Cinnamon Apple Cake
This easy one-bowl cinnamon apple cake is the fall dessert to make with fresh apples. It's moist, packed with apple-cinnamon flavor, and topped with a cinnamon crumb. Serve it to a crowd for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and beyond!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Apple Cake
- 3-5 Gala apples
- 1 ½ cups canola oil
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour *See notes for measuring*
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F/ 165 C. Line a metal 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until dense crumbs form. Chill in the fridge.
- Use the large holes of a cheese grater to grate three red apples into a large bowl. Squeeze out all of the juice and place them into a separate bowl.
- Measure 1 ½ packed cups (282 grams) of the grated apples. Then measure out ¾ cup (195 grams) of the apple juice from the bowl. Discard any extra juice and apples. If you are short, grate an extra apple (or two) until you have enough.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil and dark brown sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, measured grated apples, and measured apple juice.
- Fold in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean but slightly sticky, without any wet batter clinging to it. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack while preparing the glaze.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. For a thicker glaze, use more powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon apple cake then cut it into slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Should I peel the apples? No, you can if you want to though!
Use fresh apples. Fresher apples are easier to grate. If they are older they will turn to mush!
Store leftover apple cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve it warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!