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    Home » Cakes » Cinnamon Apple Cake

    Cinnamon Apple Cake

    Published: Oct 9, 2019 · Modified: Oct 9, 2019 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy one-bowl cinnamon apple cake recipe! This moist apple cake is topped with a simple cinnamon sugar crumble. So easy, so good! Slice of cinnamon apple cake on a cream plate

    Now that Fall is (finally) here, this Cinnamon Apple Cake is a yummy way to use some of the fresh apples that are just making their way into the stores.

    This apple cake is so simple and easy to make! You can mix the batter in one bowl, and it's so quick and easy to stir up that the cake is ready to go into the oven by the time the oven preheats.

    And the cake itself is pretty fantastic. It's really moist, and the cinnamon sugar topping gives the cake a bit of buttery crunch.

    How To Make Cinnamon Apple Cake

    This cake is so easy to make! I recommend stirring it by hand rather than using an electric mixer to avoid overmixing the batter.

    Cinnamon apple cake batter in a glass mixing bowl

    In a large mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla together until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. Don't overmix.

    Cinnamon apple cake batter in a 9x13 pan

    Fold in the diced apple just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth as needed.

    Cinnamon apple cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar

    To make the topping, stir the butter, cinnamon, and sugar together. The mixed topping will look like wet sand.

    Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping over the cake batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Slice of cinnamon apple cake next to a blue linen napkinTips For Making Apple Cake

    • Any neutral oil will work in this recipe. You can use canola, vegetable, melted coconut oil, or even olive oil.
    • Regular or low-fat buttermilk will work. If you don't have any buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute with this recipe.
    • Be sure to properly measure the flour. Adding too much flour will give you a dry batter and a doughy or dense cake.
    • I recommend stirring this batter by hand. It's easy to mix and mixing it by hand will help to avoid overmixing the batter.
    • Any baking apple will work. Granny Smith, Gala, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp are all good choices.

    Slice of cinnamon apple cake next to red and green applesHow To Serve Apple Cake

    This cake is great served as-is. If serving the cake warm, you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of whipped cream on top. It can also be topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce to make it more of a caramel apple cake.

    How To Store Cinnamon Apple Cake

    This cake will keep for 3-4 days stored covered at room temperature. This cake is very moist. If you live in a humid area, you may prefer to store the cake covered in the fridge.

    Spoon drizzling caramel on top of cinnamon apple cakeMore Apple Recipes!

    • Apple Turnovers
    • Cinnamon Apples
    • Apple Cider Donut Muffins

    If you’ve tried this cinnamon apple cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Slice of cinnamon apple cake on a cream plate

    Cinnamon Apple Cake

    Moist apple cake topped with cinnamon sugar.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 192kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
    • ⅓ cup oil¹
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup buttermilk regular or low-fat ok
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour2 properly measured
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups peeled,cored, and chopped baking apples3

    Topping

    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon butter melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, stir brown sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla together until well-combined.
    • Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until incorporated.
    • Fold in chopped apple.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    • In a small bowl, stir sugar, cinnamon, and butter together.
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter.
    • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Notes

    1. Any neutral oil such as canola or vegetable will work.
    2. To properly measure the flour, stir the flour, lightly spoon into measuring cup, and level.
    3. Apples such as Granny Smith, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp work well. 
    4. Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Originally published 10/2/12. Updated with new photos and tips 10/9/19.

    « Slow Cooker Brownies
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julia

      February 18, 2022 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      This was a nice moist cake. We liked it very much.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 18, 2022 at 11:19 am

        Thanks!

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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