Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake is deliciously easy to make with just 10 mins prep time. Add a hot cup of tea and call the friends around for a cosy afternoon catch up or warming dessert!

Why We Love This

This easy apple cake is so quick to whip up as a tasty dessert or afternoon sweet treat, especially smothered in a dollop of cream.

The super simple cake batter comes together in minutes. No need for a stand mixer, all you need is a regular mixing bowl and a trusty wooden spoon.

Just like Pain d’epices (French Spice Cake) it fills your house with warming spices that make you feel like it’s the middle of the holiday season.

What is Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake? 

This cake starts from a sweet vanilla base, loaded with crunchy apple pieces and amped up with sprinklings of cinnamon sugar and sumac (a tangy Middle Eastern spice) for a hint of citrus.

It’s so delicious, you might be tempted to eat this cake batter before it even hits the oven! Resist though, and you’ll be rewarded when its spicy apple crunch melts into sweet vanilla heaven.

This cake is usually baked in a rectangular baking dish or loaf pan, making it super easy to cut into neat slices. However, any moderately deep baking dish will do the trick.

If you want a cake with a bigger hit of citrus, try our Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake!

What You’ll Need

A few baking staples like brown sugar, butter, eggs and milk, along with vanilla essence and cinnamon. You’ll also need:

• Apple – We love the tart flavour of Granny Smith apples, but any kind of apple will do nicely. No need to peel them, simply chop them finely for even distribution when layering. This is the best method so you end up with nice small chunks of apple in the centre and visibly baked on top. You could also finely slice using a mandolin if you prefer, or grate the apple straight into the batter. Grated apple will pretty much melt and disappear, giving you nice apple flavour throughout the cake but no visual effect. It’s totally up to you!
• Sumac – This Middle Eastern spice (pronounced soo-mak) comes from the flowers of a wild berry bush. It gives a deliciously tart citrus flavour that pairs perfectly with apples and cinnamon. If you don’t have sumac, you can use a splash of lemon juice or a 1/2 tsp of freshly grated lemon rind.
• Self Raising Flour – This gives structure and lift to the cake without need for extra baking powder. You can substitute with the same amount of all purpose flour and 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder if you need.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Use a Greased Baking Dish – This will help the cake come out clean and help the sides look their best for serving. You can use butter or vegetable oil, or line with baking paper if you prefer.
• To Check It’s Done – Press a skewer into the cake – if it comes out clean, it’s done!
• Leftovers? Break it into crumbs and make it into chester squares!

FAQs

Variations

• Layers or No Layers – You have two options when it comes to assembling this cake, and it’s totally up to you! You could:
  • Pour in all of the batter and just top with the diced apple, cinnamon sugar and sumac, OR
  • Pour in half the batter, add a layer of spiced apple goodness, another layer of batter and the remaining spiced apple on top! This is our favourite method, spreading out more of that sweet spicy apple flavour throughout the cake. Yum!
• Add Texture – Add a handful of raisins, currants or your favourite chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts) in with the diced apples in the centre layer and/or sprinkled over the top of the cake.
• Use Jam – Spread a layer of your favourite jam in the centre (we love strawberry or fig and cinnamon) for an extra burst of flavour and sweetness.
• Use Pumpkin Spice – Swap the cinnamon and sumac for a pumpkin spice blend made from 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.
• Make it Decadent – Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, custard (or all three!).

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