Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake Recipe

By
Yvonne Ruperti
A photo of Yvonne Ruperti, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Yvonne Ruperti
Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and cookbook author. She is also an adjust professor of baking at the Culinary Institute of America in Singapore.
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Updated May 09, 2019
. Yvonne Ruperti

Soft cinnamon apples top a tangy, moist cake flavored with applesauce and yogurt.

Notes:I like to use soft, tart, baking apples such as Gala or Cortland. I find Granny Smiths, though tart, are too hard and don't soften properly on top of the cake. For the topping, the butter should be soft enough to spread easily over the apples with a brush.

Recipe Details

Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 90 mins
Makes 1 cake
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • For Cake:
  • 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounce) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 3/4 cup (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pound Cortland, Macintosh, or Gala baking apples (about 4), peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
  • For Topping:
  • 2 tablespoons butter, very soft (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

  2. Whisk butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until creamy. Whisk in eggs, one by one, then yogurt and applesauce until combined.

  3. Add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to bowl and stir with whisk until just combined. Spread batter into pan and smooth the top.

  4. Fan apples out on top of batter. Brush softened butter on top of apples. In the same unwashed bowl that contained the batter, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over apples.

  5. Bake until edges are golden, apples have softened and center is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool in pan 20 minutes, then remove sides of pan to cool.

Special equipment

9-inch springform pan

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