Easy Apple Cake features a quick cinnamon-kissed batter and a crown of sliced apples for a sweet, simple dessert that's perfect for fall or any time of year!

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Awhile back, I shared a peach cake recipe that ended up becoming the "dessert of the summer" around here. But when peaches are out of season (*sniff sniff*), my beloved summer cake is beautifully adapted to a fruit that screams fall but is luckily available year-round.

Enter Easy Apple Cake! It's everything it claims to be and more.

Why Make Easy Apple Cake?

It's easy...and it's got apples...and it's cake...although technically, it is baked in a pie dish. 😉

I actually made this variation with whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour for a more wholesome spin on the recipe...which means that I can now eat a slice for dessert or breakfast(!!!) with hardly a smidge of guilt. Hip, hip, hooray!

Using all-purpose flour will lend the cake a lighter texture and a more of a golden hue, but both ways are delicious.

In addition, this cake has warm cinnamon added to the batter and plump slices of sweet apples sunken into the top. A sprinkle of crunchy sparkling sugar and you'll be ready to pop it in the oven and wait for the magic to unfold!

Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

Feel free to use your favorite baking apples for this cake. I typically prefer Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples. Two medium apples cut into 8 slices each were the perfect amount for the top of my cake.
If you don't have a 9" deep-dish pie plate, this cake can also be made in a 10" regular-depth pie plate, a 9" cake pan, or a 9" or 10" springform pan. Just keep in mind that using a dish/pan with a larger diameter will result in a slightly thinner cake, and the baking time may need to be slightly reduced.
Instead of sparkling sugar, you may sprinkle the cake with 2 tablespoons of regular granulated sugar (or a combination of cinnamon + sugar) before baking.

Your whole house will smell amazing while this Easy Apple Cake bakes, and the resulting dessert turns out gorgeous in its rusticity. I love this recipe because it's truly effortless to throw together and it turns out so yummy for having such simple ingredients.

Yep, with its crackling top, tender crumb, and delicately spiced apples, I'm pretty sure this is going to be my family's new favorite "dessert of the fall." Care to join us? 😉

More Apple Goodies

Easy Apple Cake

Easy Apple Cake features a quick cinnamon-kissed batter and a crown of sliced apples for a sweet, simple dessert that's perfect for fall or any time of year!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: to 10 servings

Calories: 299kcal

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Ingredients

2 medium apples
Lemon juice
Cinnamon sugar
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour OR all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus additional for pan)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk, or milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoons sparkling sugar, for topping

Instructions

Peel and slice each apple into 8 equal slices. Place in a plastic baggie, add a splash of lemon juice, seal the bag, and shake. Sprinkle a good amount of cinnamon sugar into the bag then seal and shake again until all of the apples are coated.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9" deep-dish pie plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Turn down the mixer and slowly blend in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and smooth the top. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter, lightly pressing them down. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the sparkling sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake.
Place the pie plate on a rack and allow to cool. Slice into wedges and serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.