This apple cake is one of the oldest recipes I have. I found it many many years ago in the newspaper, then wrote it down and tweaked it a little here and there. Its a lovely delicate and light apple cake with citrus notes. A delicious cake for making the most of seasonal apples.
Apples are a humble fruit, the easy go to for a snack and kids lunch box. I love apples, and love them even more served warm in a pie or cake. Apples are full of antioxidants and fibre, are are best eaten in season, which is typically autumn and winter. Apples can keep for 6-8 months when stored in a controlled atmosphere, but generally speaking apples are good for 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 3-4 days at room temperature.
This dessert is great as morning tea or dessert in autumn and winter, when apples are and lemons are in peak season.
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Ingredients
- apples - my preference for this recipe is royal gala apples, but you can use pink lady or golden delicious. Granny smith apples are too tart for this cake, a sweeter apple is best
- lemons - the lemon gives this apple cake a lovely citrus taste, that enhances the apple and keeps the cake light and bright.
- plain flour - sifted for extra lift
- eggs - it seems like lots of egg for a simple apple cake, but its delicious, with no "eggy" taste
- sugar, baking powder, salt, butter - not pictured
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Peel, core and thinly slice the apples
- Step 2: Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon rind
- Step 3: Add sifted dry ingredients, butter and apples
- Step 4: Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 40 minutes
Hint: wash apples in a bi carb soda bath for up to 30 minutes. This helps remove dirt and pesticides from them. Then rinse them off and pop them in a fruit bowl or crisper in the refrigerator.
Substitutions and Variations
- Nuts - adding some chopped walnuts or pecans adds some more texture to the cake, 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts is a good amount
- Raisins - if you like raisins you decrease the apples and add ¼C of raisins
- Pear - to make an apple and pear cake replace half the apples with firm pears, like Packham pears
- Gluten free - to make this apple cake gluten free, use gluten free flour of your choice at a 1:1 ratio
Equipment
Baking is one of my favourite hobbies, and having good baking equipment makes it all the more enjoyable. I love using springform baking tins for cakes, that way the cakes release from the tin much easier. Here are a couple of tine that are a great starting point for new bakers.
Storage
Keep this cake in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 days.
Not suitable for freezing.
Top Tip
Add extra lemon juice and rind to the sweetened whipped cream when serving this apple cake. Doubling down on the citrus really elevates this dessert.
Related
Looking for other baking recipes? Try these:
Apple Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a 23cm springform round baking tin and line the base with baking paper.
- Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, put into a bowl and pour the lemon juice over the top, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon zest until soft peaks form.
- Sift half the flour, baking powder and salt into the whisked egg mixture and gently fold through. Add the melted butter, fold in gently. Then sift in the remaining flour and add the apples and continue to fold through gently until all the ingredients are combined.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tine for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve the cake warm, with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe