The Best Easy Apple Cake is made with freshly chopped apples, whole wheat flour, eggs, and a few other simple ingredients you already have on hand! This simple apple cake recipe doesn't need any frosting, and is made in less than an hour!
A Homemade Low Calorie Apple Cake Recipe
This recipe is another one of those that has been hiding in my archives since 2010. You guys, I've been lucky enough to be creating, writing, and sharing recipes with you for almost SEVEN years. Just saying that makes me shake my head. It's crazy how quickly time goes, isn't it?! In 2010, I only had 2 kiddos, lived in our college town (and loved it), and Thomas was fresh out of his master's program searching for a job. That feels like a lifetime ago. I'm so grateful I started putting in the time then to have the business that I do now. It's been such a huge blessing to my family and I attribute finding some of my very best friends to blogging. What a ride it has been. Thank you for being part of it.
All that aside, it was high time to spruce up this apple cake recipe for you. This is one of those recipes that I make over and over again, and I wanted to share it with you again in hopes that you will love it as much as I have over the years. This is a very simple cake. It's a little rustic, it's easy to put together, and it uses a whole bunch of fresh apples which is great this time of year. If you can make quick bread (like zucchini bread or banana bread), then you can make this cake. I'd probably categorize this particular dessert as a snack cake. It doesn't need any frosting and it's casual enough to eat after school or to whip up for a quick dessert after a veggie-filled dinner (like our favorite tortellini soup or farmhouse egg bake). It is delicious enough to make for company, though, even if it isn't much to look at.
Apple cake is a moist thick cake with little gems of chunky apple hiding in it. I like to serve it hot with a little vanilla ice cream or at room-temperature right out of the pan. I have even let my kids eat it for breakfast as a side to eggs; it's not so different from coffee cake, is it? No matter when, where, or how you eat it, you are going to love this recipe.
Tips and Tricks for Making Apple Cake:
- I like to simply cut my apples from the core and give them a medium chop (¼ to ½ inch pieces, not big and not tiny). I don't bother peeling them.
- You can reduce the sugar in this recipe to 1 cup if you like a less sweet cake.
- You can sub the cinnamon in this apple cake recipe for apple pie spice if you have it (or add a dash of cloves and allspice to the cinnamon) if you like a spice cake taste.
- I'm in love with my 9-inch enamelware baking pan. It comes in a million colors, too. I think you need one 🙂
What are the best type of apples for making a cake?
You can use whatever apples you have! Use a variety or all one kind - whatever you have on hand. This is a great way to use parts of apples that you have laying around after your toddler decides to take one bite out of every apple in the house. I know you've been there, too.
What is a good whole wheat flour to use for baking?
I love the whole wheat flour in this recipe and I'd recommend getting a whole wheat flour that specifies that it's made from white wheat (referring to the kind of wheat kernel they grind). It's nice light wheat flour, perfect for cake. We just started carrying this brand at our little store, and I really, really like it.
The Best Easy Apple Cake
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: Serves 9 to 12 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup oil (or melted butter or coconut oil)
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 and ½ cups white sugar
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups chopped apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and applesauce. Beat until foamy.
- Add the sugar and vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir just until wet all the way through. Fold in the apples.
- Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes.
Notes
See the tips and tricks sections in the post for all of the notes to this recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apple cake recipe, best apple cake recipe, easy apple cake recipe, how to make apple cake, homemade apple cake, easy dessert idea, best dessert recipe, easy dessert recipe, fruit cake recipe, best fruit cake recipe
It's so fun to see some new life breathed into one of my favorite recipes. I hope you try this Apple Cake and love it as much as I do.
Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!
This recipe was originally published in April 2010 and has been republished in September 2017 with an updated recipe, text, and pictures.
Loveangel94
I cut this recipe in half. I used vanilla Greek yogurt 2g sugar inplace of apple sauce left out the vanilla. I baked this in my small cast iron skillet. I've made a maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting to go on top My husband's kids and I will be eating this with dinner. Thanks for a great recipe. I'll let you know how we liked it.
★★★★★
Brittney
Loved it! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
rainie
Hmm it's been 50 minutes and it's still not done. Maybe my pan is too small? Also used all purpose flour not sure if that changes the cook time?
★★★★
Melissa
Yep, both of those things would change the cook time! A smaller pan makes the batter thicker in the pan so it'll cook longer and all purpose flour will absorb less liquid so it's a bit wetter of a batter so that will take it longer to cook too. Keep going!
Cassie Shea
Can this be made with pureed apples instead of chopped? thinking of making this for my little ones birthday
Melissa
Yes, you're not going to need as much though because a cup of puree vs a cup of apple sauce would be pretty different. You can just omit the apples too if you'd like and it's still delicious.
Lisa
Do you think this cake (unfrosted) would freeze well? Excited to try it
Melissa
I actually do think it would freeze really well. It has a texture similar to a quick bread like pumpkin or banana bread and those tend to freeze really well. I'd love to know if you try it!
Carol
This recipe looks easy and delicious. Is there anything I could substitute for all, or part, of the oil/butter? Thanks.
★★★★★
Melissa
Applesauce works great as a sub for the oil in this recipe.
Gabriele
So simple and sooo delicious! I can't stop eating it...??
I used less sugar, replaced some apple with banana and and used greek yogurt instead of apple sauce.
Somehow I love the texture of whole wheat and how moisture the cake is ?
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Melissa
Yay! Thank you for letting us know what substitutions you made that worked, I love hearing those.
Donna
Can I use more apples like 4 Cups
★★★★★
Melissa
Yep, it'll work great and cook the same! Just have more filling!
Rachel Darcy
Egg amount is missing.
Melissa
Hmmm... where is it missing from? The recipe says 2 eggs and step 2 is where you add them. I'm not understanding your question.
Martha
Just made this. Can't believe what a tender, moist cake can be made with 100% whole wheat flour. Recipe is very forgiving, too. I used sour cream instead of applesauce, and didn't have 3 c of apples, so supplemented with pineapple. Still great!
Melissa
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Halide
This looks delicious, do you think I could leave the apple sauce out if I don't have any?
Melissa
Replace it with oil, that's what I did there was replace part of the oil with applesauce so you can just replace the applesauce with more melted butter or oil! Easy fix 🙂 ENJOY!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Definitely my kind of cake - we are so on the same page!! Love those chunks of apples (and caramel). Yum!
Julie
This cake looks so good! I love everything apple right now!
★★★★★
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender
Love easy cakes like this! Perfect fall flavors in here. 🙂
★★★★★
Juliette
Your apple cake looks so amazing I want to make this recipe now! 🙂 Love your site, thanks for sharing!!
Becky Hawkes
Man, this looks amazing!