Description
This Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake is a deliciously moist and spiced dessert featuring tender slices of Honeycrisp apples folded into a thick batter. Enhanced with a reduced apple cider base and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar butter topping, this cake brings comforting fall flavors to your table. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert, it is simple to make and yields a crowd-pleasing 9×13 inch pan.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2-3 tsp apple or pumpkin pie spice
- 2-3 Honeycrisp apples, very thinly sliced
Topping
- 6 tbsp cold salted butter, grated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C). Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal of the cake after baking.
- Reduce Apple Cider: Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until it reduces down to about ½ cup. Remove the reduced cider from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled reduced apple cider, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, one large egg, honey or maple syrup, and apple butter. Stir until well blended.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Apples: To the wet mixture, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, apple or pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt. Stir gently until just combined to avoid overmixing. Fold in the thinly sliced Honeycrisp apples carefully; the batter will be thick.
- Transfer Batter to Baking Dish: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and grated cold salted butter until the mixture forms a clumpy sugar topping. Sprinkle this evenly over the surface of the cake batter.
- Bake the Cake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve: Allow the cake to cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter if desired, for an extra touch of sweetness and richness. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use Honeycrisp apples or any sweet-tart variety for the best flavor and texture.
- Reducing the apple cider concentrates its flavor; do not skip this step for the best apple essence in the cake.
- For dairy-free version, substitute salted butter topping with vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Honey butter is optional but adds a lovely sweet and creamy finish to each slice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/15 of cake)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
