granny Smith apple.
- Tart apples I love to bake with: Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking), Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Sweet apples I love to bake with: Jazz, Pazazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, and Fuji
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties, and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
Peel & cut the apples into 1/2-inch chunks, just like we do for apple turnovers. You need about 3 cups (360g) of apple chunks:
No Mixer!
Since we’re not creaming butter, you don’t need a mixer. Grab a big bowl for your dry ingredients, a medium bowl for your wet ingredients, combine it all, and then fold in the apples.
It will seem like too many apples. It’s not, I promise!
Topping Fresh Apple Cake
Today’s fresh apple cake is so moist and flavorful, like a lighter, spongier version of apple cinnamon bread. But here are some optional toppings… because who doesn’t love an accessory?!
If you’re looking to add some extra flair and sweetness to your fresh apple cake, I guarantee no one will turn down a slice smothered in the buttery brown sugar glaze. It’s the same exact glaze I use for this apple Bundt cake (just added a bit of salt), and it gives the cake a caramel-apple flavor profile.
I also love this cake with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar (pictured above), just like I enjoy serving my baked apple cider French toast. Note that the confectioners’ sugar will melt and disappear into the cake after a few hours, so it’s best to do this right before serving. Other topping suggestions:
- Drizzle with salted caramel sauce, just like I do on these apple cinnamon scones. Apples + salted caramel = a match made in heaven.
- Spread some apple butter on a slice, for extra-deep apple-cinnamon flavor.
- Add brown butter icing from these apple blondies.
- Slather on a layer of salted caramel frosting—if you’d really like to indulge your sweet tooth.
If you’re really feeling the fall vibes, serve it with a glass of honeycrisp apple sangria!
I hope you LOVE this!
Print
Fresh Apple Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’ll love this easy sheet cake recipe for tender and moist fresh apple cake. The pictures above include a few photos of the cake with a dusting of 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar and some include a buttery brown sugar glaze. The glaze recipe is included below.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH ground ginger & allspice
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened applesauce
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
- 3 cups (360g) peeled chopped apples (1/2-inch chunks, about 2–3 large apples)
Optional: Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- small pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange juice together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the chopped apples until combined. It will seem like a lot of apples and that’s ok!
- Pour and spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on it. Around the 30-minute mark, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before topping or serving.
- Right before serving, you can top the slightly warm cake with a dusting of 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar or make the brown sugar glaze in the next step.
- Make the glaze: As the cake cools, prepare the brown sugar glaze. Combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted, and then stop stirring and let the mixture come to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to low, give it a quick stir, and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Allow glaze to cool and slightly thicken for at least 20 minutes. Spoon glaze over the cake right before serving. (Cake can still be warm when glazing.) If your glaze thickened up too much as it cooled, warm in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
- The cake (glazed, dusted, or plain) can be served warm or at room temperature. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, note that the sugar will melt and disappear into the cake after a few hours.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 5. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before serving. Continue with step 6.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass 9×13-inch Pan or Metal 9×13-inch Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack | Fine Mesh Sieve (for confectioners’ sugar topping) | Medium Saucepan (for glaze topping)
- Can I replace or reduce the oil? Vegetable oil is the best option for this cake. You can replace with a neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil or canola oil. Feel free to use melted refined coconut oil (refined doesn’t have much of a coconut flavor) and make sure every other ingredient in the cake batter is room temperature, so the oil doesn’t solidify. Do not replace with melted butter because the cake will taste dry. You can replace a small amount of the oil with applesauce if needed, but keep in mind that the cake will begin to taste dry/rubbery the more oil you replace.
- Orange Juice: If you don’t have orange juice, you can substitute apple juice, apple cider, or any type of milk. I don’t recommend using lemon juice in this recipe.
- Apples: For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of sweet and tart apples. For this fresh apple cake, I usually use about 1 and 1/2 Honeycrisp apples and 1 Granny Smith apple.
- Layer Cake: Grease 3 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide batter between the 3 round cake pans. Bake for around 26–32 minutes, depending on which size pan you used. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The brown butter cream cheese frosting used on this banana layer cake would be very tasty on this cake.
- Bundt Cake: Try my recipe for glazed apple Bundt cake.
- Cupcakes: Try my recipe for apple cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Sorry that should have said I want a brown sugar icing that hardens a least a bit. Wondering if this one will. I’m making it soon!
Hi Kimberly, it does thicken up!
Hi Sally-I always LOVE any of your recipes so I come here first. I really want a brown sugar-but one that hardens a bit. Will this one?
Hi Sally. I made this for the second time two days ago. It’s actually better today than the day I made it! The texture seems different than the first time I made it, and I’m wondering if the original recipe called for grated/shredded apples, not apple chunks. Has the original recipe changed? Thanks!
Hi Janine! This recipe has never called for shredded apples. So glad you love it!
Hello could this be made with whole wheat flour or any other alter alternative flour?
Sally, I love all your recipes!! Quick question on this one, can I make this recipe with pears instead of apples?
Hi Nateoz, Other readers have reported successfully using pears instead of apples in this recipe. Let us know if you give it a try
Hi Michelle,
I did try it and it was a hit! All my coworkers really enjoyed it. I did reduce the sugar quite a bit since pears have a higher sugar content. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much!
Hi! Love your recipes and bought your book.
Question: I have all ingredients for this at home except I have sweetened apple sauce. Would cutting the granular sugar to 1/2 cup work?
Hi Bobby, you can use sweetened applesauce in a pinch, no other changes to the recipe needed. Enjoy!
Can i substitute greek yogurt for the applesauce?
Hi Ally! Yogurt could work here, but we haven’t tested it. We would love to hear what you try!
I’ve replaced the applesauce with yogurt everytime I make this cake and it comes out perfect
Hiya! I live in the UK where we can’t easily get American style applesauce- is there a substitution you’d recommend? Love your recipes and don’t want to use anyone else’s haha!
Hi FJ! We would try banana or pumpkin puree, or perhaps yogurt would work here. The flavor will obviously change but we would love to hear what you try!
Love this cake! Made mine with Winesap Apples plus added chopped pecans and cream cheese frosting (per my husband’s request!). It is delicious!!
Excellent. I used half of cup of white sugar instead of a full cup. I added a crumb topping (oh, yum!) and baked the cake for 33 minutes. Perfection! Crumb topping: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Amazing recipe! So simple to make and really delicious. Moist but light and perfect for fall!
Hi ! What if I only have cinnamon flavored apple sauce? Thank you!
Easiest way to peel apples: cut the stem and bottom end off, so it looks like a little barrel. Use a carrot peeler to remove the skin. Then cut chunks around the core, and dice the chunks. Learned this from a bakery chef.
This is a mixed review. The cake was pretty easy to make aside from the peeling, coring and chopping of apples. It was also flavorful with the right amount of spices. However, my problem is with the baking time and/or temperature. I tented the cake at the 30 minute mark as was suggested. But after 45 minutes of baking the top looked darker than the photos shown in the recipe and when I cut it the bottom was overdone and consequently tough and chewy. And because it was over-baked it wasn’t as moist as I had anticipated considering it had a cup of applesauce and a cup of vegetable oil not to mention a lot of chopped apples. If I make it again I’d bake it for only 40 minutes or turn the temperature down to 325 and bake for 45-50 minutes
This cake is absolutely the best when served with the sauce. I’ve found that it’s more of a Carmel-y sauce when enhanced with a pinch of Kosher salt and vanilla… seems to add more body/ complexity to the richness.
Very tasty. I cut the sugar to 1 1/4 cup and this was perfect for those who like a less sweet desert. Also did not add extra sugar (glaze or confectioners). Did make a lemon glaze for others in household to spoon over their individual slices. Also increased spices and salt a bit and used whole grain flour. Will definitely make again! Thank you 🙂
Wonderful moist cake, great for fall apples. The recipe is not super sweet so everyone enjoyed it and was hoping there was some for tomorrow mornings coffee. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8 X 8 glass dish, the glaze is out of this world. The recipe was well written and easy to follow. I will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing this.
love this recipe sallys baking addiction
Going to make this with apples from my daughter’s Honeycrisp apple tree! Can I substitute all those spices with apple pie spice? And if so, how much should I use?
Hi Aly, you can double check that your apple pie has all these spices and then replace with 3 tsp apple pie spice if it looks similar.
I made it for our book club and it was delicious! Thank you, Sally! People at it at the club and then took some home too. We took almost none home! I made the caramel sauce and served it on the side. We found the sauce too sweet and the cake just didn’t need it.
Can you sub yogurt for the applesauce?
Should be fine, Lenore!
This cake had no business being this easy yet sooo delicious!
Everyone raved about it and this will now be a staple in my house during fall season.
Thank you Sally and Team for this amazing recipe!
Can I make this into cupcakes?
Hi Connie, yes, you can turn this cake into cupcakes. While we have a separate recipe for apple cupcakes, you can certainly use this one. (They taste similar.) Use the baking instructions found in the apple cupcakes. Enjoy!
I am looking for an apple cake that is almost apple PIE; I don’t want it to taste like cinnamon or spice cake (or heaven forbid oranges LOL) but APPLES. For instance: I made your apple cider doughnuts, which were a really wonderful doughnut, but did not have much apple flavor at all. I wonder if I should really aim for more of a coffee cake than a cake? Any suggestions?
Hi Patti, You might enjoy this apple upside down cake instead.
What an amazing, simple cake to make and so flavorful. This is my first time making an apple cake. Look forward to it again!
Hi can I replace gluten free flour a 1:1 all purpose gluten free?
Hi Monica, we haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
This cake was absolutely and stunningly delicious. The one problem I had was that the top got very sticky after it cooled. I did cool it on a rack uncovered. Any thoughts?
With so much moisture from the apples, stickiness is normal!
Why did my cake get soggy the next day?
Hi Cathy, how did you store the cake overnight?
Can you shred the apples instead of using chunks?
Hi R, you can use shredded apple, but you’ll need to considerably reduce the amount down because they will act more like a wet ingredient than an add-in (see our spice cake recipe as an example). Chopped is best in this recipe so you can really taste the flavor!
I’m not a big fan of apples, but this recipe changed my mind! So flavorful and not overly sweet! So moist! I followed the recipe exactly using one Granny Smith, one Honeycrisp, and one Fuji. This is now added to my Thanksgiving menu, a alternative to apple pie!
This was a super moist flavorful cake! I was wondering if I could make this in two loaf pans? Thank you!
Hi Mary, we’d recommend using this apple cinnamon bread recipe instead — very similar, but the perfect amount for a loaf pan!