This easy, one-bowl apple cake is packed with juicy chunks of fresh apple and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. With a tender crumb and a crunchy sugar-cinnamon top, it’s the ultimate simple, comforting fall dessert.
This isn’t just an apple cake—it’s an apple delivery system in cake form. Every forkful of this supremely moist, easy-to-make cake is loaded with sweet, tender chunks of fresh apple, warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
The batter comes together in one bowl with no fancy techniques, and as it bakes, the apples soften and meld into the cake, while the top transforms into a crunchy, sugary crust. It’s humble, comforting, and utterly irresistible served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Perfect for a cozy weekend, a potluck, or any time apples are in season.
Why This Cake Stays Incredibly Moist
The exceptional moisture in this cake comes from two key sources: the apples themselves and the oil-based batter. As the cake bakes, the apple pieces release their natural juices and steam directly into the surrounding crumb, ensuring it stays tender and never dry.
Using oil instead of solid fat (like butter) coats the flour proteins more thoroughly, resulting in a cake that stays soft for days. The generous amount of apples also means this is a dense, hearty cake rather than a light and fluffy one.
The final touch is a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top before baking, which forms a deliciously crisp, sweet crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft interior. This cake celebrates the apple in its simplest, most delicious form.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups (about 400g) peeled, cored, and chopped apples (2-3 medium apples, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala)*
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil or mild olive oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk or apple cider
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for the best flavor. Chopping them into ½-inch chunks is ideal.
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving (Optional): Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Instructions
1. The Chopped Apples Coated in Dry Ingredients (Result of Mixing Dry with Apples): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform or round cake pan. In a very large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the chopped apple pieces and toss until every piece is thoroughly coated in the flour mixture. This coating helps prevent the apples from sinking.
2. The Combined Cake Batter (Result of Adding Wet Ingredients): In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, milk (or cider), and vanilla until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour-coated apples. Stir with a spatula until just combined and no dry flour is visible. The batter will be very thick, chunky, and packed with apples.
3. The Batter with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (Result of Pan Prep): Scrape the thick batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula (it will be a mound). In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle this cinnamon-sugar evenly over the entire surface of the batter.
4. The Freshly Baked Cake (Result of Baking): Bake for 55-65 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown, the cinnamon-sugar has formed a crisp crust, and a long toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake (through an apple piece is fine) comes out clean or with moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
5. The Cooled Cake in the Pan (Result of Initial Cooling): Let the cake cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. As it cools, it will pull away slightly from the sides. The top will be craggy, shiny, and sugary.
6. Serve & Store: Once completely cool, run a knife around the edge and remove the springform ring (or invert onto a plate if using a regular cake pan). Slice and serve at room temperature, or gently rewarm slices. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Pro-Tips for the Perfect Chunky Apple Cake
- Apple Choice Matters: Using firmer baking apples (like Granny Smith) ensures they keep some texture and don’t turn to mush. A sweeter apple (like Honeycrisp) adds great flavor.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the wet ingredients, mix only until the flour disappears. Overmixing leads to a tough, rubbery crumb.
- Bake Until Fully Set: Because the batter is so dense and wet from the apples, it needs a full hour or more to bake through. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15-20 minutes.
- Cool Completely: This cake is very moist and needs time to set its structure. Slicing it while warm will make it seem gummy.
- Boost the Flavor: Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter with the apples, or add 1 tablespoon of bourbon or Calvados to the wet ingredients.
- Test for Doneness Correctly: When testing, pierce the cake partway through an apple chunk. If it comes out clean, the apples are cooked and the cake is done.
This Rustic Apple Cake is the essence of simple, satisfying homemade baking.
