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Home Cake recipes

Cinnamon Apple Teacake

By:Nagi
Published:22 May '20Updated:20 Nov '20
146 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Close up of slice of Cinnamon Apple Teacake

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. 😂

Overhead photo of Cinnamon Apple Teacake

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:

What goes in Cinnamon Apple Teacake

  • 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.

How to make Cinnamon Apple Teacake

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!

How to make Cinnamon Apple Teacake

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!

Slice of Cinnamon Apple Teacake

Close up showing inside of Cinnamon Apple Teacake

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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Close up of slice of Cinnamon Apple Teacake

Cinnamon Apple Teacake

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Cakes
Western
4.93 from 40 votes
Servings12
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Apples take centre stage in this lovely teacake! The crumb is soft and beautifully moist, there's apple inside and on top. It takes time to chop the apple, but the cake part is dead easy - just a bowl and a wooden spoon! (Correction: plus a whisk and rubber spatula. But NO electric mixer required!)

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:

1. Apples - I like making this with tart apples like Granny Smith, Gala, Honey Crisp, for both the flavour the slight tartness adds (rather than just being completely sweet) and that they tend to hold up slightly better for baking. But this recipe will work beautifully with any apples - I've made it with all sorts over the years (Delicious, Fuji, even Golden Delicious).
2. Eggs - make sure they're not fridge cold as they will partially solidify the butter and you'll end up with a thicker than ideal batter (cake will still work, but will take longer to bake).
Submerge in bowl of warm tap water for 10 minutes - this will be enough to take the chill out.
3. Checking for doneness - important to use skewer test to check for doneness because apples differ in juiciness. Really juicy apples = more liquid leeched into batter during bake = 5 to 10 min extra bake time.
4. Serving - this is not one of those plain cakes that need cream or ice cream to serve. It's ultra moist and loaded with flavour. But if you really wanted to, my first pick would be vanilla ice cream.
Storage - One of the rare cakes in the world that truly holds up well and is just as good 4 days later as it was on the day. Still perfectly moist, gets slightly "pudding like" around the apples (which only makes it better). Store in the fridge if it's hot where you are, but it must be served at room temp (cold is just not the same!)
5. Measures in different countries - this is a really forgiving cake. I've made it mixing up US and Aussie cup measures for dry vs wet, and it's still come out just fine. So no need to be meticulous about differences in our cup measures for this cake. From a practical perspective, all the ingredients will be proportionally right using whatever cup measure you use.
Oven types - ordinarily for cakes, I'd reduce the temperature for fan forced but because this batter is quite thick and it's topped with apples which weighs the cake down / takes longer for heat to get through to the middle, I found it didn't cook through in the same time. So for this cake, use the same temp whether standard or fan forced.
6. Nutrition per slice.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 299cal (15%)Carbohydrates: 35g (12%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 46mg (15%)Sodium: 111mg (5%)Potassium: 160mg (5%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 278IU (6%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 51mg (5%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: apple cake, cinnamon apple cake, teacake
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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146 Comments

  1. Danielle says

    February 6, 2021 at 8:08 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    Would this recipe work if I swapped the flour with gluten free flour??
    Danielle ☺️

    Reply
  2. Eeka says

    February 6, 2021 at 1:54 am

    I was lazy (it’s just for me) and chopped *all* of the apples (and mixed them with the cinnamon, sugar & butter in a single bowl). I put half of them in the batter & sprinkled the other half on top. Although the presentation was not as pretty, it was delicious and some of the pointy edges turned delightfully crunchy-crisp.
    Oh, I cut the entire recipe in half and baked in a lined loaf pan.

    Reply
  3. Pepe Krohn says

    February 4, 2021 at 4:21 pm

    Picked bucket loads of apples yesterday so this was on my to do list today. Will have to make more for family lunch over the weekend. Huge favourite with the grandkids and hubby.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 4, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      Nice Pepe!! N x

      Reply
  4. Shaz says

    November 7, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Hi, how much self raising flour should I use if I do not use all purpose plus baking powder?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 9, 2020 at 11:40 am

      Hi Shay – just sub the plain flour for self raising and omit the baking powder. Enjoy! N x

      Reply
  5. Big fan says

    October 21, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    This is now a staple in our house. It’s demolished in record time & so easy to make (I’m lazy, so I chop the apples in a processor).
    In this week’s version, I substituted oat flour & almond meal for half of the flour.
    **NEXT LEVEL DELICIOUS!!**
    Thank you again Nagi.
    This is a delightful cake & super simple to make.

    Reply
  6. Kendra says

    September 19, 2020 at 9:19 am

    Hi Nagi, love this recipe! My nephew requested an apple crumble cake for his birthday so I modified your recipe and added a crumble on top of the Apple topping and it was a real hit!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 19, 2020 at 5:47 pm

      Woah, sounds fabulous Kendra!! N x

      Reply
  7. Caroline says

    September 14, 2020 at 5:45 am

    Made this cake today, used a 22cm tin and cooked for slightly less time. Served it with custard as a desert. Cake was an absolute winner with everyone and now a definite regular for Sunday lunch. Thanks Nagi

    Reply
  8. Nic says

    September 11, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    I love your blog Nagi, thanks for all the great recipes.
    Could I make this as cupcakes / muffin size? How long would I cook it?

    Reply
  9. Harsha Kar says

    September 6, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Nagi, small typo; under glazing the cake it says bushing the cake instead brushing.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 6, 2020 at 10:00 pm

      Ba ha ha! Bushing a cake – new technical baking term! 😂 Thanks Harsha, fixed! N x

      Reply
      • Ph says

        November 9, 2020 at 6:42 pm

        Hi Nagi, can I use salted butter instead? As we have finished all the unsalted one currently haha

        Reply
  10. Nunu says

    August 20, 2020 at 12:25 am

    Hi again Nagi…125 ml of oil & also 110 gms of butter…or am I mistaken…can I reduce either of the fats in a way that doesn’t affect the taste…thanx..sorry to bother u again..this is Nunu.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 20, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      Hi Nunu, yes 50g of butter in the cinnamon apples, 60g butter in the wet and 125ml of oil. Reducing these will effect the final texture (it will be dryer) N x

      Reply
  11. Nunu says

    August 18, 2020 at 1:04 am

    Hi I baked this cake..
    Taste & looks wise it was awesome…but I had an issue while baking a lot of oil or butter seeped thru the loose bottom pan…do u think the gm.measurements r too much???

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 18, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Nunu, sorry you’re having issues here, the measurement is definitely right – it’s been tested many, many times. You’re definitely only using 125ml of oil? N x

      Reply
    • Jessica says

      August 25, 2020 at 11:10 pm

      I just had this same issue. I hope it still tastes okay!

      Reply
  12. Edwina Pleasance says

    August 13, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this and enjoyed a piece with coffee. I live in Melbourne, so this is my life now. Looks like lockdown has me working my way through all your cakes recipes.

    Reply
  13. Heidi says

    August 11, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    A little bit more time consuming but well worth the effort. Love this recipe Xx

    Reply
  14. Marianne says

    August 10, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    5 stars
    Made it. Did not glaze it. Everyone loved it. Another excellent recipe. Thank you Nagi. This site is fantastic. I have made so many of your recipes and they have all been great Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  15. Mel says

    July 29, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    I’ve just sliced it for the first taste test! I doubt the family or the workplace will get to sample this first cake. It’s mine. All mine!

    Reply
  16. Julie Hill says

    July 26, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    This is hands down the best apple tea-cake recipe I’ve tried. It was a big hit with the family and is a keeper – thanks Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 27, 2020 at 11:25 am

      I’m so glad it was a hit Julie! N x

      Reply
  17. Jayne says

    July 16, 2020 at 6:44 pm

    5 stars
    THE HOUSE MATES DEVOURED THE WHOLE CAKE!! So Tasty!

    Reply
  18. Elaine says

    July 4, 2020 at 4:26 am

    5 stars
    First time cooking chicken curry , it was amazing and easy ! I love it

    Reply
  19. Joy says

    July 3, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    6 stars! My cake didn’t rise – probably oven issue – but the taste the taste! and the cook process so easy. Going into my repeat list for sure

    Reply
  20. viktoriya kingsman says

    June 28, 2020 at 11:52 pm

    5 stars
    was eyeing this pie for few weeks now and finally got to make it.
    Came out so so juicy, it meted in the mouth !
    served it with ice-cream to be completely spoiled.
    Thank you Nagi xx

    Reply
    • Marina says

      January 15, 2021 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      What an amazing teacake. I made it today, and it came out perfect. I did not glaze it, nor did I use a springform pan – just a regular 8 inch cake pan, and after the cake cooled down I flipped it over on a plate and removed the wax paper. It’s very very delicious. Thank you Nagi for sharing this recipe!!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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