Bake this easy apple spice cake to treat your friends and family! I drew inspiration from a zucchini bread method to make my apple cake as moist as possible by adding oodles of grated apples directly to the batter. Crown the cake with crunchy streusel and you have the perfect bake for autumn!
For another fruit based cake take a look at our Nutella Banana Bread .
Don’t you think autumn is the ideal time to bake?
There is plenty of fruit that’s been just harvested but the temperature is not scorching hot anymore, which makes a warm oven a lot less oppressive. Which means it is the perfect time to pull out your best autumn baking recipes!
Moist Apple Spice Cake
This apple spice cake recipe is my take on a well-beloved zucchini loaf, except instead of zucchini we are using shredded apples. They add moisture to the cake as well as a delicious flavour and stunning aroma!
I haven’t found a better cake for the autumn. It has the familiar taste of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves we all crave once the weather turns chilly.
Although this cake is so easy, little extras like crunchy streusel topping and salted caramel drizzle take this simple apple spice cake to the next level.
This apple spice cake recipe is the easiest cake you will make! It will work for all levels of bakers out there. You don’t even need any specialised equipment. Just a whisk and a wooden spoon will do.
Streusel topping
Even though this cake is incredibly soft and flavourful, the best part of it is the crunchy streusel top drenched in caramel. Pure indulgence!
Streusel comes from Germany, with the name being related to the word ‘streuen’, which means ‘to scatter’ or ‘to sprinkle’. No one knows quite how long it’s been around, but streusel has certainly been part of German baking for a long, long time.
Streusel is a crumbly topping made from flour, sugar and butter that is sprinkled over baking before it is put in the oven. Sometimes spices or nuts can be added as well.
It adds a sweetness and crunch to the top of cakes like this one. When put on a soft, moist cake, the contrast of textures is quite exciting.
The streusel topping I used here is slightly different from a traditional one. It resembles a cookie dough and bakes up like a crunchy walnut-studded cookie crust on top of a soft cake.
Recipe tips and notes
- I’ve used Demerara/Turbinado sugar, which has more nutrients and minerals than regular white sugar. It’s light brown in appearance, raw, and has a natural caramel flavour that hasn’t been refined out as it is the case with white sugar. However, white sugar will also work as a good substitute. You can also use brown sugar for the streusel topping.
- You can use any variety of apples you have on hand. I’ve used Gala apples that went a bit soft and my children refused eating them. You don’t even have to peel them. Just remove the core and grate. A food processor is excellent for this kind of task.
- This recipe will work in a variety of cake pans. I made it in a square 9″X9″ pan. It also works in a round 9″ pan, a rectangular 9″X13″. You can also bake this batter in a muffin pan. It will make 12 muffins.
Storage and leftovers
The cake will remain fresh for up to 3 days if kept on a countertop. If you make it into 12 muffins, they are wonderfully freezable and will keep up to 1 month or longer.
Just pop one in a microwave and you have a breakfast ready in a minute.
More simple and seasonal cake recipes
Apple Spice Streusel Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups cups /4 medium apples
- 1 ¼ cups /300g sugar Demerara/Turbinado or white sugar
- ½ cup /125ml vegetable oil
- 4 eggs large
- 3 cups /350g flour all purpose
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Streusel Topping
- 5 ½ tbsp flour
- 5 tbsp sugar Demerara/Turbinado or brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp butter slightly softened
- 4 tbsp walnuts chopped
- 2-3 tbsp salted caramel I used Marks and Spencer brand
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C
- Grease a 9 inch square pan. (See the text above for cake pan options) Shred the apples with skin on and mix together with sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients (cake ingredients only). Pour the batter into your pan and smooth the top.
- Mix together the streusel ingredients in a small bowl with a fork or use your hands. The streusel won’t be crumbly but will have the consistency of a cookie dough. Pinch off small bits and cover the surface of the cake.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
- Let cool for 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cook completely on a wire rack. Drizzle with pre-made salted caramel. (If you caramel sauce is a bit stiff put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, that should help to get it runny and only use a good quality brand you trust.)
