Apple Cake (Moist Cinnamon Cake With Fresh Apples)

What Makes This Recipe Work

A thick batter supports suspended apple pieces instead of letting them sink, and sour cream adds fat and acidity for a moist, tight crumb that keeps well for days. Diced apples distribute better than layers of slices, so every wedge gets fruit.

Ingredients for Apple Cake (Moist Cinnamon Cake With Fresh Apples)

• 2 lb (900 g) firm baking apples (about 4 medium), peeled, cored, and diced 1/2 inch thick (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil such as canola or avocado
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional

How to Make Apple Cake (Moist Cinnamon Cake With Fresh Apples)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan, or line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment and grease the exposed surfaces.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl until evenly combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until smooth, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; the batter will be thick.
5. Fold in the diced apples and the nuts if using, mixing until the fruit is evenly distributed.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake: 50 to 60 minutes for the Bundt pan, or 35 to 45 minutes for the 9x13.
7. Test doneness with a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake; it should come out with a few moist crumbs and no raw batter, and the top should spring back when pressed. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then invert the Bundt onto a rack to cool completely.

Tips for the Best Apple Cake (Moist Cinnamon Cake With Fresh Apples)

• Dice the apples to a uniform 1/2 inch so they cook through at the same rate as the batter around them.
• Room temperature eggs and sour cream blend into a smoother batter and give the cake a more even rise.
• Do not skip the last fold too early: apples sunk to the bottom usually mean the batter was undermixed or too thin.

Variations and Substitutions

• For a bakery-style finish, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tbsp milk and pour the glaze over the cooled Bundt.
• Bake the same batter as an Apple Bread in a greased 9x5 loaf pan at 350°F for 55 to 65 minutes, then toast slices for breakfast.
• Press a simple streusel of 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp cold butter, and cinnamon over the batter before baking for a crumb-top version.
• Turn the apples into fritter territory with a batch of Apple Fritters, or fold the diced apple mix into Apple Turnovers filling instead.

How to Store and Reheat

• Cover the cooled cake and keep it at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days; bring slices to room temperature or warm them briefly before serving.
• Wrap unfrosted cake tightly and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, then add glaze before serving.

Apple Cake (Moist Cinnamon Cake With Fresh Apples) FAQ