This easy moist apple cake recipe will produce a cake that is both soft and tender with the flavor of apples and cinnamon. This cake can be easily made and will make an excellent choice for any get-togethers or holiday occasions. The apples will contribute to making the cake moist, and the flavor of cinnamon adds a warm taste to each bite of the cake. There is no need to have any special baking knowledge to prepare this delicious apple cake.
The easy moist apple cake recipe is carefully prepared in such a way as to give you a cake that is soft and tender with succulent apples in each and every mouthful. The cake uses simple and ordinary ingredients; therefore, it is easy to prepare.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cake
This apple cake is perfect when you want to indulge yourself with a homemade dessert that doesn’t take hours to make. All of the necessary ingredients to prepare the batter are easy to find in your pantry. Fresh apples provide natural sweetness and moisture to the cake while it’s baking. The result will be a moist cake with a soft crumb full of tender apples.
One more benefit of this dessert is that you have many options for serving it. This apple cake can be served slightly warm, at room temperature, or even cold. This delicious dessert is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with some whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or sprinkled with some powdered sugar.
Ingredients for Easy Moist Apple Cake
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, soft
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar for topping
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon for topping
In order to have the best texture, apples which will be able to retain their shape during baking should be used. Some of the recommended varieties include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or Pink Lady apples. You can also try using sweet and slightly tart apples together.
How to Make Easy Moist Apple Cake
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake tin and fit it with parchment paper at the bottom. Using parchment paper will make removing the cake easy after it is baked and will help in ensuring the bottom does not stick.
Peeled and cored apples should be chopped into small pieces. Try as much as possible to chop them uniformly since you will not have to cook them before adding them to the batter since they will cook while the cake is baking.
Flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt should be whisked in a medium bowl.
In another big bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which takes 2 to 3 minutes. In a steady manner, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Finally, add the vanilla extract.
Pour the yogurt and milk into the wet ingredients and combine well. The yogurt is a crucial ingredient in this recipe since it gives moisture and softness to the cake without making it greasy.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gradually. Gently stir until the flour is no longer visible. Be careful not to over-stir the batter, otherwise the cake will be dense.
Mix the diced apples into the batter using a spatula. Ensure that the apple pieces are mixed evenly throughout the batter and not piled up in one place.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and even out the surface. Mix brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle it on top. Thus, you get a basic sweet cinnamon topping while baking the cake.
Put the cake pan into the preheated oven and bake the cake for approximately 40 to 50 minutes. The time of baking can depend on the moisture content of the apples. The cake is baked when its top becomes golden brown, and the toothpick test proves that it is done.
Let the cake bake in the pan for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. After that, you can take the cake out of the pan and cool it on a wire rack.
What Makes This Apple Cake Moist?
The mixture of butter, yogurt, eggs, and fresh apples makes the cake tender. The apples provide natural moisture for the cake in the process of baking, while the yogurt brings richness and softness to the cake.
Flour must also be used in a right quantity. Too much flour may make the apple cake dry. In order to get the most accurate result, use a proper measuring cup. Using the kitchen scale would help you to be sure that you used enough flour.
Do not leave the cake in the oven for too long. Take the cake out of the oven when the toothpick inserted into it turns out to be clean or almost clean.
Best Apples for Apple Cake
Firm apples usually do the best since they retain their texture when baked. Granny Smith apples offer a nice tart taste which can balance out the sweetness of the cake. Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples are more naturally sweet and will add a little bit of a fruity taste to the cake.
Another great choice is Gala apples, which are readily available in most grocery stores. If there are multiple kinds of apples, you can always use all of them together.
Avoid using really soft or mealy apples, since they might contain too much liquid.
Can You Make This Cake Without Yogurt?
Yes, a simple substitution can be made if you don’t have any yogurt. Sour cream is an excellent substitute for yogurt; use the same quantity, which would result in similar texture.
Buttermilk is another good substitute, but keep in mind that your batter will not look the same as before. If you notice that your batter is thin, don’t immediately add more flour to it because apples will also add moisture to the batter.
How to Keep Apple Cake Moist
To keep the cake moist, the first step should be to prevent the cake from being overcooked. The cake can be checked a little earlier than the minimum baking period recommended if the oven heats up a bit too much.
It is important to ensure that the cake cools down before any attempts to store it. After cooling down, the cake should be placed in an airtight container or wrapped very tightly in plastic wrap. This will help protect the cake from any contact with air.
The cake can stay at room temperature for a couple of days while well protected. If you need to keep the cake for more than two days, it is recommended to store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
Easy Apple Cake Variations
You can always adjust this recipe depending on the available ingredients at home. To make the cake more crunchy, you may add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter. Nuts go really well with apples and cinnamon.
To give the flavor of spices an extra boost, you may add some ground nutmeg to the recipe along with cinnamon. Also, you can add some ground ginger.
Dried cranberries or raisins can also be mixed into the batter. Should you use additional ingredients, make sure that you do not use too much of them since a very dense batter will take longer to cook.
In case you want an easy decoration for your cake, you can simply skip the topping made of cinnamon sugar and sprinkle some powdered sugar instead. Or you may drizzle the cake with a simple vanilla glaze.
How to Serve Apple Cake
The moist apple cake is quite tasty when served slightly warm. Cut the cake in wedges and enjoy it along with your tea, coffee, or warm milk.
For a dessert, put some vanilla ice cream above the warm piece of cake. The cool ice cream gradually melts over the warm cake to give you a great combination.
Whipped cream or even yogurt could be added on the top of the cake. Since the cake is moist enough and tasty, there is no need for any complicated topping.
How to Store Apple Cake
Store the leftover apple cake at room temperature in an air-tight box for up to two days. In case your kitchen is too hot, then store the cake in the fridge instead.
For long term storage, wrap each piece of cake separately and store them in an air-tight container suitable for freezing. You can keep the frozen cake for three months. Once you want to have the cake, you should allow it to defrost either at room temperature or in the fridge.
The cake can be heated slightly using the microwave before eating it. Overheating the cake will make it dry.
Expert Tips for the Best Moist Apple Cake
This recipe takes inspiration from classic homemade apple cakes, where fresh apples, mild mixing, and proper baking contribute to making a tender crumb. It is recommended that butter, eggs, and yogurt should be used at room temperature as they are easy to combine and form an even batter.
One must not mix the batter excessively once flour is added to it. Moreover, apples should also be chopped finely as they need to be evenly distributed and made soft while baking.
Lastly, it is recommended that one must see whether the cake is done or not as soon as the suggested cooking time expires, as different ovens cook differently.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Easy Moist Apple Cake Recipe
Can I use different types of apples for this cake?
Yes. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady apples would be great choices. You could pick one or mix them together to get both sweet and tart flavors.
Why is my apple cake dry?
The two most common reasons are excessive flour or over-mixing of the batter, or baking the cake for too long. Be sure to measure your flour and take the cake out of the oven when a toothpick comes out clean.
Can I add nuts to apple cake?
Yes. You can use chopped walnuts or pecans and include them in the batter together with chopped apples.
Can I make this apple cake ahead of time?
Yes. The cake can be prepared one day earlier and kept in an airtight box. Actually, the taste of apple and cinnamon can come out better after resting.
Can I freeze homemade apple cake?
Yes. Wrap your cake or pieces of cake in airtight packages and store them in your freezer for three months.
Conclusion: Easy Moist Apple Cake Recipe
This simple moist apple cake recipe is one way that fresh apples can be turned into a tasty, homemade treat. The addition of tender apples, cinnamon, butter, and yogurt makes for a moist and delicious cake recipe that doesn’t complicate the process. It can be served simply or with ice cream as an easy dessert option. This is definitely a cake recipe that once tried will be kept around at all times when there are fresh apples available.