Description
Warm and comforting homemade apple cake brings sweet memories of autumn afternoons in my grandmother’s kitchen. Tender cake loaded with fresh apples and cinnamon makes perfect sense for weekend baking and sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit:
- 3 cups apples (peeled and diced)
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your workspace by setting the oven to 350°F (175°C) and coating a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter and flour.
- Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, cream ½ cup softened butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and pale.
- Incorporate 2 large eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, ensuring each is fully blended before adding the next. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Gently fold ½ cup sour cream into the butter mixture until evenly distributed.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Peel and dice 3 cups of apples into small, uniform chunks. Fold the apples and ½ cup chopped nuts (if using) into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Grate apples fresh for the best texture and moisture in the cake.
- Chop nuts roughly to distribute crunch evenly throughout the batter.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter to help ingredients blend smoothly.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 295 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg