Fresh Apple Cake Recipe
If you’re looking for the best Fresh Apple Cake recipe, you’ve found it. Made with juicy fresh apples, warm cinnamon and simple pantry ingredients, this incredibly moist cake comes together in one bowl with just a wooden spoon. It’s the perfect dessert for apple season, and once the smell of cinnamon and baked apples fills your kitchen, you’ll want to make it again and again.
Looking for a wonderful fall dessert? There’s nothing better than fresh apple cake. My mom gave me this recipe and I think it has been in her family for many, many years. If you are looking for a shortcut apple dessert, apple dump cake is always a favorite.
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What You’ll Love About this Recipe
- No Electric Mixer Required – just stir together and pop it in the oven!
- Few Ingredients – Pantry staples and fresh apples are all you need for a homemade apple cake.
- Moist Crumb – This easy recipe has the best apple flavor with warm spices.
Ingredients Needed for Easy Apple Cake Recipe
- apples (Gala apples, Honeycrisp apples or Granny Smith apples will all work)
- granulated sugar
- vegetable oil
- pecans or walnuts – skip them if preferred
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- ground cinnamon
- kosher salt
- baking soda
- non-stick cooking spray
How to Make a Fresh Apple Cake Recipe
- Peel Apples.
- Core and dice apples.
- Mix chopped apples, pecans, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add all purpose flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda to another bowl (or add all at once to mixing bowl).
- Fold the mixture together using a wooden spoon.
- Pour into a greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Bake for one hour. Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Serving Suggestions for Apple Cake
Warm cake can be topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce or served plain at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Store Apple Cake
Cover and store at room temperature up to one day or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze apple cake?
- My mom says that this cake freezes well, but I have never made it to the freezer with one. To freeze, cool cake completely. Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil or place in a zip top freezer bag.
- Apple Cake will stay fresh for 12 months and can be thawed and served at room temperature.
Best Apples for Apple Cake
I have used all types of apples: gala apples and honey crisp apples for this cake. Granny smith apples are also great but will be a bit more tart.
Do You Have to Peel the Apples?
It does take a little time but I recommend peeling the apples for the best texture. I use a vegetable peeler and it is really easy to do.
If you enjoy apple picking, this apple cake is the best dessert to make with fresh apples and can just be stirred together with minimal effort and a few ingredients. The taste is beyond delicious and it’s a great option for a bake sale or to share with your neighbors.
Everyone loves this apple cake and it is wonderful ending to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. This cake is loaded with chunks of sweet apples and rich cinnamon flavor which all together creates a wonderfully moist cake. If you only make one apple dessert this fall, this has to be the one!
If you love this Recipe as much as I do, please leave a comment and a star rating below, and tag me on social media, I love seeing your creations.
Fresh Apple Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 cups diced apples gala, honey crisp, granny smith
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel, core and dice apples.
- Add apples to a large bowl with sugar, vegetable oil, pecans, eggs and vanilla.
- Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- In a separate large bowl, add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Whisk together.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Spray a 13" x 9" or 10" springform cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour in cake batter and bake for fifty minutes to one hour. A toothpick inserted should come out clean when it's done.
- Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool.
- Garnish with powdered sugar if desired. Great warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Apple Desserts to Try
- I love apple desserts and this Apple Upside Down Cake with walnuts is an easy from scratch dessert. An easy Apple Fritter Cake is perfect to whip up any night of the week.
- My Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake Shooters are popular all year long and did you see the video for the Easy Apple Cobbler? It’s just like grandma would bake!
- If you have an abundance of apples, this easy Apple Crumb Pie is always a hit. You’ll have to check out my secret ingredient for the most flavorful apple pie ever!
- I’m adding this Slow Cooker Apple Butter to my list this fall and if you need something really simple, this Easy Apple Crisp is a true delight topped with vanilla ice cream!
- See all of my favorite Easy Apple Recipes that includes the best apple desserts, breakfasts and drinks for any fall occasion.
- If you love spice cakes, this Butter Pecan Spice Cake is always a hit. It’s from my husband’s grandma and it’s something special!
Made this last night using apples from a tree my grandfather planted. Was delicious! I used more apples than it called for and cut them up in larger chunks.
Do you know if using real butter will negatively affect the texture or outcome of the cake? Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
I haven’t tried it but I really think it would work just fine. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
~ Milisa
I want to try this recipe tonight but I only have self-rising flour. Can I
use this flour and leave off the baking soda or do I have to wait till I make
a grocery store run to try it?
Hi Linda,
Sorry I am just seeing this.You can use self-rising flour and leave out the baking soda. I hope you enjoy it.
~ Milisa
Can I bake the cake in a jar? It would be nice for Christmas gifts. Thank you.
Hi Margaret,
Yes you can, my mom used to bake them in coffee cans. I think the baking time will be a little shorter but I haven’t tried it.
~ Milisa
Hello, do you think I can bake in muffin tins? I would cut baking time.
Love this cake so much, I’ve been making with pears lately, just as yummy. Thanks!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work in a muffin tin. I love it with pears too. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
~ Milisa
Soooo good as muffins! I’ve made 3 batches so far, makes about 18-20, we have so may pears! Baked up nice and little crunchy on top, everyone wanted to know what that delicious topping was, haha 😊thanks again!
Lisa
Amazing! Thanks for sharing Lisa 🙂
I tried to use one of your recipes, but unfortunately, you have so many ads, pop-ups and extraneous info, that I’m leaving your site. I’ll find my recipe elsewhere.
Hi Gladys,
I am sorry the ads were too annoying for you. There is a jump to recipe button at the top that will take you to the recipe card to avoid all of the things you say are extraneous info. You scrolled right past the recipe card to leave a comment.
~ Milisa
I have been making a half recipe of this delicious & moist cake for years! with melted butter, instead of oil, in 8×8 pan. It’s super easy & always a crowd pleaser. Thanks for the double recipe! It’s in the oven now.
Hi Kathy,
I will try it with butter next time, glad to know it can be halved. It’s one of our favorites.\
~ Milisa
I made this today and it is delicious. Simple too. I was low on sugar and used a combo of white and coconut sugar totaling about 1-1/3 cups. Plenty sweet. Used half cup each of vegetable oil and whole milk Greek yogurt instead of full cup oil. Thanks for recipe, I love it.
Hi Sharon,
I am so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your success with the substitutions.
~ Milisa
Can I substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil?
Hi Sheri,
Yes the coconut oil should work as a great substitute for vegetable oil. I hope you get the chance to try it.
~ Milisa
First made this recipe almost 50 years ago. Got it from a cookbook put out for the Arts and Apples festival in Rochester Hills, Mi. Made it again last week .
Has always been a favorite go to and very forgiving when in a hurry. Thanks for bringing it back again . I’m sure it will remain a favorite.
Hi Becky,
It is one of my favorites, so glad you found it and can enjoy it again.
~ Milisa
Hi, Milisa! My husband’s grandmother left a box full of recipe cards, which he got when she passed many years ago. Her apple cake was always his favorite, but unfortunately the handwritten card had only the ingredients – not the instructions! I searched the ingredients in Google, and it brought me right here, to this almost identical recipe! I am using your instructions to bake, and we’ll serve the recipe to my husband’s aunt & uncle for brunch this weekend as a surprise. I just wanted to thank you for posting this, it’s helping me to bring back so many memories for the people who loved Grandma Marie!
Hi Laurie,
This makes my day, I am so glad you found it! I hope y’all enjoy it as much as we do.
~ Milisa
I made this today and it was really good and simple to make. I made half the recipe. I did make my own little tweaks like adding in about 2 tablespoons of butter along with the oil until it reached the required amount, some nutmeg (would have added some clove if i had it). I did use a mixture of brown sugar and regular sugar. I did reduce the amount by ¼ cup but I do think I can reduce it more for my own taste. All in all simple quick delicious cake to make!
So glad you enjoyed it!
~ Milisa
Turned out NOTHING like shown in video and pictures. Followed recipe exactly and turned out underdone and very hard sugar around it. If I would have baked it longer than the sugar would have burnt. Husband said it tasted like sugar and cooked egg. Do not recommend.
I am sorry to hear that this cake did not turn out for you. This recipe has been in our family for a very long time and I have made it successfully many, many times. The only thing I can think of is that your oven temperature could be off causing it to overcook on the outside while being underdone in the middle.
~ Milisa
Can we use a 9 x 13 pan!?
Hi Connie,
A 9 x 13 pan will work, hope you try it!
~ Milisa
Hi Milisa, loved your recipe!!!
I only made half the recipe but used two eggs. Super easy, one bowl, no mixer needed, it’s my new go to apple cake for any day of the week!!
Thank you
Hi Allison,
So glad you liked it, it’s my favorite easy cake.
~ Milisa
Cake has good flavor but is dry. My oven temp is accurate. Needs moisture
Hi Michele,
I have made this cake so many times and never had an issue with it being dry. Perhaps too much flour but I have found this recipe quite forgiving, sorry it was dry when you tried it.
~ Milisa
I am trying to bake this cake now, although I used the wrong type cake pan, wondering if it will be ruined
Hi Kim,
It will be fine! I have baked it in round cake pans, mini loaf pans and it is always good.
~ Milisa
I accidently misread and used a regular 9×13 cake pan. Will it be ruined and should I cut back on the baking time
Hi Kim,
A 9 x 13 pan should work fine without adjusting the time. It’s what I usually use too.
~ Milisa
Delicious and easy to make, a real winner!
Hi Jane,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by with your thoughts and a 5 star rating!
~ Milisa
Can one use applesauce instead of oil.?Does it change the .texture?Would it be the exact samwe amount of as the oil?
What about using olive oil?
Hi Darlene,
I have not tried it but I think you can use an equal amount of apple sauce or olive oil in place of the vegetable oil.
~ Milisa
Can I bake this in an aluminum pan?
Hi Angie,
Yes for sure!
~ Milisa
Love this cake!! So easy to make. I like the fact that this cake is so moist and gets better tasting on the second day. I made it exactly as the recipe stated, but I might reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup next time I make it. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Penny,
I am so glad you are enjoying it! Thanks for stopping by with your feedback and 5 star rating, it means so much.
~ Milisa