Classic Apple Cake with Cinnamon

Name: Classic Apple Cake with Cinnamon
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 medium (about 1½ lb) (680 g) firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) chunks; 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda; 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon; ¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt; 3 whole (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1¼ cups, packed (270 g) light brown sugar, packed, any lumps broken up; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil; ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground cinnamon

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, oil-based apple cake packed with tender chunks of apple, brown sugar and warm cinnamon, finished with a crackly cinnamon-sugar top. It's a one-bowl, no-mixer cake that keeps well for days.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 50 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 2 hr
Makes: 1 cake (12 squares)

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake
4 medium (about 1½ lb) (680 g) firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) chunks
2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt
3 whole (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups, packed (270 g) light brown sugar, packed, any lumps broken up
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the topping
2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon

Equipment (10)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Vegetable peeler and sharp knife
Measuring cups and spoons (or kitchen scale)
Wire cooling rack
Toothpick or cake tester

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs out 30 minutes ahead so they come to room temperature and blend smoothly into the oil.
Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 350°F (175°C) before you start peeling apples.
Use firm, tart-sweet apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn) that hold their shape when baked; avoid mealy apples such as Red Delicious.
Plan on about 2 hours total, including 45 minutes of cooling before cutting.

1
Preheat and line panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan with a little oil, then line the bottom with parchment, leaving an overhang on the two long sides to use as handles.
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Ready when: Pan is lined and the oven is fully preheated.
Tip: Use only a teaspoon or so of the oil here; the rest is measured for the batter.
2
Prepare the apples
- Peel, core and cut the apples into ½-inch (1.3 cm) chunks, aiming for even sizes so they cook at the same rate.
- You should have about 4 cups (about 600 g) of chunks.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Apple pieces are uniform, about the size of a large dice.
Tip: Chunks larger than ¾ inch can leave wet pockets in the cake.
3
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and the salt for about 20 seconds.
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Ready when: Mixture is a uniform beige with no streaks of cinnamon or clumps of leavener.
4
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the oil, milk and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth, with no visible oil slick and no sugar lumps.
Tip: Press out brown sugar lumps with the back of a spoon so they don't end up in the cake.
5
Combine batter
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in two additions.
- Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined, with no dry flour visible.
- Add the apple chunks and fold 8 to 10 more strokes to distribute them.
- The batter will be thick.
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Ready when: No dry flour streaks remain and the apples are evenly spread through a thick batter.
Tip: Don't overmix; it develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
6
Fill pan and top
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer, pushing it into the corners.
- Stir the topping sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the surface.
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Ready when: Surface is level and evenly dusted with cinnamon sugar.
7
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Rotate the pan front to back after 30 minutes for even browning.
- Bake until the top is deep golden and springs back when lightly pressed.
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Ready when: A toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs (no wet batter), and the edges pull slightly from the pan.
Tip: If the top browns too fast before 35 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
8
Cool and slice
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.
- Lift the cake out using the parchment handles, cool 15 minutes more, then cut into 12 squares (3 × 4).
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Ready when: Cake is warm or room temperature and holds its shape when cut.
Tip: Cutting too early gives a gummy, crumbly texture.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can; packing it into the cup is the most common cause of a dry cake.
Mix apple varieties, such as tart Granny Smith with sweet Honeycrisp, for more complex flavor.
Toss in ¾ cup (85 g) chopped toasted walnuts or ½ cup raisins with the apples for extra texture.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Make ahead

"Bake the cake up to 1 day ahead, cool completely, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The flavor deepens overnight."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: covered, up to 2 days. Refrigerator: airtight, up to 5 days; bring to room temperature or warm squares 10 seconds in the microwave. Freezer: wrap squares individually and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight at room temperature, then warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8 minutes if desired."

Substitutions

vegetable oil → melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Gives a richer buttery flavor, though the crumb is a touch less moist after day 2.
whole milk → buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with a splash of water. Adds tang; the cake stays tender.
light brown sugar → dark brown sugar. Gives a deeper molasses flavor and slightly darker crumb.
all-purpose flour → half whole wheat flour. Replace up to 1¼ cups (about 155 g); the cake will be nuttier and slightly denser.