This easy Apple Cake is a tall and fluffy apple dessert. It’s a healthier version of a traditional apple cake: made with fresh apples, organic flour, and unrefined sugar, it’s dairy free and full of goodness and deliciousness! Bursting with cinnamon flavor!
I love making apple cakes, I make them in the Instant Pot, such as this Instant Pot Apple Cake or with Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese.
In this apple cake recipe, I used light olive oil (us any other vegetable oil of your choice here) and organic flour, as well as unrefined cane sugar to make this Apple Cinnamon Cake as healthy as possible. Using oil here is what makes this dessert dairy free
Using unrefined sugar, which is brown in color and has that crystal look, produces superb results in baking. Cooking with regular white (processed) sugar will result in different looking cake. For example, apples won’t be caramelized on top as my pictures show.
Easy Step by Step Instructions for Easy Apple Cake
First grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil.
Next add half the cake batter and spread it evenly across the pan. This is your first batter layer.
Now add dd half of the apple mixture on top of the first batter layer andmake sure to add half the juices released by sugar and apples as well.
Now it’s time to add the remaining half of the batter on top of apple layer:
Top with the rest of the apples and any of the remaining liquid from the apple mixture:
Bake in the spring form pan for 1.5 hours:
Why use unrefined sugar for Apple Cinnamon Cake
Unrefined sugar is better for your your health as it retains trace vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which help to balance blood sugar.
Some studies have shown that up to 98% of chromium is removed from refined sugars and flours. You will do your health a great favor by using unrefined sugar and won’t feel guilty about consuming too much of it.
Unrefined sugar has a strong molasses flavor and a dark brown color. It is indeed the real sugar and real sugar is never white – we’re just used to seeing and buying this heavily processed and refined sugar. I’m personally very prone to insulin swings and blood sugar surges, but can handle unrefined sugar very well.
No mixer is necessary to make the BEST Apple Cake
I also made this Apple Cinnamon Cake without any mixer! You’re more than welcome to use one, but just wanted to give you hope that it’s not really necessary. Let’s not forget that our predecessors have done it without electronics for hundreds of years.
- This apple cinnamon cake keeps fresh and moist in the air tight container for up to 4 days. I suggest using a glass container.
- I really loved how it tasted straight out of the oven when it was still nice and warm. A scoop of ice-cream on top of the warm apple cake is out of this world!
- Once it cooled off, be sure to sprinkle it with some powdered sugar.
Even better the next day! It was more moist and more flavorful when we had it for breakfast the next day. Apples looked caramelized and perfectly intact!
Apples are slightly soaked in sugar and cinnamon
The apples are soaked in sugar and cinnamon before they are added into the Cinnamon Apple Cake and that takes some moisture out of them ahead of time, which in turn makes them extra flavorful and crunchy and not over-baked at all after being in the oven for 1.30 hours!
You will see that apples and sugar will release liquid when soaked together. Make sure to add that liquid when adding apples in the middle of the cake and on top.
Tools needed to make Apple Cinnamon Cake:
- 9 Inch Springform pan (where sides can be removed from the base)
- Peeler (for the apples)
- Knife (to slice the apples)
- 1 large bowl for the cake batter
- 2 small bowls: one for the apples, the other for the wet ingredients
- Spatula or a wooden spoon to mix the cake (I didn’t use electric mixer here)
More Apple Recipes here:
Watch the video of how to make Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
Sometimes it’s helpful to have an apple cake visual!
Apple Cinnamon Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Apples:
- 2 large apples or 4 small ones (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar (such as turbinado)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Dry Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1.5 cup unrefined cane sugar (such as turbinado)
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup light vegetable oil (I used light olive oil)
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
For Decoration:
- powdered sugar (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 3 bowls: 1 large for the cake batter and 2 medium ones: one for apples, the other for the wet ingredients.
- Apple Mixture: Peel and slice 2 large apples, place them in the medium bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon and mix everything well. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: Add eggs to the 3rd bowl and beat them with a fork until yolk and whites are combined. Add oil and orange juice; and mix everything well.
- Cake Batter: Add wet ingredients into the large bowl with dry ingredients and mix well.
- Cake Assembly Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil. Add 1/2 the cake batter and spread it evenly across the pan. Add half of the apple mixture (make sure to add half the juices released by sugar and apples as well). Add the remaining batter on top of apples and top with the rest of the apples and any of the remaining liquid from the apple mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. It will take an hour and a half because the batter is so thick and in order to keep the cake moist we need to keep the heat moderate - at 350 F. Going higher than that is risking the cake being too dry.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar once the cake has cooled off.
I made as written except substituted buttermilk for the orange juice–my guest can’t have butter, milk or cream but buttermilk is ok. I used 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda–baking soda and buttermilk helped it to rise and made it a little lighter. My thinly sliced apples disappeared in the middle of the cake. Next time I’ll cut them a bit thicker. But overall this is an excellent recipe. I never mixed sugar with dry ingredients before, but it works fine and is much less fuss and mess than creaming sugar and shortening and then adding eggs. And I’ve never baked with turbinado sugar before–works great. Thanks for this imaginative variation on the usual apple cake.
Quinn – I really enjoyed reading your review! Baking is such an adventure every time I do it.
If I add milk would it make it more moist? It was a little dry when I made it
I would definitely try it for more moisture. This cake is supposed to be slightly dry (unless you make it in high humidity zone) – it’s similar to east European jewish cake which is on the dryer side.
Hi, can I freeze this cake?
Yes, it is delicious when reheated in the microwave with ice cream on the side.
Hello,
I would-be like to make this cake bit whats the club in grams?
Can I use coconut sugar instead of cane sugar?
Yes! You can use coconut sugar as a 1:1 substitute for white or brown sugar.
Made this tonight. Will definitely make again. Easy and delicious.
I would love to join your recipe blog. Do you email new blog posts? How can I join? Your foods look so delicious!
Thank you Kathryn! I’m still working on the email list set up.
THis recipe looks fantastic! Would it be possible to substitute almond milk or another juice for the orange juice? My husband is allergic to oranges and dairy.
Yes, any other juice or almond milk would work. It just needs any type of pleasantly tasting liquid.