This Fresh Apple Cake is an unbelievably moist cake that’s loaded with chunks of tart apples and crunchy pecans. One slice and you’ll be begging for more!
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree
When it comes to baking with apples, my family has three go-to recipes that we love to make and are always a hit at family gatherings: My Mom’s Special Apple Pie, my Great Aunt Ina’s Apple Dumplings and my Great Aunt Ruthie’s Fresh Apple Cake recipe. I honestly don’t know what I would do if all three were on the dessert table at once. Just kidding, I would, without a doubt, take a generous serving of all three!
Watch Me Make Fresh Apple Cake
Step into the kitchen with me as I make a delicious Fresh Apple Cake.
The Champion of Apple Cakes
I can’t remember a time when I showed up at my Great Aunt Ruthie’s house and there wasn’t a Fresh Apple Cake in the cake stand on the kitchen counter. It is like a decoration in her kitchen except for she probably has to bake one every other day given how fast we “kids” can devour it.
Unbelievably moist and loaded with chunks of tart Granny Smith apples and crunchy nuts, this is the champion of apple cake recipes. The texture is divine! One slice and you’ll be begging for seconds. It’s a big cake that’s simple to make. Full of fresh, apples, sweet coconut and crunchy pecans (walnuts would work, too!), just the right amount of spice, making it a fabulous autumn dessert. So fresh and so fabulous and full of fall flavors!
How to Make Fresh Apple Cake
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch (12 cup) round bundt pan. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the vegetable oil and sugar. Add the large eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are well combined.
Stir in the pecans, coconut and fresh apples. Batter will be thick. Spread batter evenly into prepared cake pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a long wooden pick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert pan on wire rack until cake drops out. You might want to tap the bottom of the pan with a knife a few times to loosen the cake and make sure it came out in one piece. Slice and enjoy! Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you won’t surely regret it!
If you make Fresh Apple Cake and post a pic to social, be sure to tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Fresh Apple Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
An unbelievably moist cake that’s loaded with chunks of tart apples and crunchy pecans. Once you have your first slice, you’ll be begging for more!
Ingredients
- 1–1/4 cups oil (vegetable, canola or coconut)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1–1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 3 cups peeled & chopped apple (use your favorite baking apples, I used Granny Smith)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch (12 cup) round bundt pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until well combined. Fold in the pecans, coconut and apples. Batter will be thick. Spread batter evenly into prepared cake pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a long wooden pick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert pan on wire rack until cake drops out. You might want to tap the bottom of the pan with a knife a few times to loosen the cake and make sure it came out in one piece. Slice and enjoy!
I really enjoyed this cake but also had an issue with the batter being very dry, causing my kitchen aid to complain a bit. In my case, I did not have enough AP flour so I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups AP flour. My batter was extremely stiff, like gingerbread cookie dough. I figured the higher fiber/protein content of my flour caused this so I added applesauce until the consistency was a little thinner and not cookie-dough like. The resulting taste and texture were great. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this keeper of a recipe. It’s a nice way to incorporate the fall apples.
Extremely moist, the apples and the cinnamon compliment each other in this cake.
★★★★★
Made this tonight and it seriously is the BEST apple cake I’ve ever had!! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Just made this cake and all I can say is WOW!! Mixed up exactly as you said it would and is delicious! A big hit in our home!! Thanks!!
★★★★★
Made this on a whim and it was DELISH! I added a simple sugar glaze. Wow. Served it warm to my kids and they loved it! Perfect pre-Fall, cool, rainy day treat!
You might think your batter is too thick. It isn’t… go with it. Also, I used monkfruit instead of sugar and had to sub half the canola with olive oil because I ran out!
It was still fabulous!
★★★★★
the batter turned out to be so thick, couldnt pour it in the mold, i placed it instead, for almost a whole hour it looked like it was baked, i let it cool, and cut a piece, looks semi uncooked, but still delicious lol, what could be the reason?
Hi! The batter should be very thick yet moist and spreadable. Did you follow the ingredients and instructions exactly? Did you test it with a toothpick or knife for doneness before removing it from the oven. Oven temperatures vary so if the top looks done but the inside needs to continue to bake, I recommend tinting the cake with foil and let it continue to bake until it is baked all the way through. Hope this helps and that you get to try it again soon!
I’m wondering if you need to adjust anything if you don’t add the nuts? Or a non-nut substitution yiu might recommend?
Hi Kelly! No, you can omit the nuts and bake as directed. They add a nice little crunch, but are not necessary to achieve the overall cake texture. Enjoy!
For any curious, I mixed the entire recipe by hand. It’s still in the oven but the batter was beautifully thick and creamy looking
Thanks for that question about omitting the coconut. I needed that answer.
Best ever apple cake. My niece introduced me to it and I’m hooked.
★★★★★