This apple cake recipe is moist and flavorful, filled with warm spices and tender apples. Easy to make in one bowl, it's a perfect treat for a fall day.

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated Sep 2, 2026

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This apple cake recipe is such an easy way to turn fresh apples into a delicious dessert. It has a moist and tender crumb, with juicy apples and crunchy walnuts studded throughout. Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla fill it with warm, cozy flavor. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, it’s the ultimate treat for a fall day.

I love how simple this apple cake recipe is. The batter is easy to mix up in one bowl and calls for basic ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen right now.

The recipe comes from Yossy Arefi’s cookbook Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings, a gorgeous collection of 50 snacking cake recipes that are easy to make and acceptable to eat at any time of day. I’ve made this one every year since the book came out—it’s become a tradition after going apple picking in the fall. I hope it becomes a staple in your kitchen too!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this apple cake recipe:

Apples, of course! They fill this cake with autumn flavor, and they make it nice and moist.
Dark brown sugar – I’m usually not particular about using light or dark brown sugar in baking recipes, but I highly recommend using dark brown sugar here. It gives the cake an extra-rich, molasses-y flavor.
Eggs – They make the apple cake wonderfully light and puffy.
Oil – For moisture and richness. For the best results, use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
Vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg – They add warm, spiced flavor to this fresh apple cake.
Salt – Don’t skip it! It really makes the sweet, spiced flavors pop.
All-purpose flour – This cake is all about the apples, so you don’t need much flour—just 1 cup. Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup. If you’d like to make this cake gluten-free, replace the regular flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.
Baking powder and baking soda – For lift.
Walnuts – For crunch! You’ll stir some into the cake batter and sprinkle more on top.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Best Apples to Use

The best apples for this cake—and any baking recipe—are firm varieties that will hold their shape when they’re cooked.

If you like sweet apples, Gala apples, Fuji apples, and Honeycrisp apples are good choices.
If you like tart apples, Granny Smith apples are a great choice.
For a balanced sweet-tart flavor, use sweet-tart apples like Pink Lady or Jonathan.

All of these varieties will hold up nicely in the cake. Avoid soft or mealy apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh.

How to Make Apple Cake

This apple cake recipe is easy to make in one bowl:

Start by peeling and dicing the apples. The pieces will vary in size a little based on the natural shape of the apples, but do your best to keep them to a similar size so that they bake evenly. Aim for 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks.

Next, whisk together the batter. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until they’re pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Then, whisk in the oil, spices, vanilla, and salt.

Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the wet ingredients, and whisk again until well-combined and smooth.

Use a whisk or spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure your batter is evenly mixed and there aren’t any pockets of dry ingredients hiding around the edges.

Then, add the apples and half the walnuts. Use a rubber spatula to fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan. Use an offset spatula to gently smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the cake.

Finally, bake in a 350°F oven until puffed and golden or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

So easy!

Recipe Tips

Spread the apples evenly in the pan. To make sure that you get plenty of apples in every slice of this cake, use a spatula to evenly spread the chunks of apple in the pan after you pour in the batter.
Tap the pan on the counter before you put it in the oven. This will help the apples settle in the pan, releasing any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter.
Let the cake cool before slicing and serving. As with all baking recipes, it’s tempting to devour this delicious cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. However, if you allow it to cool, it’ll have a moister, more cohesive texture and stronger spiced apple flavor. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Serve Fresh Apple Cake

I’m always happy eating a slice of this cinnamon apple cake plain, with or without a cup of coffee or tea to go with it. However, if you’re craving something a little more decadent, don’t hesitate to dress it up.

It’s fantastic with a dollop of coconut whipped cream or traditional whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar. You could even slather cream cheese frosting on top!

Apple Cake Recipe Variations

Use another fruit. Pears and peaches are delicious alternatives to the apples. They’re juicier than apples are, so the cake won’t last as long. Make sure to finish it within a day.
Swap the nuts. Pecans and hazelnuts would be excellent instead of the walnuts. If you’d like to make this cake nut-free, feel free to omit the nuts entirely.
Make a square cake. This recipe works just as well in an 8×8-inch square pan. The bake time is the same, 30 to 40 minutes.
Make a loaf cake. Another pan option! If you choose to make a loaf cake, the baking time will be longer, 45 to 55 minutes.

Let me know what variations you try!