Old Fashioned Apple Cake with Cinnamon

This easy old fashioned apple cake with cinnamon is another one from my grandma’s recipe book. It’s simple, full of soft apples and warm cinnamon, and the smell coming from the oven always takes me right back to my childhood.

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If you want to see exactly how I make this old fashioned apple cake with cinnamon, check out the recipe video below and give it a like. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more easy homemade cake recipes like this one.

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Why you’ll love this old fashioned apple cake with cinnamon

I love how simple this cake is. There’s no frosting, no filling, and nothing fancy to mess around with. You just get a soft homemade loaf packed with apples and cinnamon.

It’s also one of those cakes that feels perfect for fall. Once apples start showing up everywhere, this is exactly the kind of thing I want baking in the oven with a cup of tea waiting nearby.

Let’s be honest… the smell alone is enough to make you impatient for that first slice.

Texture + flavor of this apple cinnamon cake

This apple cinnamon cake is soft and moist, with tender apple pieces through the middle and more apples baked right on top.

The cinnamon gives it that warm fall flavor, while the brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness that works really well with the apples. The butter and oil help keep the cake soft without making it feel heavy.

What I love most is how much this cake reminds me of my grandma’s house. The soft apple pieces, warm cinnamon, and that amazing smell from the oven bring back so many memories of fall when I was little.

Best apples for this cake

For this apple cinnamon loaf cake, I like apples that are naturally sweet and soften nicely while baking.

Golden Delicious and Gala are both great choices. Fuji works well too, and Pink Lady is nice if you want a little more sweet-tart flavor.

I wouldn’t worry too much about using a super firm baking apple here. I actually like the apple pieces nice and tender in this loaf.

Old fashioned apple cake with cinnamon ingredients

For the cinnamon apples

• 2 to 3 medium apples, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake batter

• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) melted butter
• 1/4 cup (40 g) sunflower oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or mild olive oil
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) room-temperature whole milk
• 2 large room-temperature eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment you’ll need

• 9×5-inch loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric hand mixer
• Fine sieve
• Spatula or spoon
• Knife or skewer
• Toothpick

How to make this apple cinnamon loaf cake

Step 1: First, peel 2 to 3 medium apples and dice them into small pieces. Golden Delicious or Gala work especially well because they’re sweet and soften nicely while the cake bakes.

Step 2: Then, add 1/4 cup of light brown sugar, which is 50 grams, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Mix the apples until they’re nicely coated, then leave them for about 15 minutes so they can release some of their juice.

Did You Know: Sugar pulls moisture from the apples while they sit, which gives you that lovely cinnamon apple juice to use between the cake layers.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, which is 100 grams, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1/4 cup of sunflower, vegetable, canola, or mild olive oil. Mix until the sugar, butter, and oil come together.

Step 4: Then, add 1/3 cup of room-temperature whole milk, 2 room-temperature eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer and beat for about 30 seconds, just until the eggs are fully mixed in and the mixture looks smooth.

Step 5: Next, take a fine sieve and add 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour, which is 210 grams, followed by 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl to get rid of any lumps and help them mix evenly through the batter.

Top Tip: Once the flour goes in, keep the mixing short. Mixing for too long can make the cake heavier instead of soft and tender.

Step 6: Next, use an electric mixer on low speed and mix for about 15 to 20 seconds, just until you can’t see any dry flour left in the bowl. Stop once the batter has come together.

Step 7: Take a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a little extra paper at the sides so the cake is easier to lift out later.

Step 8: Then, pour about half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. The batter is fairly loose, so it should spread easily across the bottom of the pan.

Step 9: Next, spoon about two-thirds of the cinnamon apples over the batter, adding a little of the juice from the bowl as you go. Spread the apples across the middle so you get a good bit of apple through each slice, then save the rest for the top.

Step 10: Next, pour the remaining batter over the apples and gently spread it across the top, covering the middle apple layer while keeping the batter nice and even across the pan.

Step 11: Next, add the rest of the cinnamon apples over the batter and spoon over a little of the juice left in the bowl. I don’t remember exactly how my grandma used to do this part, so I just spread the apples over the top the way I remember her cakes looking when I was little.

Step 12: Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl through the batter and apples, reaching down toward the bottom of the loaf pan. A few gentle swirls are enough to move some of that apple and cinnamon through the batter while still keeping the layers.

Top Tip: Don’t overdo the swirling. A few passes are enough, otherwise you can lose those nice apple layers through the cake.

Step 13: Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 55 to 60 minutes, until your kitchen smells absolutely amazing, the top of the cake turns a lovely golden brown, and a toothpick pushed into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few soft crumbs.

Start checking around 50 minutes because every oven is a little different.

Note: If the top of the cake is already nicely browned but the center still needs more time, loosely cover the loaf with foil and keep baking until the middle is done.

Step 14: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift it out and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool a little longer before slicing so the soft apple-filled middle has time to settle.

Related Recipe: If you have a few more apples left over, I’ve got another apple cake you can try here. That one is made without flour, so it’s a little different from this apple loaf and gives you another easy way to turn fresh apples into a really yummy homemade cake.

How to store apple cinnamon cake

Once the cake has cooled completely, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days. I like letting a slice come back to room temperature before eating it, or warming it for a few seconds if I want that just-baked feeling again.

You can also freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Wrap them well before freezing so they stay soft.

How I like to serve it

I usually eat this cake just as it is. A warm slice out of the oven with a cup of cold milk, tea, or coffee is pretty hard to beat, especially on a cool fall afternoon.

If you want something a little more dessert-like, add a spoonful of lightly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Warm apple cake with cold vanilla ice cream… how can you not?!

More homemade cake recipes

If you enjoyed this apple cinnamon loaf cake, have a look at more of my cake recipes below. I’ve got plenty of simple homemade cakes for the next time you feel like baking something sweet.

• Moist Date Cake Recipe – This soft and moist date cake has a lovely natural sweetness and rich flavor. It is an easy homemade cake that goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee.
• Semolina Fruit Cake – This simple semolina fruit cake has a soft texture and plenty of fruity flavor in every slice. A lovely homemade bake for dessert or afternoon tea.
• Moist Desiccated Coconut Cake Recipe – A soft and moist coconut cake made with desiccated coconut for plenty of texture and coconut flavor. It is simple to make and delicious served on its own.

And if you make this old-fashioned apple cake with cinnamon, let me know how it turned out in the comments below or in the YouTube video comments. If you have any questions about the recipe, leave those too… I’ll try to reply to all of your comments and questions.