Apfelkuchen
This is the old-fashioned American apple cake: a brown-sugar, cinnamon-spiced batter absolutely packed with chunks of fresh apple, baked in a 9x13 pan and finished with a crackly cinnamon-sugar top. Oil instead of butter keeps the crumb tender and genuinely moist for days, while the thick batter suspends the fruit so every bite gets soft, jammy apple. It mixes in one bowl with a whisk — no mixer, no fuss.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch pan. Whisk 300 g (2 1/2 cups) flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk 240 ml (1 cup) neutral oil with 250 g (1 1/4 cups) packed brown sugar, 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, 3 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla until glossy. Stir the dry mix into the wet just until no flour streaks remain — the batter will be thick — then fold in 600 g (about 4 cups) of peeled, chopped firm apples. Scrape into the pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake 45-50 minutes, until a skewer poked into cake (not apple) comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Chop apples into 1/2-inch (1 cm) chunks, not thin slices — chunks stay juicy and won't turn the crumb gummy.
- The batter should be very thick before the apples go in; that thickness is what keeps the fruit from sinking.
- Test doneness in a spot between apple pieces — hitting fruit gives a false wet reading and leads to overbaking.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan
- Two mixing bowls (one large)
- Whisk
- Flexible spatula
- Vegetable peeler and chef's knife
- Wire cooling rack
- Toothpick or thin skewer
Zutaten
Cake
- 300 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 7 g baking soda
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 5 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg, freshly grated if you have it
- 240 ml neutral oil, canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil
- 250 g light brown sugar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- large eggs, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 600 g firm apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, 3 large; Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) chunks
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 g ground cinnamon
Zubereitung
- SCHRITT01
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan with oil or butter, or line it with parchment leaving an overhang on the two long sides so you can lift the cake out later.
- SCHRITT02
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into 1/2-inch (1 cm) chunks — you want distinct pieces, not thin slices, so they bake up soft and jammy without making the crumb wet. Set aside. If the chunks sit more than a few minutes, no need to worry about browning; it disappears in the bake.
- SCHRITT03
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined and no lumps of soda remain.
- SCHRITT04
In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth, pressing out any brown sugar lumps against the side of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in the vanilla. The mixture should look glossy and slightly thickened, like caramel-colored mayonnaise.
- SCHRITT05
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula just until the last streak of flour disappears — the batter will be very thick, which is what holds the fruit in place. Fold in the apple chunks until they're evenly distributed. It will look like more apple than batter; that's correct.
- SCHRITT06
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with the spatula. Stir the topping sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle it evenly over the surface. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden and crackled and a toothpick inserted between apple chunks comes out with only a few moist crumbs. If the pick hits fruit it will look wet — test a second spot before adding time.
- SCHRITT07
Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes; the crumb finishes setting as it cools. Serve warm in squares straight from the pan, or lift the cake out by the parchment once fully cool for cleaner slices.
Make ahead
This cake is a genuine make-ahead winner: bake it a full day before serving, cool completely, and cover tightly at room temperature — the flavor deepens and the texture improves overnight. Don't hold the mixed batter, though; the baking soda starts working on contact with the wet ingredients, so pan and bake it right away. You can peel and chop the apples up to a day ahead and refrigerate them in an airtight container.
Storage
Cover the cooled cake tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days — the crumb actually gets moister overnight as the apples release juice. Refrigerate for up to 5 days after that; bring squares back to room temperature or warm them 15 seconds in the microwave before serving. To freeze, wrap individual squares in plastic and freeze in a zip-top bag up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
Variations
Apple-Walnut Cake
Fold in 100 g (1 cup) toasted, roughly chopped walnuts or pecans along with the apples, and add 75 g (1/2 cup) raisins if you like the old-school church-supper version. Note this adds a tree nut allergen. Bake time stays the same.
Gluten-Free
Swap the all-purpose flour for an equal weight (300 g) of a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that contains xanthan gum. The thick batter and heavy fruit load make this cake unusually forgiving of the swap; let it rest 10 minutes in the pan before baking so the blend hydrates, and check doneness at 45 minutes.
Salted Caramel Glaze
For a dressier finish, skip the cinnamon-sugar topping. Melt 45 g (3 tbsp) butter with 65 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar, 30 ml (2 tbsp) cream, and a big pinch of flaky salt; simmer 2 minutes and drizzle over the cooled cake. This version adds a dairy allergen.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Häufige Fragen
What are the best apples to use?
Use firm apples that hold their shape through a 50-minute bake: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Jonagold all work well. A mix of one tart and one sweet variety gives the best flavor. Avoid soft varieties like McIntosh or Red Delicious — they collapse into mush and water down the crumb.
Why does this apple cake recipe use oil instead of butter?
Oil is liquid at room temperature, so the cake stays soft and moist even after a day or two on the counter — butter-based cakes firm up when they cool. With this much cinnamon, brown sugar, and fresh apple, you don't miss butter's flavor, and the one-bowl whisk method means no creaming step and no mixer.
Can I bake this in a bundt pan instead?
Yes — this apple cake recipe fits a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan. Grease every crevice thoroughly (the fruit makes it prone to sticking), bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, and cool 20 minutes in the pan before inverting. Skip the cinnamon-sugar topping and dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze after unmolding.
Why did my cake turn out gummy or wet in the middle?
Three usual causes: the apples were sliced thin instead of chopped into chunks (slices shed juice into the crumb), the cake was underbaked because the toothpick hit a piece of fruit and looked wet, or extra apple was added beyond the 600 g called for. Test doneness in a spot between apple chunks, and stick to the stated amount — the batter is already at its fruit limit.
Do I really need to peel the apples?
Peeling is worth it here. In a long-baked cake the peels don't soften completely and end up as chewy ribbons in an otherwise tender crumb. If you're determined to skip the step, use a thin-skinned variety like Pink Lady and chop the apples slightly smaller, but expect a more rustic texture.
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