15 Easy Apple Cake Recipes for Fall (2026) Cozy Beginner Picks

15 easy apple cake recipes for fall, all written for home cooks with nothing but a bowl, a whisk, and a bag of apples from the grocery store. Every recipe below prints the full ingredient list, the exact bake time, and a doneness cue you can actually see, so nothing about this page sends you off to find the method somewhere else.

They are deliberately different from each other: a one-bowl sheet cake, a Bundt, two celebration layer cakes, a skillet upside-down cake, two quick loaves, and enough no-frosting options for a Tuesday. If you have a weekend and an apple surplus, start with the one-bowl cake and work outward from there. You might also like our 10 easy apple recipes for fall baking for the savory and stovetop side of the season.

15 Easy Apple Cake Recipes for Fall at a Glance

Recipe	Total Time	Difficulty	Best For
1. Classic One-Bowl Apple Cake	60-70 min	Easy	A first cake, and a crowd of twelve
2. Cinnamon Apple Sour Cream Cake	60-65 min	Easy	A crackly top, no frosting needed
3. Easy Apple Bundt Cake	70-75 min	Medium	A table centerpiece with a glaze
4. Brown Butter Apple Spice Cake	90 min	Medium	Deep nuttiness from ginger and spice
5. Fresh Apple Coffee Cake	55-60 min	Easy	Morning coffee and a crumbly oat top
6. Apple Cream Cheese Layer Cake	2 hr	Medium	Thanksgiving and birthdays
7. Moist Apple Almond Cake	65-70 min	Medium	A tender, not-too-sweet bake
8. Apple Caramel Sheet Cake	60-65 min	Easy	A no-mixer bake with a sticky top
9. Apple Walnut Layer Cake	2 hr	Medium	Holiday hosting with a swirled top
10. Apple Orange Olive Oil Cake	65-70 min	Easy	One bowl and a citrusy crumb
11. Apple Oatmeal Crunch Cake	55-60 min	Easy	Something extra crisp on top
12. Apple Pear Upside-Down Cake	65-70 min	Medium	A dramatic unmold for guests
13. Apple Cranberry Pound Cake	75-80 min	Medium	Tart-sweet contrast, great for gifting
14. Apple Spice Loaf Cake	60-65 min	Easy	A quick loaf for the breakfast table
15. Rustic Apple Cake with Walnuts	55-60 min	Easy	A relaxed, unfussy baking afternoon

1. Classic One-Bowl Apple Cake

This is the one most people mean when they say apple cake. You stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones in the same bowl, fold in diced apples, and bake until the top springs back. The diced fruit gives you real pockets of apple rather than an apple-flavored crumb, and it stays moist for three days.

Yield: 12 generous squares · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 45-55 min · Total: 60-70 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) neutral vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium apples (about 400 g), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, chopped, plus more for the top

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment, letting it hang over two sides.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until no streaks of flour remain.
3. Pour the oil into the dry bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla. Stir with a spatula until the batter is just smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Dust the diced apples with two tablespoons of the flour mixture, then fold them into the batter along with the walnuts.
5. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the back of the spoon.
6. Scatter the extra walnuts over the surface and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a couple of moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out by the parchment and cool completely on a rack.

Tip: Pull it at the low end of the time range. Apple cakes keep baking from residual heat, and the difference between 45 and 55 minutes is the difference between moist and dry.

Swap it: Replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier edge and a slightly tighter crumb. You can also swap half the oil for unsweetened applesauce for a lighter cake.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerated for up to 5. It freezes well for 2 months in a sealed container, with thawing at room temperature.

Make-ahead: Mix the dry ingredients the night before and keep them sealed; stir together the wet ingredients in the morning.

2. Cinnamon Apple Sour Cream Cake

Sour cream does two jobs here: it keeps the crumb tender and it slows the batter down so you can fold everything by hand. The finish is a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle that bakes into a crackly shell, so this cake looks like it came from a bakery and needs no frosting at all.

Yield: 9 squares · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 45-50 min · Total: 60-65 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the pan
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) full-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled and cut into thin half-moons
• For the top: 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Rub a 9-by-9-inch square pan with the 2 tablespoons of butter and line the base with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing on low speed only until the batter just comes together.
5. Fold in half the apple slices, spread the batter in the pan, and arrange the rest of the slices in overlapping rows on top.
6. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the apples, then sprinkle with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and the apples at the edges have caramelized at the tips.
8. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting into nine squares.

Tip: Arrange the apple slices in tight, overlapping rows rather than scattering them. It looks better, and it keeps the corners from baking up dry where there is no fruit.

Swap it: For a dairy-free version, use unsweetened coconut yogurt in place of the sour cream and melted coconut oil in place of the butter. The cake sets slightly less firmly but the flavor holds up.

Storage: Best on day one, then fine covered at room temperature for 3 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezes for 2 months; the cinnamon-sugar top softens, so refresh it under a hot oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Make-ahead: This is a strong make-ahead bake. Cool it fully, cover, and bring it to room temperature two hours before serving.

3. Easy Apple Bundt Cake

A Bundt pan is the one piece of equipment here that asks you to do something up front, and that something is grease. Done properly, this is the easiest showpiece on the list: no frosting to spread, no layers to level, and the glaze settles into the ridges on its own.

Yield: 12 slices · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 50-55 min · Total: 70-75 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium apples (about 300 g), peeled, cored, and diced small
• For the glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, a squeeze of lemon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly, working the butter into every flute. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together.
3. Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing only until combined.
5. Coat the diced apples with two tablespoons of the dry mixture, then fold them through the batter.
6. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top flat so it bakes evenly across the ring.
7. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a rack, cool to room temperature, then drizzle with the glaze.

Tip: Use room-temperature buttermilk. Cold liquid straight from the fridge meets cold butter and the batter can seize into curds that bake up grainy.

Swap it: A 10-cup Bundt works too; the cake will just be a little taller and may need 5 extra minutes. For a plain finish, skip the glaze and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar instead.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days. Freeze the unglazed cake for up to 2 months, then glaze after it comes back to room temperature.

Make-ahead: Bake it the day before. A Bundt actually improves overnight, and the glaze is far easier to drizzle on a fully cooled cake anyway.

4. Brown Butter Apple Spice Cake

Browning the butter takes five extra minutes and changes everything about how this cake smells in the oven. Add ginger and cloves and you get something that tastes like it took all afternoon, in about the time a layer cake actually takes. This is the most grown-up of the fifteen.

Yield: 10 to 12 slices · Prep: 25 min · Cook: 32-38 min · Total: 90 min including cooling · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• For the top: 2 thin apple slices and a little extra cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Melt the cubed butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat and keep cooking, swirling, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells like toasted hazelnuts.
3. Pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes. Scrape every bit of the brown sediment from the bottom.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together.
5. Whisk the cooled brown butter with both sugars for 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three additions with the buttermilk, mixing on low until the batter is just combined.
7. Fold in the apples, divide between the pans, and lay the thin apple slices on top.
8. Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and springs back when pressed in the center.
9. Cool in the pans for 12 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

Tip: Watch the butter the whole time, and use a light-colored pan. In a dark saucepan the milk solids go from golden to burnt in seconds, and a bitter cake cannot be fixed afterward.

Swap it: Skip the nut-style finish entirely and end with a simple lemon glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and a tablespoon of warm water. Contains wheat, dairy, and eggs.

Storage: Wrapped at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for 5. Layers freeze beautifully for 2 months, stacked on parchment sheets in a freezer container.

Make-ahead: Ideal candidate. Bake the layers two days ahead, wrap them well, and frost on the day of the event.

5. Fresh Apple Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is the most forgiving thing in this collection. The batter is barely sweet, the topping does the interesting work, and it is equally good cold from the fridge at 7 a.m. or warmed with a cup of coffee at three in the afternoon.

Yield: 12 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 55-60 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• For the streusel: 1/2 cup (60 g) rolled oats, 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar, 1/3 cup (40 g) flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter is smooth, then spread it into the dish.
5. Arrange the apple slices in rows over the batter, overlapping slightly so no bare batter shows through.
6. Rub the cold butter into the oat, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with your fingertips until the mixture holds together in coarse clumps.
7. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the apple edges are bubbling.
8. Cool for 20 minutes in the dish, then cut into 12 squares and lift out with a spatula.

Tip: Do not compact the streusel. Rub it together with your fingers and stop while the clumps are still loose, or it bakes into a hard slab rather than a crisp one.

Swap it: For a gluten-free bake, use certified gluten-free oats and a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. If nuts are fine, a 1/3 cup of chopped pecans in the topping adds more crunch.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days. It freezes well for 2 months, though the streusel softens a little; a 5-minute blast in a hot oven brings the crunch back.

Make-ahead: Bake it in the morning, cut, and cover. It is genuinely better on day two, and it travels well in the dish if you need to take it somewhere.

6. Apple Cream Cheese Layer Cake

This is the one to bake when there is an actual occasion. Two moist layers, a cream cheese frosting that is soft enough to spread and firm enough to hold, and apple slices tucked between them so the filling is visible when you cut. The crumb stays tender the next day, which is not something a frosted layer cake usually manages.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings · Prep: 30 min · Cook: 30-34 min · Total: about 2 hr · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• Cake: 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and grated on the coarse holes of a box grater
• 1/2 cup (65 g) walnuts, toasted and chopped
• Frosting: 1 pound (450 g) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature, 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter at room temperature, 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, a pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars for 3 minutes until pale, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and sour cream.
4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing on low until just combined.
5. Fold in the grated apple and the walnuts, scraping the bowl once at the end to catch the shreds that stick to the sides.
6. Divide between the pans and bake for 30 to 34 minutes, until a toothpick from the center comes out with faint moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the pans for 12 minutes, turn out onto racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
8. Beat the frosting ingredients for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale and thick enough to hold soft peaks.
9. Crumb-coat the first layer with a thin layer of frosting, set three or four apple slices on it, add the second layer, frost the top and sides, and finish with a few cinnamon crumbs and small walnut pieces.
10. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing so the frosting sets, then take it out about 20 minutes before serving.

Tip: Weigh the grated apple. Two packed cups, about 280 g, is the right amount. Extra grated apple makes the batter slack and the layers spread into each other.

Swap it: Contains wheat, dairy, eggs, and walnuts. For a nut-free cake, leave the walnuts out and decorate with a border of apple slices and a dusting of cinnamon instead. The frosting needs no change.

Storage: Refrigerate and eat within 4 days, since cream cheese frosting cannot sit at room temperature. It freezes for up to 1 month; freeze the layers and the frosting separately and assemble the day before.

Make-ahead: The best plan in this list. Bake and freeze the layers a week ahead, whip the frosting the day of, and assembly takes about 15 minutes.

7. Moist Apple Almond Cake

This is the restrained one. Almond extract rounds out the apple, the sugar is on the lower side, and the crumb is fine and almost mousse-like rather than chewy. It works as an afternoon cake with coffee, and it holds together on a buffet tray without frosting. Contains almonds, wheat, eggs, and dairy.

Yield: 10 slices · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 65-70 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (40 g) almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
• 3 medium apples (about 350 g), peeled, cored, and sliced paper thin

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment.
2. Whisk both flours, the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes until light, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by both extracts.
4. Add the flour mixture in two additions with the milk, mixing on low only until the batter is smooth and no flour streaks remain.
5. Spread the batter in the pan and arrange the thin apple slices in a fan across the surface.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges pull away from the pan and a tester comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and release the springform.

Tip: Slice the apples as thin as you can manage, almost translucent. Thick slices on a low-sugar batter dry out at the edges and stay chewy in the middle.

Swap it: Swap the 1/3 cup of almond flour for another 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour and add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. Contains wheat, eggs, and dairy in either version.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days. It freezes for 2 months; thaw slices in the pan at room temperature rather than in the microwave, which dries the thin crumb out.

Make-ahead: A good two-day bake. The almond flavor settles and the crumb becomes slightly more tender overnight.

8. Apple Caramel Sheet Cake

Everything happens in one pan and in one bowl. You cook a quick caramel on the stovetop, pour it over the apples, then spoon a batter on top and walk away while the oven does the work. The top comes out glossy and the underside comes out toffee-like, which is the part people scrape off the pan.

Yield: 15 squares · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 60-65 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• Caramel: 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment.
2. Combine the 1/2 cup of sugar with the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and swirl occasionally, without stirring, until it melts and turns a deep amber, about 4 minutes.
3. Whisk in the heavy cream and swirl the pan for 30 seconds, then pour the hot caramel into the base of the baking pan.
4. Arrange the apple slices over the caramel in tight overlapping rows.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
6. In a second bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth, then pour it into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
7. Spoon the batter gently over the apples, spreading it to the edges without pushing the apple slices out of place.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the caramel at the edges is bubbling dark and glossy.
9. Cool for 25 minutes in the pan before cutting into 15 squares.

Tip: The caramel must bubble steadily and smell deeply toasted before you add the cream. If it is still pale, it will set up hard and bitter when it cools in the pan.

Swap it: For a shortcut, use 1/2 cup of store-bought salted caramel sauce in place of the stovetop caramel. For a lower-sugar bake, cut the batter sugar to 1/2 cup and use two apples instead of three; expect a slightly less sweet cake.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days. Freezes for 2 months, though the caramel topping softens; warm individual squares for 20 seconds before serving.

Make-ahead: Bake it up to two days ahead. The caramel firms up in the fridge and relaxes back to soft by morning.

9. Apple Walnut Layer Cake

Two apples, grated and diced, in a warm-spiced batter with toasted walnuts stirred through the crumb rather than on top. The frosting is a soft, tangy cream cheese that gets deliberately swooped rather than smoothed flat. Contains walnuts, wheat, dairy, and eggs.

Yield: 10 to 12 slices · Prep: 30 min · Cook: 30-34 min · Total: about 2 hr · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 2 medium apples (about 300 g), peeled, cored, and grated, plus 1 apple sliced thin for garnish
• 1 cup (110 g) walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• Frosting: 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars for 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and buttermilk.
4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions on low speed, mixing only until combined.
5. Fold in the grated apple and all but 2 tablespoons of the walnuts.
6. Divide between the pans, scatter the reserved walnuts on top, and bake for 30 to 34 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out with faint crumbs.
7. Cool in the pans for 12 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
8. Beat the frosting ingredients for 4 minutes until smooth and spreadable.
9. Layer the cakes with the frosting and thin apple slices, then cover the top with the frosting and swirl it with the back of a spoon, leaving soft ridges.

Tip: Cool the layers completely before frosting. Even 20 minutes of residual warmth will melt the cream cheese frosting into a slide.

Swap it: For a nut-free version, use 3/4 cup of toasted sunflower seeds in place of the walnuts, or leave them out entirely and add 1/2 cup of golden raisins for texture. The cake contains wheat, dairy, and eggs either way.

Storage: Refrigerate and eat within 4 days. Layers without frosting freeze for 2 months; the frosted cake freezes for about 1 month, though the frosting texture softens slightly on thawing.

Make-ahead: Make both layers two days ahead and keep them wrapped at room temperature. Frost on the day of the gathering.

10. Apple Orange Olive Oil Cake

Olive oil keeps this one tender for days and gives the crumb a faintly grassy, fruity edge that is different from butter. The orange zest is not optional garnish; it is doing real work against the apple. One bowl, one whisk, no mixer at any stage.

Yield: 10 slices · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 45-50 min · Total: 65-70 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and sliced thin

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-inch round cake pan, leaving a little room at the edge for the olive oil to spread.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3. Make a well in the center and add the olive oil, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice, zest, and vanilla.
4. Whisk everything together until smooth, about 1 minute, then switch to a spatula and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and arrange the apple slices on top in a fan or concentric circles.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep gold and a skewer from the center comes out with no wet batter.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

Tip: Use an olive oil you would happily put on bread. A harsh or very peppery oil tastes louder in a cake than it does in a dressing, and there is nowhere for it to hide.

Swap it: For a citrus-free version, replace the juice with 1/2 cup of milk and the zest with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. You can also bake this as muffins at 350°F (175°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, filling the cups about two-thirds full.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 4 days; olive oil cakes hold a day longer than butter cakes. Freezes for 2 months in a sealed container.

Make-ahead: Very good the next day, and the flavor settles further by day two. Keep it in a cake dome if you have one.

11. Apple Oatmeal Crunch Cake

The difference between this and a plain apple cake is texture: the oat topping bakes up like a granola crust, and the grated apple underneath disappears into the crumb so there is no sinking and no wet pockets. Cut it in thick squares, because the whole pleasure is the contrast between the crisp top and the soft middle.

Yield: 9 thick squares · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 55-60 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium apples (about 380 g), peeled, cored, and grated on the coarse holes of a box grater
• For the topping: 1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats, 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-by-9-inch square pan with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low until just combined, then fold in the grated apple.
5. Spread the batter in the pan, pressing it into the corners.
6. Rub the cold butter into the topping ingredients until it forms coarse clumps, then scatter it over the batter.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the center is set but still springs back when tapped.
8. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then cut into nine thick squares.

Tip: Weigh the grated apple, and pat it dry with a towel before folding it in. Extra water is the fastest way to turn this into a dense, gummy square cake.

Swap it: For gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats and a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend, and check that your oats are labeled gluten-free rather than simply rolled. A cup of chopped pecans in the topping works if nuts are fine.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days, or 5 days refrigerated. Freezes for 2 months; refresh the topping under a hot oven for 5 minutes after thawing.

Make-ahead: Make it a day early and keep it in the pan, covered. The topping stays crisp for the first 24 hours, so cover it loosely if the pan fits in a bag.

12. Apple Pear Upside-Down Cake

Two fruits and a sticky caramel top, baked in a skillet and flipped in front of everyone at the table. The batter is deliberately plain so the caramelized fruit is the event. Read the skillet note below before you start; it is the only part of this recipe that cannot be improvised.

Yield: 10 slices · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 65-70 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• Topping: 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons water
• 2 medium apples (about 300 g), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick, skins on
• 2 firm pears (about 300 g), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick, skins on
• Batter: 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with a metal handle, or a 10-inch round cake pan if you would rather flip it on a plate.
2. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter with the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in the skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
3. Turn the heat off. Arrange the apple and pear slices in tight, overlapping concentric circles over the caramel, fanning the alternate slices for a checkered look.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
5. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and sour cream.
6. Add the dry ingredients on low speed and mix only until combined.
7. Spoon the batter over the fruit, gently pressing down the slices that float up so they stay in place.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer from the center comes out clean.
9. Rest for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, and invert onto a platter in one confident motion. Lift the skillet straight up and off.

Tip: The caramel should bubble lazily and coat the back of a spoon like warm fudge. If it thins to a syrup, let it keep cooking for two more minutes.

Swap it: Use all apple, all pear, or add a handful of cranberries to the fruit layer for a sharper, jewel-toned top. The caramel works the same way with any of them.

Storage: Best the same day, because the topping is at its glossiest straight from the oven. Covered at room temperature it holds 3 days. Freezes for 1 month, and the caramel softens considerably on thawing.

Make-ahead: You can arrange the fruit in the skillet up to 4 hours ahead, cover it, and refrigerate. Add the batter when the oven is preheating so the caramel does not reset in the pan.

13. Apple Cranberry Pound Cake

A pound cake with chopped cranberries folded through and a little grated apple for moisture. The bake gets crackly cracks across the top, which is exactly what happens when a dense batter hits a hot pan, and the orange glaze softens the tartness. Contains wheat, dairy, and eggs.

Yield: 1 loaf, 10 slices · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 55-60 min · Total: 75-80 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (110 g) fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
• 1 medium apple (about 180 g), peeled, cored, and grated
• Glaze: 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, leaving an overhang for lifting out.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until very pale and fluffy. This is the step that gives a pound cake its crackled top; rushing it leaves the loaf smooth and dense.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract and vanilla.
5. Add the dry ingredients in three additions on low speed, mixing only until combined, then fold in the cranberries and grated apple.
6. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the top is deeply browned and cracked.
8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, lift out, cool completely, then drizzle with the glaze.

Tip: If the crust darkens before the center is set, tent a piece of foil loosely over the loaf for the last 10 minutes.

Swap it: Dried cranberries rehydrate in the batter, so use 1/2 cup of them soaked in 2 tablespoons of orange juice for 10 minutes, then drain. Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts if nuts are fine for your table.

Storage: Wrapped at room temperature for 3 days. Freezes for 2 months and thaws best still in its parchment, at room temperature.

Make-ahead: Excellent made a day ahead. This is also the best travel option in the collection, since a loaf slices cleanly and packs without frosting.

14. Apple Spice Loaf Cake

The quick loaf in this collection, and the one most people bake on repeat. Grated apple, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a simple one-bowl batter, finished with a thin drizzle of icing that sets into a crackle on top.

Yield: 1 loaf, 8 slices · Prep: 12 min · Cook: 45-50 min · Total: 60-65 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated apple, about 2 medium apples (about 240 g)
• Icing: 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together.
3. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low only until the batter is just combined.
5. Fold in the grated apple and scrape the bowl once to catch the shreds at the bottom.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick from the center comes out clean and the top springs back.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, lift out, cool for 20 minutes, then drizzle with the icing while still slightly warm.

Tip: Drain the grated apple in a sieve for five minutes and squeeze out the extra water. That one step is the difference between a moist loaf and a dense one.

Swap it: To reduce the sugar, cut it to 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce; add 2 extra minutes if the loaf looks pale. For a cinnamon-free version, drop the cinnamon and use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead. Contains wheat, dairy, and eggs.

Storage: Wrapped at room temperature for 3 days, or 5 days refrigerated. Freezes for 2 months; slice before freezing for the easiest grab-and-thaw portions.

Make-ahead: Bake two loaves, freeze one whole and one sliced. It takes about 70 minutes and saves you on a weeknight in the middle of the season.

15. Rustic Apple Cake with Walnuts

The last one is the loosest of the fifteen, and the one most likely to end up on your table repeatedly. Chunks of fresh apple go in whole, walnuts and brown sugar go over the top, and it bakes until the edges are caramelized. It looks like it came from a farmhouse and it is very hard to argue with. Contains walnuts, wheat, dairy, and eggs.

Yield: 9 slices · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40-45 min · Total: 55-60 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 medium apples (about 500 g), peeled, cored, and cut into irregular 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts, chopped
• For the top: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. Beat the softened butter with both sugars for 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until the batter is smooth.
5. Coat the apple chunks with two tablespoons of the dry mixture and fold them into the batter along with half the walnuts.
6. Scrape the batter into the pan and mound the remaining apple pieces and walnuts on top.
7. Scatter the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top and dot with the 1 tablespoon of butter.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the apple edges are darkened, and a tester from the center comes out clean.
9. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a rack, and cool until just warm before slicing.

Tip: Cut the apples unevenly on purpose. The small pieces collapse into the crumb and the large ones stay as identifiable chunks of fruit.

Swap it: For a nut-free version, use 1/2 cup of toasted sunflower seeds or 2/3 cup of rolled oats in place of the walnuts. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm slice is the traditional finish.

Storage: Covered at room temperature for 3 days. Freezes for 2 months; the top stays pleasantly chewy straight from the freezer.

Make-ahead: A dependable make-ahead. It slices cleanly the next day and warms up in a low oven in about 10 minutes.

Tips for Making These

These five things fix most of what goes wrong with an apple cake, and they apply to every recipe above.

• Measure apples the same way every time. Weigh them if you can, and pack grated apple into the measuring cup rather than fluffing it. Unmeasured grated apple is the single most common reason a loaf comes out gummy.
• Bring the dairy to room temperature unless a recipe says otherwise. Cold sour cream or buttermilk meeting cold butter and eggs will curdle the batter, and curdled batter bakes up with a grainy, heavy crumb.
• Stop mixing once the flour disappears. Once you see the last streak, put the spoon down. The apple pieces you fold in after that point keep their shape and their position near the top of the batter instead of sinking.
• Check the pan size against the recipe, and grease it the way the recipe says. A 9-by-13 that is really an 8-inch square changes the depth of the batter by an inch and the bake time by 10 minutes or more. Bundt and springform pans need greasing down in every flute, including the tube.
• Let the cake cool before you frost it or slice it. Hot cake melts frosting, and slicing a hot loaf gives you a gummy face. Even 15 minutes in the pan, then 20 on a rack, is the minimum for anything frosted.

If you are baking with a lot of apples on hand rather than a few, our 15 easy cinnamon dessert recipes for fall covers the stovetop and tray-baked ways to use a surplus, and 15 easy pumpkin recipes for fall baking is the natural companion once the apple cakes are done.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Easy Apple Cake Is Best to Make First?

Make the Classic One-Bowl Apple Cake first. It has the fewest ways to go wrong: no mixer, no frosting, no special pan, and a batter that forgives overmixing and a few extra minutes in the oven. If it comes out slightly too sweet, you eat it anyway. That tolerance is exactly what a first cake should teach you.

For a Bundt or anything that reads as an occasion, go to the Easy Apple Bundt Cake next; greasing the pan properly is the only real technique between you and a good-looking result. Work through the rest of these easy apple cake recipes for fall as the weather turns, because by recipe 15 you will have your own answer about which apple is worth the peeling.