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
I love this apple cake but was wondering if I could make it in a loaf pan? Would I need to adjust the temperature and cooking time? Many thanks for your help!!
Hi Ruth! We recommend using our apple bread (cakey!) recipe instead, as a thick layer of this apple cake in a loaf pan may not bake through properly.
I need a delicious cake recipe for Granddaughter’s bday but I want to stack the cakes with a Carmel custard filling is this cake sturdy enough to stack three layers and two tiers? I am afraid the fruit will make it unstable. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Hi Trisha, As written this recipe will make a 3 layer 8-inch or 9-inch round cake – see the recipe notes for details. We haven’t tested making it as a tiered cake, but you can try it. Make sure for support and stability you place 4 cake dowels in the bottom tier and use a cake board for your top tier (see this wedding cake recipe to see how we stack it).
I made the apple cake from your recipe, and it was awesome!
The recipe was so easy to follow, and the results were absolutely delicious.
And clean-up was a breeze – there’s that too 😉
Thank you, this is a keeper. <3
Is there a specific size the apples should be chopped to?
Thanks for your great recipes!!
Hi Adina, we recommend 1/2-inch chunks.
I made this for my colleagues at work as a colleague gifted me cooking apples from his tree. Everyone said it was one of the best cakes they have ever eaten. They have requested I make another one.
The cake itself deserves at least another star. It was moist and tasty. Since Sally raved about the brown sugar topping I went with that, but only making a half portion. So often topping recipes make too much. I used a whisk as Sally did to cover. I found it was too sweet. If I made again I would either use no topping or light dusting of confectionery sugar.
I only used two and half apples bec it seemed excessive but I easily could have used all three.
I plan to make this a couple of days in advance for a weekend excursion. I see how to store the cake if made ahead of time, but can the glaze be made in advance too? If so, how should it be stored?
Hi Jessica, you can cover and store the cake at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Glaze can be made in advance, but you’ll need to rewarm it on the stove or in the microwave before pouring on top of the cake. Enjoy!
Love your cakes, I have make many of them I usually find the recipe and take a screen shot. Navigating your website is a challenge. somewhere between I’m not a robot and 30 minutes later I give up. But that’s life. I make 2 or 3
12″x 17″ sheet cakes a week for church or charity groups. Thank you.
My family loves this cake! I’ve made it one per month since the fall. Last time, in addition to the recipe exactly as written, I added one cup of cranberries (thawed, from frozen-I expect fresh would work too). Delicious!
p.s. I use a 9×13 pyrex dish, 60 minute bake time, cover with a lightly greased upside down cookie sheet at 30 minutes. After cooling I freeze half.
My family loves this cake! I’ve made it one per month since the fall. Last time, in addition to the recipe exactly as written, I added one cup of cranberries (thawed, from frozen-I expect fresh would work too). Delicious!
p.s. I use a 9×13 pyrex dish, 60 minute bake time, cover with a lightly greased upside down cookie sheet at 30 minutes. After cooling I freeze half.
After reading as much as I can about this cake I see where apple chunks are used instead of grated apple. I was planning to make this for my son for his birthday cake but he doesn’t like chunks in his food. Is there a huge difference in how the cake will turn out if I use grated apple instead of the chunks?
Hi Michelle, yes, 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!
When making this into a layer cake, is there a specific frosting you’d recommend? I was considering the cinnamon frosting from your Snickerdoodle Cupcakes recipe, my only concern is it coming out too sweet. Thank you!
Hi Erin, that would be delicious, or the brown butter cream cheese frosting used on this banana layer cake would be very tasty on this cake (and a bit less sweet). Let us know what you try!
Sally your recipes are my favorite! Thank you! Blessings upon Blessings to you!
Thanks for the recipe Sally. Was delicious. I didn’t have applesauce or orange juice. But it still tastes delicious. I would add more cinnamon next time though.i also chopped the apples into tiny cubes and added some finely chopped walnuts. Came out perfectly
The fresh apple cake was so delicious & easy to make. Super moist & filled with so much flavor with the applesauce, orange juice & all the wonderful spices. The glaze tops it off to perfection. This will be my go to for Apple Cake. Sally’s recipes never disappoint.
Mine was toothpick done at 33 mins, so watch it close, 40-45 would have burnt it..but super good.
Jay: Mine also done early.
This cake is THE BEST. EVER. It was super simple and quick to throw together. I did not have applesauce, so had to sub in sour cream, which I hate to do. However, the resulting cake was SO moist and flavorful. I did up the spice amounts a tad and added in 1/8 tsp of cardamom. I also gave the apples a quick pre-cook since I do not like crunchy apples in my cakes. And then – that glaze. Basically it’s just a super quick butterscotch sauce, but the concept of adding in some powdered sugar is genius. It set up wonderfully and actually seemed to help lock in the moisture and keep the cake from drying out! I baked and glazed the cake one night and served it the next morning, and it was peak. Definitely making again!
I made this cake yesterday and the cake was delicious, but I liked the caramel sauce better before I added the powdered sugar. It made the sauce a little gritty and too sweet. In my opinion, the caramel sauce was perfect without the powdered sugar.
I am anxious to try this recipe but wondering if I could do this in loaf pans to share with friends and family!? How long would you cook them?
Hi Kathy! We recommend using our apple bread (cakey!) recipe instead, as a thick layer of this apple cake in a loaf pan may not bake through properly.
I wanted to love this so much. The flavours are my favourites! What went wrong? I used exactly the ingredients listed, followed the steps, and the whole center is mush, even whilst the top is brown. Your thoughts, please? I used a glass Pyrex 9×13, btw.
Hi Victoria! The cake may have needed to bake for longer. Did you use a toothpick to test for doneness?
I did test it, and even kept it in the oven a half hour past the recommended baking time. I suspect there was too much liquid and think the oil should be cut back, or perhaps fewer eggs. Has no one else commented on this problem?
Do you know if Stevia can be used to replace the sugar? I’m desperately trying to find recipes for a friend who has CSID and cannot tolerate sugar. I love this recipe, it’s one of my go-to recipes!
Hi Jennie! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
My mother used to make this cake when we were children! I loved it then and I love it now. I make it for my grandchildren now.
What can we replace apple sauce with ?!
Hi Jamie, Applesauce is a key ingredient in this apple cake recipe. We don’t have any recommended substitutes without changing the recipe or the flavor of the cake.
My husband and I adore this cake! I leave the spice and apple quantities the same as for a 13×9 cake, and halve the amount of cake batter, and it nicely fills an 8×8 pan. So much apple goodness! Made half the recipe for the caramel to serve on top of each square. So, so good!! And just enough for a small household.
This is my husbands new favorite! So moist and delicious!
Would I be able to use an extract such as vanilla or almond to give more flavor? Im making this cake with a salted caramel cream cheese frosting.
Hi Lindsay! We don’t think the cake would need it, but you certainly can add a little extract if you would like.
Hi, what can I use instead of applesauce?
Hi Alice! Applesauce is a key ingredient in this apple cake recipe. We don’t have any recommended substitutes.
Can I freeze this cake with the glaze?
Hi Barbara! We don’t recommend freezing the cake with the glaze. It is best to add it after thawing.
Can I make this in a Bundt pan instead of a 9 x 13 glass pan?
Hi Joanne! We would use our Apple Bundt Cake recipe instead 🙂
My son says this is the best cake I have ever made! The applesauce makes even the cake itself taste like apple which is perfect. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and used butter to grease the pan which I highly recommend. Also, I live at 9000’ elevation so I halved the rising agents, added more applesauce and flour and baked it at 355*. This is recipe we will be using for a long time, thank you!