No fall season is complete without baking at least one cinnamon-apple dessert. This easy apple cake recipe made with sweet cinnamon bakes a tender, moist cake. It’s so simple to make that you’ll feel as if you hardly put any time into it at all. It’s a dessert the whole family will love—especially with a scoop of ice cream on top!
Ingredients for Easy Apple Cake
- Sugar: Our easy apple cake recipe uses granulated sugar to sweeten everything.
- Canola oil: A neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil, is liquid in its natural state. This means, at room temperature, the apple cake will stay moist and tender.
- Eggs: You’ll need three large eggs to make this cake. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting the recipe so they blend in better with the batter.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to use either vanilla extract or vanilla paste. Try to stay away from imitation vanilla.
- All-purpose flour: This type of flour adds just enough structure but will keep a tender crumb.
- Leavening agents: Our easy apple cake recipe uses baking soda and baking powder so there’s enough rise and lift in the cake.
- Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon is essential in fall baking where apples are present.
- Apples: Be sure to peel the apples first, and then finely chop them into bite-sized pieces or smaller.
- Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add a lovely crunch and a touch of nuttiness to this easy apple cake.
- Whipped topping: Buy premade frozen whipped topping from the store and thaw it, or make your own sweetened whipped cream at home.
Directions
Step 1: Create the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the sugar, canola oil, eggs and vanilla extract until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.
Gradually beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until blended.
Editor’s Tip: Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together. Overbeating will make this cake tough.
Step 2: Add the apples and nuts
Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped apples and walnuts until they’re evenly dispersed.
Editor’s Tip: You can toast the walnuts beforehand to bring out their rich nuttiness. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl just to make sure everything is incorporated into the batter.
Step 3: Bake the cake and serve
Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish and pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack at room temperature, and serve your apple cake slices with the whipped topping.
Editor’s Tip: When pouring the batter into the pan, make sure the batter evenly reaches all four corners.
Easy Apple Cake Variations
- Use a different fruit: Not a fan of apples? Swap in chopped pears, stone fruits or berries for the apples.
- Include your favorite baking spices: Fall spices like nutmeg, clove or cardamom are perfect pairings with apples and cinnamon.
- Finish with a frosting: Calling all frosting fans! Whip up a batch of our cream cheese frosting or an autumnal cinnamon buttercream and spread it on the room-temperature apple cake.
- Bake in a different pan: If you don’t have a 13×9-inch baking pan, use a 12-inch skillet or two 9-inch round cake pans.
How to Store Easy Apple Cake
Before storing, let the cake cool to room temperature. Transfer the cake to an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. To serve the cake, warm it up in the microwave, covered, before topping it with homemade vanilla ice cream.
Can you freeze easy apple cake?
Yes, you can freeze apple cake for up to three months. Let it cool completely to room temperature, then cover it with two layers of storage wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
Easy Apple Cake Tips
What kind of apples are best for easy apple cake?
Granny Smith apples are the go-to apples for this cake recipe, but other tart varieties, such as Braeburn and Jonathan, work well too. Or, use a mix of tart and tart-sweet apples, such as Gala or Fuji. Here’s our handy guide for choosing the best apples for baking.
How else can you serve easy apple cake?
Grab some ice cream—especially vanilla, if you have it. Drizzle a bit of caramel syrup on top, spread on a dark apple butter, or go with candied pecans and whipped cream. For a lighter take, simply dust confectioners’ sugar over the top.
