Here’s a delightful cake for afternoon tea – Cinnamon Apple Teacake! Apples take centerstage here – you’ll find them inside AND on top, mingling with buttery cinnamon flavours.
While it’s sheer perfection fresh out of the oven, this is one of those rare cakes that is still truly great 3, 4, 5 days later!
Cinnamon Apple Teacake
I call this a teacake because it just seems like the perfect cake to serve at a quaint afternoon tea with friends. Filtered sunlight streaming in, a rustic table laden with baked goods (scones essential), freshly brewed tea served in teacups, sitting around with my friends, chatting and laughing gently.
The reality of gatherings with my friends is quite the opposite. We screech, we ROAR with laughter. We’ll debate economic policy, but you’re more likely to walk into an animated discussion about Real Housewives, cheeky jokes about Magic Mike (& XXL😈), or dissecting Survivor.
This from a group of highly educated women – lawyers, finance executives, journalists.
And a food blogger. 😂
All jokes aside though, I do have some semblance of logic for why I call this a teacake – because it’s a single layer, not very tall, simple cake. Exactly the sort of cake you’d whip up for an impromptu afternoon tea with friends – as opposed to a dramatic two layer Red Velvet Cake or Carrot Cake piled high with fluffy frosting.
(In case you’re interested – other quick ‘n easy cakes I make for impromptu gatherings include this Strawberry Cake, Blueberry Cake and a chopped Apple Cake.)
LOTS of apples in this teacake recipe!
I say this is a simple teacake recipe, and the cake batter itself IS simple to make. But it does take time to chop the apples because I use quite a generous amount.
600g/1.2lb, to be exact. Because if we’re going to make an apple cake, I want to make sure we can TASTE the apple in it – rather than just a few token bits of apple littered throughout the cake!
Here’s what you need:
Apples – use any type of apples you want. My personal favourite is Granny Smith – I just adore the slight tartness to offset the sweetness of cakes;
Butter for flavour, oil for moisture – a winning combination I use frequently. We all love butter, but it does nothing to hold moisture in cakes;
Flour and baking powder – these can be switched with self raising flour;
Cinnamon – because apple + cinnamon is a match made in heaven.
How I chop apples for cake
Here’s how I peel, core and chop apples for this cake. I find this method yields the least waste / is speedy.
But use whatever means works for you – if you don’t have a scooper like you see in Step 2 below, just quarter it then cut out the core using a knife.
Peeling is optional for the slices used for the topping, but recommended for the chopped pieces mixed into the batter (biting into skin in a tender cake isn’t ideal).
How to make Cinnamon Apple Teacake
After you get past chopping the apples, the cake batter itself is dead easy: whisk wet, whisk dry, mix them together. Top with apples, bake.
The one thing I do very deliberately is to only use cinnamon to coat the apple. I feel like you get more bang for your buck to get good cinnamon flavour in the cake – you need a fair amount to make the crumb itself really taste of cinnamon.
Also I like having a pale cake crumb – it looks nicer with the contrast to the deep golden apple topping!
Glazing the cake
Brushing the cake with warmed jam is entirely optional – it’s just to give it a lovely shiny finish.
It’s best to use apricot jam because it glazes on clear. Other flavour jams (strawberry, raspberry etc) work just fine but there is a slight tinge of colour – though not really noticeable in this teacake because the apples are golden!
No photo – not even the recipe video – can capture how beautifully moist the crumb of this cake is. And the smell when it’s baking…. ugh! Cinnamon! Apple! Butter! Cake!
There are not enough exclamation marks in this world!
So, I guess you’re just going to have to make it so you can experience it for yourself. 😇 – Nagi x
PS BIG UPSIDE – this is one of those rare cakes that actually really truly holds up perfectly for days and days. Yes it is spectacular fresh out of the oven. But it is near perfect for 3 to 4 days, and will keep for 5 to 6 days in the fridge, weeks, months in the freezer!
Watch how to make it
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Cinnamon Apple Teacake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples:
- 600g/ 1.2 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (or any other – red, green, golden) (4 large, 5 small/medium, Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 50g/ 3 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 2 tbsp white sugar
Dry:
- 1 1/2 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet:
- 4 tbsp/ 60g unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 cup oil (canola, vegetable)
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature (~55g/1.95 oz each) (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup white sugar , caster / superfine best (but not essential)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze (optional):
- 1 1/2 tbsp apricot jam (or other flavour)
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Grease a 20cm / 8″ springform pan with butter, then line with baking paper (parchment paper).
Apples:
- Chop half the apples into 1.25 cm / 1/2" pieces.
- Slice the other half into 3mm / 1/8" thick slices.
- Place into separate bowls. Sprinkle/drizzle each bowl with half the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat, set aside.
Batter:
- Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour Wet ingredients in a separate bowl in the order listed. Whisk well to combine.
- Pour Wet into the Dry ingredients bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until flour is incorporated.
- Add chopped apple. Gently mix through until JUST dispersed (to keep cinnamon on apple, not dispersed through batter).
- Scrape into cake pan, smooth surface.
- Top with sliced apples – fan them out in a circle, overlapping each other by 1/4 (fiddle away to use up all the apple / make it even!).
- Bake 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (Note 3). Cover loosely with foil if you have to bake beyond 50 min (to stop apples burning).
- Place on cooling rack, release sides of springform pan.
Glaze & Serve:
- Heat Glaze: Place jam and water in a small bowl, microwave 20 seconds to warm, then mix.
- Glaze: Brush apples on surface with glaze.
- Cool: Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting with sharp knife. It is sheer perfection when it's still slightly warm in the middle.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More apple recipes
I am very fond of apple desserts!
Life of Dozer
Compost in action!
Made this Cinnamon Apple Teacake 2 days ago. Only one word to describe it:
SENSATIONAL. Keep up the great work. Reading your recipes & Dozer’s antics make my day. xxx
YOU FIBBED! You said this would last 4 days and mine was gone in a day and a half. Now I have to make another, and what’s more this time I’ll have to share 😉
I have this problem ALL the time 😂
Absolutely awesome cake – quite possibly the best ever! Thank you so much Nagi, it was a huge hit!
Have one in the oven now and am sure it is going to be great. BUT 4 bowls make up for not having to use a mixer. HA-HA
I absolutely love your recipes, but I cannot use regular flour. All recipes I make that need flour use almond or coconut flour. Could you tell me the ratio difference if I use almond flour? I know it is different. Thanks.
Hi Deyanira, I haven’t tried sorry – it would be a totally different texture. Would love to know if you give it a go! N x
Hi Nagi. Looking forward to make this cake tomorrow morning. I only have 11 inch pan, which i just bought after addicted to your recipes. Well only 11 inch was available. Bakery supplies stores are crowded over here. I scaled your recipe to 18pax. I want the cake a bit high. And saw the measurements a bit difficult to be exact (i dont have a scale). Always follow your cup measurements.
My question:
Is this recipe very forgiving? I am afraid I might not be exact as recipe.
How long to bake?
Temperature to be used?
Thank you.
Hi Shamala, this recipe is forgiving, but best to use weight measurements to get the correct quantities. I would check the cake after an hour and then just keep an eye on it from then on – N x
Hi Nagi, this looks so right up my alley and since I’ve lost 12.5kg o my Keto menu in 4 months, now maintaining I’m allowing myself a “treat’ with this scrumptious cake. Can hardly wait to do the groceries this weekend to get some Granny Smith’s.
As for Dozer “an apple a day keeps the Dr. away” even if it’s only the peels as that’s where all the vitamins are. I always have to check out what he’s up to and have my chuckle.
I hope you love it Josephine, great work on the weight loss – you’re a star! N x
Hello Nagi,
This is my first comment to you or anyone that I can remember.
The Cinnamon Apple Teacake was delicious.
I realized that I had not folded in the apples in the batter until most of the batter was in the pan…no worry… I stuck them gently in it. It turned out beautifully and it seems to me that it is actually easier than to try to fold them in while taking care not to overdo it.
Thank you again. Love you and Dozer.
I made this cake for the first time yesterday and it was a hit. It happened to be a stressful day, and I made some big mistakes (forgot to put the oil in and had to add it after I had put the wet ingredients into the dry; got mixed up with the apples), yet it still turned out! Very forgiving:) I didn’t have apricot jam, so I used apple butter and thinned it with Amaretto. I’d make this again in a heartbeat, but will do it when I have time to focus on what I’m doing!
Made the apple cinnamon cake was to die for perfect.
And Doza eating apple skin My little dog loves it as well,
THANKYOU for your beautiful receives xx
You’re so welcome Jacky! Thanks so much!! N x
Wow, this is a fabulous cake! I used cake flour and two different apples. Smelled so good cooking, love the glaze on top. So good, not overly sweet. Everyone needs to make this! Nagi, I’ve made several of your recipes and all have turned out great, but this may be my new favorite breakfast and dessert cake. Thank you!! Hello, Dozer!
Thanks so much Mel! N x
Hi Nagi, I would love to try your recipe but I am not sure how much in grams for 1 1/2 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of sugar. Can you enlighten me on that?
Hi LK – click the “metric” button at the bottom of the ingredients and it will show you the equivalent in grams. N x
Thanks got it!
Got this recipe in the email and I always save them but I wasn’t doing anything that dat and decided to make it. Oh. My. Gosh. It was amazing. Super easy, had all the ingredients on hand and my family loved it. I don’t think of myself as a baker (I stick to one-bowl muffins or cookies) but this turned out great.
Love the sound of this cake & will certainly be making it. I particularly like the detail you go into in the “recipe notes” removes so much guess work. Have always found your and your mother’s recipes excellent.
Thank you so much Sue, that’s so lovey to know! N x
Tastes even better as it ages
I’m so glad you love it Leslie! N x
WOW another delicious recipe, thank you. Recipetineats never lets me down, my no.1 go to for recipes. Thanks for all your hard work.
Thanks so much Cheryl, I really appreciate it! N x
Made this on the weekend for my husband’s birthday and it was a big hit 🎂
Super easy to make – the hardest part was peeling the apples!
Thank you Nagi (another recipe to add to my favourites!)
I’m so glad you loved it Maria! N x
Thank you Nagi for this gorgeous cake. I had to add about 30mns to the baking time (checking every ten mns). I did cover the top loosely but the bottom burnt slightly thanks to my awful oven! Maybe a tray under the tin would prevent this? But it was still beautiful. I have made many of your recipes and I make sure to always check on the Dozer updates! Thank you again! Marie-Christine X
Hi Marie-Christine, sorry you had issues here – I imagine it’s your oven thermostat as it should definitely not take an extra 30 minutes to cook! N x
Yes you’re probably right! It was to be replaced then covid19 happened!
Delightful!
I have a fussy family, but was determined to make this in my Timber Cake Box (cook low & slow).
Even though I pulled it out of the oven after bed time last night, the stocktake results speak for themselves:
Cake gone, family crying for more!
Thank you for sharing Nagi.
Wahoo! That’s great Jacqui! N x
Could this recipe be adjusted for a 9” springform pan?
Hi John, you can use a 9″, the cake will be slightly shorter. N x