I’ve been eating this Cinnamon Apple Cake since I was a kid. My mother’s very good friend would often make it when we were over at her house. It was always and still is one of everyone’s favorites. I would get so excited to walk into her door and smell that delicious aroma of apples and cinnamon.
When I became older, she shared the recipe with me. Now I make it all the time. Every time I bake it, I get taken back to the wonderful memories of my childhood. It’s actually adapted from The Jewish Apple Cake recipe.
What main Ingredients are needed for the Cinnamon Apple Cake?
The original recipe uses orange juice for the liquid in the cake. I prefer using sour cream because it keeps cakes so moist and delicious.
There are three layers to the cake. Three layers of batter, apples and a mixture of cinnamon sugar. It’s the perfect dessert, snack or even a yummy breakfast with coffee or tea.
I usually make a bourbon glaze to go on it, but since my kids want to eat everything I make, this one has a Cider Glaze on top. To make the bourbon glaze, simply substitute the bourbon for the apple cider.
What is another variation to making this Cinnamon apple cake?
Another variation is to make it a Caramel Apple Crumb Cake. Just add a cinnamon/brown sugar crumb topping on the cake before baking. And after it cools, add smooth, caramel on top. Both ways are so delicious!
Thank you Geneva for the wonderful cake recipe.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Here are other great apple dessert recipes:
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 eggs, large
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Apples
- 4-5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Cider Glaze
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider
Optional Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cold butter
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Store bought jar caramel
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a standing mixer, add the sugar and eggs and beat on high speed until the mixture has slightly thickened and is paler in color. Add the oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat at medium speed until blended. Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until incorporated. Spray a tube pan with a removable tube with baking spray. Spread 1/3 of the cake batter in the pan. Arrange 1/3 of the apples in a layer on top of the batter. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mixture on top of the apples. Repeat this process two more times until all of the batter, apples and sugar mixture is layered in the pan. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on a wire rack, then remove cake from the pan.
Glaze
- In a saucepan, combine all ingredients for the glaze. Heat until butter is melted and it begins to slightly boil. Remove from heat and brush cake with the glaze.
Optional Crumb Topping
- Add flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon to a small dish. With your fingers, squeeze the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly pebble like texture. Sprinkle the crumb on top of the cake batter after you add the apples and last round of cinnamon/sugar. Bake as normal. After cooling and removing the cake from the pan, drizzle on the jarred caramel. Omit the glaze.
