It’s definitely fall flavor time, and this Easy Cinnamon Apple Cake is exactly what the season ordered. With warm cinnamon, juicy apple chunks and a bit of crunch from chopped walnuts, it’s the kind of cozy, feel-good dessert you’ll want to make over and over.
Easy to make, and baked until golden perfection, it’s the perfect treat for cozy evenings, family gatherings or even a sweet breakfast. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar for a dessert that will wow, and taste, your guests!
Why You’ll Love It
Common Ingredients: Everything you need is probably already in your pantry and fridge.
How to Make It Fall Friendly: The comforting flavors of cinnamon and apples are a perfect embodiment of the season.
Texture Heaven: This moist cake, filled with tender apples and crunchy walnuts, is the perfect bite.
Versatile: Breakfast, dessert or anytime snack, this cake is great.
Crowd-Pleaser: Effortless to prepare but posh enough that you can serve it to company.
Key Ingredients:
Best Varieties: Tart, crisp apples — for the best flavor/texture combo, use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Braeburn.
Uniform size: You want to chop your apples into pieces that are all the same size so that they bake evenly.
Peel Tip: When you need to peel wheels in a hurry, do it with a vegetable peeler.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warmth and depths the apples’ innate sweetness.
Extra Spices: For added coziness, stir in a pinch of nutmeg or allspice.
Chopping Tip: After cutting walnuts, do so into large pieces so they retain some crunch.
Substitutions: Use pecans instead of walnuts, or skip them altogether for a nut-free cake.
Dark Brown Sugar: Provides a pleasing, molasses-y richness and depth that plays nicely with the cinnamon and apples.
Light Brown Sugar: If you can’t find dark brown sugar, use this in a pinch.
Butter, Softened: This butter should be super-soft, to cream easily with the sugars. If the butter has remained cold, it won’t incorporate.
The amounts of ingredients and measurements are below on the recipe card.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Get Your Baking Pan Ready
Preheat the ovens: You’re looking for 350°F (175°C), which yields a well-browned crust with soft, fluffy insides.
Preparing the Pan: Grease a 9-inch round baking pan with non-stick spray or butter. This is to help prevent them sticking and to allow for easy removal of the cakes.
Step 2: Make the Batter
Cream the Butter and Sugars:
Beat in a large mixing bowl:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the Eggs:
Add 2 large eggs, beating in 1 at a time.
Large bowl: Beat very well after each addition.
Stir in Vanilla Extract:
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined. This adds flavor to the cake.
Combine the Dry Ingredients:
In another bowl, combine and beat:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
This gives you an even distribution of the leavening agents and spices.
Now to this add the dry ingredient mix slowly into the butter sugar paste.
Beat at low speed just until blended. Take care not to overmix, which would result in a dense cake.
Add the Apples and Walnuts:
Now we take that batter and improve it with an interesting texture and types of meat. Gently fold in 1½ cups peeled and chopped apple — this will keep the cake moist and add natural sweetness. To give you a little crunch in every bite, add ½ cup shelled walnuts. Be careful not to overmix; you want the apples and walnuts incorporated, but the batter to stay fluffy.
Step 3: Bake the Cake
When everything is mixed together, add the batter to your prepared baking pan. Scoop it in with a spatula, and add it evenly so that it bakes evenly. Now you’re almost done — time to get it in the oven!
Use a spatula to spread it evenly for the best and most even bake.
Bake:
Transfer the pan into the pre-heated oven and roast for 40-45 minutes.
Test for doneness by stabbing a toothpick into the middle. The cake is done if it comes out clean.
Cool the Cake:
Let it cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
Then move it to a wire rack to cool completely. Chilling helps firm the texture, for easier slicing.
Step 4: Serve and Enjoy
Once the cake is a little bit cool, serve it by slicing into wedges, and begin digging in.
For a little something extra, serve each warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce — trust us, it’s worth it.
My favorite? The flavor of that perfect balance of soft apples, warming spices, and toasted walnuts that have a little bit of a kick. A true crowd-pleaser!
