Description
Delightful cinnamon apple cake brings warmth of autumn kitchens with perfectly spiced layers of comfort. Sweet apples and rich cinnamon create a homemade dessert you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits and Produce:
- 2 cups diced apples (peeled and cored)
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (for topping)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for topping)
Wet Ingredients and Dairy:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the oven by heating to 350°F (175°C) and preparing a 9-inch round cake pan with grease and flour or parchment paper.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes light, airy, and pale in color.
- Incorporate eggs individually into the butter mixture, mixing completely after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract until smooth.
- Alternate adding dry ingredient mixture and sour cream to the wet ingredients, mixing gently to create a uniform batter. Stop mixing as soon as ingredients are combined to prevent overmixing.
- Gently fold diced apples into the batter, ensuring even distribution throughout the mixture.
- Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula to create an even layer.
- Create a topping by mixing brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a separate small bowl.
- Evenly scatter the cinnamon-sugar mixture across the top of the cake batter, creating a decorative and flavorful coating.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, monitoring until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top turns golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let the cake rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Serve the cake at room temperature, optionally accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for added indulgence.
Notes
- Select apples that are firm and slightly tart like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp to provide the best texture and balanced sweetness in the cake.
- Dice apples into uniform small cubes to ensure even distribution and consistent baking throughout the cake.
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smoother, more homogeneous batter that results in a tender cake with better rise.
- Avoid overmixing the batter after adding dry ingredients to prevent developing tough gluten strands that can make the cake dense.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum for better texture.
- Enhance the cake’s moisture by brushing warm cake with a light syrup made from apple juice and cinnamon after baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg