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Apple Cake Recipe

User Rating 5 Star Rating (4 Reviews) write a review

By , About.com Guide

cake recipes, apple, raisin, walnuts, fruitcake, dessert, receipts

Apple Cake Recipe

© 2010 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
This apple cake uses fresh apples, walnuts, and optional raisins. The texture is dense, much like a quick bread. Use a simple drizzled glaze or serve it plain. It is a 9 x 13-inch cake, so it makes enough for a crowd. Do not use a food processor to chop the apples. They should be roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups chopped baking apples (Granny Smith, Rome, McIntosh, winesap, etc.)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained, and patted dry (optional)
  • .
  • Optional Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered confectioners' sugar
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Place oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, 1/3 at a time, and beat just until combined. Mixture will be thick. Fold in apples, walnuts, and optional raisins.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick. Let cool completely.

Optional Glaze:
Whisk cream or milk into powdered sugar until it is just barely thin enough to drip. Scrape into a zip-top bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Cut a very small piece off one bottom corner and drizzle in a cross-wise pattern on the cooled apple cake.

Yield: about 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size

Apple Cake Recipe Photo © 2010 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.

User Reviews

 5 out of 5
Apple Cake Variation with Almonds and Cranberries, Member CynthiaTasca

I had to change the recipe somewhat. That's why the original recipe is so good because it lends itself to minor changes and the results are great. First of all I had no electric mixer. I did it by hand with an old fashioned egg-beater as they were called. 2nd, the house-mate will not eat rasins. 3rd, there weren't enough walnuts on hand, so: I substituted the raisins with dryied cranberries, the walnuts with chopped plain roasted almonds. I added a teaspoon of pure Almond extract additionally to the pure Vanilla extract. Also, I doubled the cinnamon. Next time I make this cake, if there is still no electric mixer available, I will increase the baking powder by a quarter teaspoon because mixing this batter by hand, incorporates less air into it. The additional the addtional baking powder will give it some lift. This batter was a very heavy batter, much like Laura Scudders Peanut Butter. Oh, I used whole wheat flour and dark brown sugar because that's all that was available at the time. That's why this is such a fantastic recipe. I plan on trying the original recipe with increased cinnamon. Also, I have a few other variations in mind. Dried apricots with either the rasins or crannberries at the same time. But only using 3 fruits at a time. Before you know it, this could turn this into a fruit cake with fresh pineapple. I'm going to try that too, adding a little extra flour. Oh, I did not drizzle glaze the cake. This is a fabulous recipe for the creative baker.

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