This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you when you make a purchase. Find out more in the Disclosure Policy
Easy Apple Cake is moist and tender. Full of apple and Fall spice flavors. A cake recipe with simple healthy ingredients is perfect for breakfast, a coffee break, or dessert.
This cake is super easy and uses ingredients right from your pantry. I love the apple and spice flavor. Made with healthy ingredients, it is a treat to enjoy on a weekend morning.
Preparation
This cake uses ingredients right from your pantry. I made a few healthy switches using whole wheat pastry flour #ad, olive oil, and cut back on sugar.
Cake Batter
First, you want to gather all your ingredients. This is something that makes cooking so much easier. This simple step ensures you have all your ingredients and they are there and measured as you put your recipe together.
Collect your dry ingredients, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and salt.
Tip: shift all these ingredients together to make sure your dry ingredients are mixed and lump-free and add to the mixing bowl.
Mix your wet ingredients, egg, sugar, milk, olive oil, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. This will make about 2 cups of cake batter.
Apple Topping and Filling
Peel and core one apple. Thinly slice. The slices will be placed on top of the cake batter before baking. See the picture below.
Peel and finely chop a second apple. Mix with brown sugar and spice.
Assembling Cake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Add a piece of parchment paper cut to fit in the bottom. Lightly spray parchment paper.
Add one cup of cake batter to the pan. Sprinkle with chopped apple. Add the remainder of the batter.
Lightly place apple slices on top of the cake batter toward the outer edge, filling in the middle.
Tip: be aware that apple slices may cook into the batter. No worries just add a dusting of powdered sugar once the cake has cooled and no one will be the wiser.
Bake
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean without any batter.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack. Place the rack with parchment paper over the top of the pan. Turn the cake over. Remove the parchment paper, and transfer to a serving plate. Dust with powder sugar. Enjoy.
Easy Substitutions
Apple: ripe pears work great with this recipe.
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: all-purpose flour would have a similar texture. If you want to stay with whole wheat, use white whole wheat flour. The cake's texture will be a bit heavier.
Olive Oil: substitute canola oil or other oil on hand.
A simple substitution for Allspice is:
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
Mix the spices until well blended. Use as a 1:1 substitute in your recipe.
Store remainder of Allspice substitute in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Recommended Equipment
I used the following equipment to make this cake.
Healthy Cake and Breakfast Ideas
You might also enjoy these recipes.
Easy Mediterranean Breakfast Ideas
Easy Apple Cake
Ingredients
Batter
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 lg egg
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
Apple Spice Filling
- 1 cup apple finely chopped
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Apple Topping
- 1 lg apple peeled, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 ° F.
Batter
- Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl, including whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine well.
- Beat egg, sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Add oil and vanilla.
- Add wet egg mixture to dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
Apple Spice Filling
- Peel and finely chop apple.
- Combine brown sugar and spices. Toss with chopped apple.
Assemble Cake
- Spray pan with cooking spray. Add a piece of parchment paper cut to fit in the bottom of pan. Add a light coating of cooking spray to parchment.
- Add 1 cup of batter to pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar spiced apple to batter.
- Add the reminder of batter.
- Peel and thinly slice and apple. Lightly arrange apple slices at outer edge of cake.
- Combine sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of cake.
- Add to bottom rack of oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Plating Cake
- Once out of the oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Place a cloth over the top of the pan and a cooling rack over the top. Flip the cake over. Remove the parchment paper and flip the cake upright on a rack to cool.
- Once cool, transfer to a serving plate. Dust with a light coating of powdered sugar.
Nutrition
September 2021 Update: Minor updates to post, addition of FAQ, and image updates.
Leave a Reply