This cake weighs its ingredients and mixes in one bowl. The batter is thick, the apples stay in visible chunks, and the cinnamon sugar on top cracks slightly as it cools.
The method is a reverse-cream: soft butter is beaten with sugar and eggs before the flour goes in. This keeps the crumb tender without a stand mixer.
Use firm, tart apples. Soft varieties release too much water and leave a gummy center.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
Weigh flour, then spoon it into the cup if you lack a scale. Substitute 50 g with whole wheat flour for a nuttier crumb.
10 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
Check the date; stale powder gives a flat cake. Substitute 4 g baking soda plus 120 g buttermilk if you prefer.
3 g (1/2 teaspoon) fine salt
Fine sea salt dissolves evenly. Avoid coarse flakes here; they leave salty pockets.
4 g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
Buy fresh cinnamon and smell it before use. Substitute 3 g ground ginger for a sharper note.
1 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
Grate whole nutmeg for the strongest aroma. Substitute mixed spice if nutmeg is missing.
150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
White sugar keeps the crumb light. Substitute 130 g light brown sugar for a moister, caramel edge.
115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, soft
Press it and it should dent, not squish. Substitute 100 g neutral oil if you want a denser slice.
2 large eggs (about 100 g), room temperature
Cold eggs split the batter. Substitute 100 g plain yogurt for an egg-free version.
120 g (1/2 cup) whole milk
Whole milk adds fat and moisture. Substitute buttermilk for a slightly tangier crumb.
350 g (about 2 medium) firm apples, peeled and diced 1 cm
Use Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Boskoop. Avoid Red Delicious; it turns to mush.
15 g (1 tablespoon) sugar mixed with 2 g (1 teaspoon) cinnamon, for topping
This topping browns and cracks. Substitute demerara sugar for a crunchier crust.
Tips & Tricks
Do not overmix
stop the moment the flour disappears, or the gluten toughens the crumb.
Dice apples evenly
1 cm cubes bake in the same time as the cake. Larger pieces sink and stay raw.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes
the cake firms up before you release the springform, so it will not tear.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Line a 20 cm springform pan with parchment and butter the sides. [A hot, even oven sets the crumb before the apples sink.]
2. Mix dry ingredients
Whisk 250 g flour, 10 g baking powder, 3 g salt, 4 g cinnamon, and 1 g nutmeg in a bowl. [Whisking distributes the leavener so the cake rises evenly.]
3. Cream butter and sugar
Beat 115 g butter with 150 g sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. [Trapped air gives lift before the eggs go in.]
4. Add eggs one at a time
Beat in 2 eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each. [Adding both at once risks a split, curdled batter.]
5. Alternate milk and flour
Fold in the dry mix in three additions, alternating with 120 g milk, starting and ending with flour. [This keeps the batter stable and stops lumps.]
6. Fold in apples
Fold in 350 g diced apple with a spatula until just distributed. The batter will be thick and chunky. [Overmixing here crushes the fruit and toughens the cake.]
7. Top and bake
Scrape into the pan, level the top, and scatter the cinnamon sugar over it. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 180 C (350 F) until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs and the edges pull from the pan. [The sugar topping should look dry and cracked.]
8. Cool and release
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then release the ring and cool on a rack. [The cake firms as it cools, so early slicing tears the crumb.]
Delicious Variations
Pear and ginger
swap the apples for 350 g diced pear and replace the cinnamon with 4 g ground ginger.
Nut crumble
add 40 g chopped walnuts to the topping for a crunchier crust.
Apple streusel
top with 60 g flour, 40 g butter, and 40 g sugar rubbed together before baking.
How to Store Cinnamon Apple Cake
Refrigerator
Store wrapped at room temperature 2 days or refrigerated 5 days in an airtight box.
Freezer
Freeze whole or in slices wrapped in film for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating
Warm slices 15 seconds in a microwave or 5 minutes at 150 C (300 F) to refresh the crumb.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my apple cake soggy?
Too much apple juice or underbaking makes the center wet. Dice firm apples, toss them in flour, and bake until a skewer shows only moist crumbs.
Q: Can I use self-raising flour?
Yes, use 250 g self-raising flour and omit the baking powder. Keep the salt and spices as written.
Q: How do I know when the cake is done?
A skewer inserted at the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. The edges also pull slightly from the pan and the top springs back when pressed.
Q: Can I make this cake dairy-free?
Yes, use 100 g neutral oil instead of butter and 120 g oat milk. The crumb is slightly denser but still moist.
Q: Should I peel the apples?
Peeling gives a softer, cleaner texture, but unpeeled apple works if you like chew. Dice either way to 1 cm so the pieces bake through.
Weigh the flour, dice the apples evenly, and bake one cake this week. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Cinnamon apple cake bakes into a moist, buttery crumb loaded with tender apples and warm spice, ready in one bowl in under an hour.
🧂 Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) fine salt
- 4 g (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, soft
- 2 large eggs (about 100 g), room temperature
- 120 g (1/2 cup) whole milk
- 350 g (about 2 medium) firm apples, peeled and diced 1 cm
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) sugar mixed with 2 g (1 teaspoon) cinnamon, for topping
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Line a 20 cm springform pan with parchment and butter the sides. [A hot, even oven sets the crumb before the apples sink.]
- 2Mix dry ingredients — Whisk 250 g flour, 10 g baking powder, 3 g salt, 4 g cinnamon, and 1 g nutmeg in a bowl. [Whisking distributes the leavener so the cake rises evenly.]
- 3Cream butter and sugar — Beat 115 g butter with 150 g sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. [Trapped air gives lift before the eggs go in.]
- 4Add eggs one at a time — Beat in 2 eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each. [Adding both at once risks a split, curdled batter.]
- 5Alternate milk and flour — Fold in the dry mix in three additions, alternating with 120 g milk, starting and ending with flour. [This keeps the batter stable and stops lumps.]
- 6Fold in apples — Fold in 350 g diced apple with a spatula until just distributed. The batter will be thick and chunky. [Overmixing here crushes the fruit and toughens the cake.]
- 7Top and bake — Scrape into the pan, level the top, and scatter the cinnamon sugar over it. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 180 C (350 F) until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs and the edges pull from the pan. [The sugar topping should look dry and cracked.]
- 8Cool and release — Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then release the ring and cool on a rack. [The cake firms as it cools, so early slicing tears the crumb.]
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.