Simple Cinnamon Apple Cake

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Everyone has their own go-to apple cake recipe. I usually bake this one when I want something sweet for a slow Sunday or when I’m expecting guests and feel too lazy to make anything fancy. Ingredients are very simple and always are in my kitchen cupboard, any time of the year.

This apple cake is similar to the one that both my mother and grandmother have been baking for as long as I can remember. After trying it myself at least a thousand times, I started making it my own way, improved the mixing technique to make sure it’s perfect every single time.

Choose softer apples

That might be the opposite of what everyone recommends for apple cakes, but apples, which tend to get soft while baking, go a lot better with this cake. They help to create a pleasant mouthfeel and add extra moisture, which is not bad at all. Tough green apples, like Granny Smith, for example, keep their shape too much, do not blend into the cake texture, and feel really really weird. 

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Beat eggs well

Air incorporated into the eggs while beating is the only raising agent in this cake, so make sure you use room-temperature eggs and don’t be lazy to beat them well. Otherwise, your cake will be a lot denser and will not rise as high. You might even get too little batter compared to the number of apple pieces.

OK, you can be a bit lazy in some parts of the process

I’ve just told you not to be lazy with eggs, but well, there are some things in this cake that you can totally skip and still get a tasty result. You can leave apples unpeeled (to be honest, I do this most of the time) and you will barely (if at all) feel the skins in the cake. You can leave the top of the cake undecorated and you will get a crunchy crust that does not look so good but is very very tasty.

Eat it hot or cold

This apple cake is delicious when still hot with some vanilla ice cream. It’s still tasty the next day if you can manage to save a piece so long. 

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Simple Cinnamon Apple Cake

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Very simple and tasty cinnamon apple cake, made of a few ingredients that can be found in every kitchen any time of the year.

  • Prep Time30 min
  • Bake / Cook Time50 min
  • Total Time1 hr 20 min
  • Yield4-6 serv.
  • Cake Tin Size15 cm / 6 inch

Ingredients

  • 3 medium juicy apples (400-500 g / 14-17.6 oz in total)
  • 2 medium eggs (100-120 g / 3.5-4.2 oz in total without shells)
  • 130 g / 4.6 oz granulated sugar
  • 80 g / 2.8 oz  wheat flour (cake or plain)
  • 0.5 tsp. cinnamon (divided) + a bit to sprinkle the top
  • A splash of lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1

Line the bottom and the sides of the 15 cm / 6 inch size springform baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with some butter to make a parchment paper stick.

Line a baking pan

2

Peel of and core the apples. Slice one of them (to decorate the top of the cake) and sprinkle with some lemon juice to prevent oxidation (optional). Cut the other two apples into smaller pieces (these will go inside the cake), add 0,25 tsp. of cinnamon, and mix well.

Cut the apples

3

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (without a fan).

4

Mix flour with 0.25 tsp. of cinnamon, set aside.

5

With an electric mixer beat room temperature eggs (see notes) with the granulated sugar at a high speed till the mixture triples in size, gets a very pale yellow color and there are no big bubbles visible. When you lift the mixer attachment, the batter should fall back in thick trails which will stay on top of the batter, remaining clearly visible on the surface for at least a few moments before slowly disappearing (ribbon stage). Beating may take about 5 mins or more (see notes).

Beat the eggs

6

Sift the flour and cinnamon mixture onto beaten eggs. If you’ve beaten eggs well, the flour will sit on the top and will not sink.

Sift the flour

7

Fold in flour carefully using a silicone spatula or a spoon just until combined. Rotate the bowl all the time to remove flour pockets easier.

Fold the flour

8

Pour half of the batter into the baking pan. Add all apple pieces.

Pour batter into the pan

9

Pour the other half of the batter and decorate the top with apple slices.

Decorate the top

10

Sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of the cake.

Sprinkle with cinnamon

11

Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 50-55 mins. Test for doneness by inserting a wooden stick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done, but if there is some wet batter on it, bake a few more minutes and test again.

12

After taking the cake out of the oven, leave it in the pan for a few minutes, then take it out and transfer to a rack to cool completely or serve and enjoy while it’s still hot.

Notes

  • If you feel lazy or are in a hurry, you can leave apples unpeeled. It’s not so easy to notice them, so they will not ruin your cake.
  • Eggs have to be at room temperature or they will not reach a full volume. So take them out of the fridge at least half an hour before beating them or soak them in warm water for 5-10 mins.
  • How long will you have to beat eggs and sugar to reach a ribbon stage depends on your mixer capacity. It takes 4-5 mins with my stand mixer and 7-8 with my hand mixer. Also, if you choose to bake a bigger cake and beat more eggs, that will increase the beating time.
  • If you don’t add apples on top, the cake will have a crunchy crust, which is actually very tasty.
  • This cake is delicious both hot and cold. Only it’s easier to remove parchment paper when the cake has cooled completely.
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