By Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- 4(365)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This simple cake is studded with large pieces of fruit, so that each slice has its own piece of tender baked apple. Press the apples gently into the batter and be aware that the pound cake-style batter will rise around them. The cake is sweet enough that it needs no frosting, and is finished simply with a dusting of cinnamon-scented confectioners’ sugar that dissolves onto the surface of the apples, leaving only its sweetness behind. Cut the cake into 12 large squares and serve with ice cream, or cut the squares in half for a sweet snack.
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Ingredients
Yield:1 (9-by-13-inch) cake (about 12 to 24 servings)
- Nonstick spray
- 3cups/385 grams all-purpose flour
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¾teaspoon baking powder
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1½cups/330 grams light or dark brown sugar
- 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
- 5large eggs, at room temperature
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼cups/300 milliliters sour cream
- 3medium/540 grams baking apples (such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or Pink Lady), peeled, cored and quartered
- ¼cup/30 grams confectioners’ sugar
- ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)
341 calories; 15 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 31 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 147 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick spray, and line with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to eventually help you lift the cooked cake out of the pan.
Step
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Step
3
In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to heat the butter, stirring occasionally, until the solids begin to brown and the butter smells nutty, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool for 20 minutes.
Step
4
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well to fully incorporate each before adding the next. Add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
Step
5
Add about half of the flour mixture and whisk to incorporate. (If necessary, switch to a spatula or wooden spoon at this point.) Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour and mix to combine.
Step
6
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Press the 12 apple segments partly into the batter, spacing them evenly throughout and keeping in mind that you want each of 12 square slices to have one apple quarter.
Step
7
Transfer to the oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean, and you should be able to easily pierce an apple with a small knife. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Step
8
Just before serving, use the parchment flaps to lift the cake out of the pan. Combine the confectioners’ sugar with the cinnamon and dust the surface of the cake generously with the cinnamon sugar. Cut into 12 square pieces or 24 triangles.
Ratings
4
out of 5
365
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
elissa
Love the look of this cake when it first comes out of the oven dusted with confectioner sugar. The directions are definitely unclear and it is only quarters because the batter fills around it and makes it look like halves of apples. I think the cake should be baked at a lower temperature and longer because the apples do not cook through all the way. It is a very heavy cake and very delicious but you really need to get the apples cooked through. Otherwise tough to eat.
binkle
Based on the comments, I was afraid the apples wouldn't cook through, so I cut them in large-ish chunks - cutting each quarter into 3 pieces. Then tossed them with some brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkled the pieces over the batter, patting them into the cake. They cooked nicely.Also added a little bit of nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon.Very good!
cheri
My sister—- a professional baker— followed this recipe. Only modification: doused apples with melted butter and t of sugar halfway through the bake. Apply butter and sugar again when cake is done. Baked in 70 minutes at 350. Delicious. She says she will add nutmeg next time and fan the half apples. Highly recommend.
Aura
We love cinnamon, so I was intrigued by the idea of a cinnamon cake that was NOT streusel, swirl, babka, coffee cake etc.So I baked the cake alone - no apples - and it's a huge hit. Another reviewer said it's a "one note" cake but I think it's more complex than that. the browned butter adds a sophisticated flavor to the cinnamon and the addition of sour cream gives it a great texture. We liked it plain, but could pair well with whipped cream, ice cream, fruit compote, etc.
Tom
Cake looks great but flavor is meh.....one note and just not interesting..for those who are undeterred, the melted butter should really be put into a large bowl since all of the other ingredients get added in to the butter
Weeeee
Super yummy
chase
Absolutely loved this. Stuck with the recipe except par-baked the apples about 15 min or so, let them cool, then added them to the cake batter. The three of us thought it was soooo delicious!
cheri
My sister—- a professional baker— followed this recipe. Only modification: doused apples with melted butter and t of sugar halfway through the bake. Apply butter and sugar again when cake is done. Baked in 70 minutes at 350. Delicious. She says she will add nutmeg next time and fan the half apples. Highly recommend.
marie
Delicious. Used coconut oil instead of butter and halved the sugar. Thank you to the reviewers who mentioned to quarter the apples which ensured that they will cook well. Cake was a vehicle for tart apples and went well with tea.
Rose
I saw that a few people mentioned the apple didn’t cook through when they made this, so I scored the apples finely (which was slightly fiddly but I got the hang of it) before adding them to the batter, to let the heat penetrate them more quickly - seemed to work well, and the cuts looked good on the finished cake.
Baking Love
Agreed re: the apples not being cooked through and the cake being dry underneath. I baked to full specifications on this recipe and while delicious, it could be loads better with a lower baking temperature.
beth
What are butter solids during the melting butter step? Didn’t press apple pieces far enough into batter and they didn’t cook enough. Preparation should emphasize that. Cake itself tasted good.
binkle
Based on the comments, I was afraid the apples wouldn't cook through, so I cut them in large-ish chunks - cutting each quarter into 3 pieces. Then tossed them with some brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkled the pieces over the batter, patting them into the cake. They cooked nicely.Also added a little bit of nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon.Very good!
Hannah S
Made with 1 c brown sugar and 2/3 c white sugar. The cake was more dense than I expected but tasty. I had very small apples so I did use halves.
irene
This cake has a lovely look, but lacks flavor. I also found that the timing between when the cake is done and when the apples have softened is off -- cake was done before apples, so I ended up with a relatively dry cake.
Aura
We love cinnamon, so I was intrigued by the idea of a cinnamon cake that was NOT streusel, swirl, babka, coffee cake etc.So I baked the cake alone - no apples - and it's a huge hit. Another reviewer said it's a "one note" cake but I think it's more complex than that. the browned butter adds a sophisticated flavor to the cinnamon and the addition of sour cream gives it a great texture. We liked it plain, but could pair well with whipped cream, ice cream, fruit compote, etc.
Aura
I did NOT dust the finished cake with the sugar-cinnamon mix.
Tom
Cake looks great but flavor is meh.....one note and just not interesting..for those who are undeterred, the melted butter should really be put into a large bowl since all of the other ingredients get added in to the butter
elissa
Love the look of this cake when it first comes out of the oven dusted with confectioner sugar. The directions are definitely unclear and it is only quarters because the batter fills around it and makes it look like halves of apples. I think the cake should be baked at a lower temperature and longer because the apples do not cook through all the way. It is a very heavy cake and very delicious but you really need to get the apples cooked through. Otherwise tough to eat.
Sarah
Really yummy! Not overly sweet, it is a great cake for snacking with coffee or tea. I was using up some apples so used 5-6 small apples on the top and had to extend the cooking time to closer to 1.5 hrs. I also used about 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar topping and it was definitely enough.
Maria Spencer
Can I make this a day ahead of time or is it best served after it cools?
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