a piece of glazed fresh apple cake on decorative flower China plate and teacup to right.
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Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake

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Dive into this irresistible treat from Grandma’s very own kitchen. Packed with juicy apple pieces and a delicate blend of warm spices, it is a perfect balance of flavors that will leave your taste buds longing for more. Let this fresh apple cake transport you back to simpler times.

a slice of glazed fresh apple cake on decorative flowered China plate

This cake is not heavily spiced, and when made without adding the frosting it is not a super sweet cake. Though let’s be honest, I never make it without the sweet frosting!

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INGREDIENTS NEEDED

  • Chopped apples – Farm fresh in season apples are the best or use canned apples.
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted will work.
  • Sugar – Cane sugar or white sugar will work.
  • Eggs – I use our size “large” home raised chicken eggs when baking.
  • Milk – raw milk or store bought.
  • Vanilla extract – Store-bought or homemade.
  • Flour – All-purpose flour or freshly milled flour.
  • Salt – I only use Redmond Real Salt in my kitchen, but regular salt will work.
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Cinnamon – I use Ceylon, but regular cinnamon will work.
  • Nutmeg
  • Nuts (optional)
  • Powdered sugar

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

  • 9×13-inch baking dish
  • Large bowls – You could also use a stand mixer like my NutriMill mixer.
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Cutting board
  • Knife or Apple slicer/peeler
  • Spoon
  • Silicone spatula

Type of Apple to Use

The type of apple you use may impact the finished product. Our guide to popular apples can help you determine what would be best for baking, canning, or eating. 

My Grandma would use whatever apples were on hand which were typically Red Jonathon or yellow Golden Delicious. This recipe calls for fresh apples, but we also use our raw-packed canned apples once our fresh apple harvest has been depleted and still find the end result fantastic!

How To Make gRANDMA’S Fresh Apple Cake

a piece of glazed fresh apple cake on decorative flower China plate and teacup to right with baked fresh apple cake in glass baking dish and cream tea towel in background on black counter

This is a simple cake that does not require any exotic ingredients. You will find everything you need in your pantry, except maybe the apples. It is quick to throw together and is perfect for a homemade dessert when you have unexpected guests.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

PREPARE THE APPLES

four peeled, cored, and sliced apples sitting on red cutting board with apple peeler in background.
peel and chopped apple pieces in glass bowl on counter

Using an apple peeler/slicer or a knife, peel, cut, and chop up your apples into little pieces and set aside. The size that you chop your apples is up to you. We aren’t too picky around here so just roughly dice them up in about ¼ to ½ inch pieces. If you are using canned apples, drain if needed and make sure they are cut up into little pieces.

MAKE THE APPLE CAKE BATTER

cane sugar and butter in NutriMill mixing bowl before creamed.
up close of creamed butter and sugar in mixing bowl

Cream your ½ cup butter and 2 cups of sugar. You can use a stand mixer, but it’s just as easy to mix by hand. Appropriate creaming of butter and sugar takes approximately 3 minutes (seriously though, who times these things?).  Creaming your butter and sugar allows the sugar to disperse evenly and helps to lighten/soften the butter which makes the texture of your cake lighter. Turns out that this step is pretty important when baking, no wonder it is in nearly every recipe.

added egg to sugar and butter mixture in stand mixer.

Once you have creamed the butter and sugar you mix in 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.

creamed apple cake batter wet ingredients with dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon in stand mixer.

Sift dry ingredients (2 cups flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, & 1 tsp nutmeg) into wet mixture.

Grandma’s handwritten recipe says that all dry ingredients should be sifted. I have never sifted the dry ingredients when I make this cake and I think it turns out great. I also have no recall of her sifting the dry ingredients when she would make this cake. To be true to her original recipe I felt I needed to add this step. I choose to believe that when Grandma was first making this recipe, she was getting her flour from the local mill and would need to sift to ensure no larger bits were in her sack of flour. With the modern process we have now that is no longer a necessity.

all apple cake ingredients being mixed in stand mixer
up close of mixed apple cake batter in mixer bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed butter, sugar, egg mixture. The mixture will be thick once it’s mixed.

COMBINE THE BATTER AND APPLES

a person using a wooden spoon to mix cake batter with apples in glass bowl.

Once you have creamed, mixed, sifted (or not), and mixed again it is time to add the apples and nuts (optional). Whether you are using fresh apples or raw canned apples you will need 4 cups chopped

What type of nuts you may be asking? She used whatever she had. She has made it with pecans and English walnuts.

BAKE THE FRESH APPLE CAKE

spreading out batter and apples with knife in glass baking dish on counter.

Put your cake batter in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish (metal or glass will work, but metal may bake faster). Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until cake is done in center.

glass baking dish with baked cake, no glaze

how to make apple cake glaze

MIX UP THE GLAZE

person mixing icing with black and red spatula in glass bowl on cream tea cloth.

Let the cake cool a little, but make sure it’s still warm to get a nice glaze. Now you are ready for the glaze. Beat all ingredients until smooth (¼ softened butter with 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp milk and ½ tsp vanilla). Drizzle over baked apple cake.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

using a red spatula to spread glaze over warm baked apple cake in glass baking dish.
cutting out a piece of glazed cake in glass baking dish with metal utensil.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or warm tea!

a piece of glazed fresh apple cake on decorative flower China plate and teacup to right
a slice of glazed fresh apple cake on decorative flowered China plate

Grandma's Fresh Apple Cake

Yield: 12-15 Slices
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

This irresistible fall dessert is packed with juicy apple pieces and a delicate blend of warm spices, it is a perfect balance of flavors that will leave your taste buds longing for more!

Ingredients

APPLE CAKE:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 cups chopped apples (raw or canned)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

GLAZE:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • A1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar

Instructions

Apple Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x13in pan.
  2. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
  3. Mix in eggs.
  4. Sift dry ingredients into wet mixture.
  5. Stir in apples and nuts.
  6. Add in vanilla.
  7. Put in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350℉ for 40-50 minutes until cake is done in the center.

Frosting:

  1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over baked apple cake. Share & Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 543Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 2gSugar: 72gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

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