Apple Fritter Cake
Apple Fritter Cake with a sweet powdered sugar glaze is a simple loaf cake that will remind you of your favorite apple fritter. This easy cake has layers of moist vanilla cake, tart apples with lots of cinnamon and sugar for a easy and delicious dessert!
Apple desserts are perfect for fall holidays and get togethers but don’t wait for a special occasion to try this apple fritter cake. It’s so simple, you can make it any day of the week! You might also like this easy carrot cake for a simple dessert.
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Ingredients for Apple Fritter Cake Recipe
For Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
For Cake
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute by adding about 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice with whole milk to create 1/2 cup.
For Apple Filling
- Granulated Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Apples: Granny Smith Apples are best, honey crisp or gala apples will also work.
For Icing
- Powdered Sugar
- Cream or Milk
Just take me to the recipe! You will find the full recipe card with ingredients and instructions at the very bottom of the post. Otherwise read on for the step by step photos.
How to Make Apple Fritter Cake
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to a mixer bowl and beat together with the paddle attachment. Mix in vanilla and one egg at a time until blended. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add half of dry ingredients mixture to batter and mix at medium speed. Add buttermilk and then remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Peel and dice the apples. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and toss to combined.
- Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.
- Layer half of cake batter into pan and spread evenly. Top with half of apple filling. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar mixture.
- Repeat with remaining cake batter, apple mixture and then cinnamon sugar mixture. Swirl the top of the batter with a knife.
- Bake for about 60 to 65 minutes.
- Remove cake to a serving platter.
- Mix powdered sugar and cream together until smooth.
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- Drizzle sweet glaze over warm cake, slice and serve.
Recipe Notes for Apple Fritter Cake
- What Kind of Apple to use for Baking: Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji Braeburn, Jonathan or honeycrisp apples are all great baking apples.
- Will Apple Pie Filling Work? If you don’t have fresh apples, canned apple pie filling will work. Just dice the apples before layering in the cake.
- What Size Pan to Bake Apple Fritter Cake: I am using a 9 x 5 loaf pan. A 9 x 9 inch square baking pan will also work but baking time will be less.
- Add-ins: Chopped pecans or walnuts can be mixed in with the cinnamon sugar apples. Raisins or dried cranberries are also great additions.
- Storage: Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 days.
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This recipe comes from The Easy Cake Cookbook, by Amanda Couse. It is the ultimate guide for cake lovers who are big on taste―but short on time. If you’re a busy home baker or a cake-loving beginner, this cake cookbook offers friendly, fail-safe advice so you can bake fast and flavorful cakes whenever you have the craving.
You will find coffee cakes, bundt cakes, snacking cakes, skillet cakes, little cakes and toppings. This is a great cookbook for home bakers and inspiring cooks.
The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.com NOW and officially launches on December 3, 2019. Check out more of Amanda’s amazing recipes at Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt.
Grab a copy along with my favorite Silverstone Loaf Pan and you are ready to bake! If you are a cinnamon lover, you will also love this easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake.
Why You will Love this Apple Fritter Cake Recipe
- Nostalgic Dessert: If you love the flavor of homemade apple fritters, this delicious apple fritter cake is sure to remind you of the great taste of your favorite old fashioned doughnut.
- Easy Recipe for Any Occasion: This tender cake is so simple to make with pantry ingredients and fresh apples. It is a great dessert for any day of the week and great with a cup of coffee. It’s a great dessert for special occasions or to bake and share for the holidays.
- Favorite Apple Dessert: Apple desserts are perfect for the fall season but we make this cake all year long. It is one of our most requested recipes and a real crowd pleaser. A must-try if you are looking for a delicious apple fritter coffee cake.
Try this Apple Fritter Cake Recipe for a weekend brunch, an easy weeknight dessert or for your next holiday get together. It’s a simple recipe and so delicious!
If you love this Recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and rating below and be sure to help me share on Pinterest!
Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
FOR THE CAKE
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
FOR THE APPLES
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups chopped peeled baking apples
FOR ICING
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- For the cinnamon sugar, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- For the cake, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients
and buttermilk to the butter-sugar mixture in the large bowl, alternating back and forth between the two, starting and ending with our and beating on medium speed. - Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and stir in any unmixed bits of batter.
- 5. For the apples, in another medium bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add the apples and toss until the apples are coated with the cinnamon sugar.
- Add half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Add half of the apples in a layer and gently push them down into the batter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar over the apples.
- Repeat, adding the remaining batter, apples, and cinnamon sugar. Use a skewer to swirl it all together.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes.
- Mix powdered sugar and cream together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Place cake on a serving platter and drizzle warm cake with icing.
- Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
More Apple Desserts You Will Love
- Fried Apple Hand Pies are one of the most delicious desserts that I’ve ever made. The flakiest fried pie dough wrapped around tender apples and drenched in powdered sugar icing. They are beyond irresistible.
- Fresh Apple Cake comes from my mom’s recipe box. This cake is super easy and incredibly delicious. A great cake to bake and share for the holidays.
- Easy Apple Cobbler is and old fashioned dessert just like grandma would make. Top it off with vanilla ice cream for a family favorite dessert.
- Apple Upside Down Cake is super easy and incredibly delicious. This cake is a must- try for apple lovers!
- Easy Apple Crisp is great for busy weeknights. A super simple dessert that the entire family will love. Serve it warm from the oven and top it with vanilla ice cream.
- If you love fall spiced desserts, this Pear Cake with brown sugar icing is another favorite. Easy enough for any day of the week and delicious enough for entertaining.
This is a recipe I’ve made many times and I always get asked for the recipe when I share. It’s so easy and delicious!
This bread tastes amazing. Made exactly as directed, but I lost a potion of my bread batter in the oven as the pan overflowed. Did anyone else use have this problem? I went back and double checked al. My ingredients and temp. Everything was correct. As delicious as it looks s I don’t know that I want to try again
Yes this happened to me as well!
Hi Lisa,
I’m sorry your cake cooked over in the oven, that is frustrating. I use a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan to make it.
~ Milisa
Welcome to the club, Lisa. Mine did the same.
Maybe your bread pan was too small. They come in different sizes.
I would like to mix the apples into the batter. Do you see a problem with that?
Hi Audine,
I haven’t tried that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how it turns out.
~ Milisa
I made it as directed using Honeycrisp Apples and turned out great, though didn’t use all the apples as worried the cake wouldn’t rise from the added juice from the diced apples. Happily it rose just fine.
that said, Next time I may blend the apples into the batter, but still have the cinnamon brown sugar in the middle and top. Note: I cut the sugar for the apples by a teaspoon to allow me to substitute in a teaspoon of McCormick new Apple Cider Sugar flavoring.
Hi Bill,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and I have been wanting to try that new apple cider sugar, glad to hear it was a hit. Thanks for stopping by with the comment and 5 star rating!
~ Milisa
I baked this at 325 degrees in my electric oven.
Baked 15 minutes
Rotated pan
Baked 15 minutes longer
Placed a foil tent loosely over it bake 5 additional minutes
Or until tooth pick comes out clean.
Very moist and tasty
I dusted it with powder sugar
Well I completely messed this up. Kinda. I used a 9 by 13 pan 🤦🏼♀️. Cooked it 30 min. Excellent overall. Didn’t realize it till I reread the recipe. 9 by 5 loaf pan. But it all worked out Thanks
Glad it turned out!
~ Milisa
Honey, I’m 71 years old. This is the best apple Fritte..cake I have ever eaten. Thank you so much 💓
Hi Betty,
That makes my day! I am so glad you enjoyed this apple fritter cake and I appreciate you stopping by.
~ Milisa
I wanted this to be so good.
It turned out awful. All you can taste is eggs and burnt cinnamon. I followed everything to the recipe except buttermilk as we are dairy free. I’m glad others liked it. I’ll never make it again.
You do realize that buttermilk serves a purpose beyond adding dairy? You can’t just omit entire (and important) ingredients and then have the audacity to blame the recipe when it fails.
This Apple Fritter Cake looks amazing! I love how simple the recipe is, and I can’t wait to try it out. The step-by-step instructions make it so easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!
Freezing this bread??
Hi Chris,
I have not tried that but I do think it would be fine. I would wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil or a freezer bag.
~ Milisa
not like the picture
I made this to the letter – after baking for an hour it was very dark in color – not like the picture It still wasn’t done in the middle so I gave it another 10 minutes it was very crispy around the edge but gooey in the middle I was very disappointed I was able to salvage the ends but had to toss the middle section
Hi Sue,
I am sorry it didn’t turn out for you. I think oven temperatures vary and that could be the issue.
~ Milisa
I would love to do this but make it using a bundt pan. Do I just need to double or triple ingredients? Any idea about what I need to change the temperature & cook time settings to?
Hi Janice,
I have not tried it in a bundt pan but I would say to double the ingredients and I would say the time would probably be closer to 1 1/2 hours. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
~ Milisa
I was looking at the list of nutritional elements of the cake and under serving size it said 1 gram . That can’t be right? If so then a normal portion would be a thousand calories! Could you check this please? Thanks
Hi Kate,
That must have been an error when converting to a new recipe card. I have it updated now, thanks for letting me know there was an issue. I hope you try the recipe.
~ Milisa