This apple cake recipe is moist with rich fall spices and fresh apples. This delicious fall dessert is easy to make – no mixer required!

I have been making this apple cake recipe for many, many years. It’s a simple, classic fall cake perfect for entertaining (just like this apple pie and apple crisp)!

This apple cake is made with applesauce and fresh fall apples. It’s richly flavored with cozy fall spices and has a perfectly moist crumb.

Top it with the cinnamon glaze, or leave it bare. Either way, this dessert will surely become a family favorite.

Apple Cake Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour. use an all-purpose, gluten-free baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
• Salted butter. unsalted butter and ghee are good substitutes.
• Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar. 
• Granulated Sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all good choices.
• Unsweetened applesauce. Use store-bought or homemade applesauce.
• Apples. choose your favorite variety. We prefer pink lady, honeycrisp, or fuji!
• Whole milk (glaze). Half and half or heavy cream are good substitutes.

How to make apple cake

We’ll walk through how to make apple cake step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line a 9” round cake pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease), then set it aside.

Next, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, then set aside.

Then, in a large glass bowl, melt the butter (in the microwave, or you can melt it over the stovetop).

Once the butter is melted, whisk in the sugars, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combine.

Once the mixture is uniform throughout, fold in the finely diced apples.

Then, spread the apple cake batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared cake pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the apple cake from the oven and let it cool in the cake pan completely before removing and transferring to a serving plate.

Make the glaze

If you’d like to add a glaze, do so once the cake has completely cooled.

Then, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla until smooth. You may need to add up to ½ TBS more milk to achieve a pourable but thick consistency.

Pour over cake, then let set at room temperature until hardened.

Serve

Once the cake is cooled and the glaze is hardened, slice the apple cake and serve. You can serve it with homemade vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream, if desired.

Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Freeze

You can freeze the entire cake or individual slices:

1. Freeze the entire apple cake. Make apple cake and let it cool to room temperature. Then, remove it from the pan and put it in the freezer to harden for 1-2 hours. Once it is hardened, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it in foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving. 
2. Freeze individual slices. If you have a few leftover slices you want to freeze, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze them. Then, once they’re frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. 

Apple Cake Recipe FAQs

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More delicious Apple recipes

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Easy Cinnamon Apples (5 minutes)

Best Apple Crumble Pie

Best Apple Crisp Recipe

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Homemade Applesauce Recipe