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!
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. 😂
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:
- 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.
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!
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!
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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Cinnamon Apple Teacake
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:
Nutrition Information:
More apple recipes
I am very fond of apple desserts!
Life of Dozer
Compost in action!
Hi Nagi,
Would this recipe work if I swapped the flour with gluten free flour??
Danielle ☺️
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.
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.
Nice Pepe!! N x
Hi, how much self raising flour should I use if I do not use all purpose plus baking powder?
Hi Shay – just sub the plain flour for self raising and omit the baking powder. Enjoy! N x
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.
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!
Woah, sounds fabulous Kendra!! N x
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
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?
Nagi, small typo; under glazing the cake it says bushing the cake instead brushing.
Ba ha ha! Bushing a cake – new technical baking term! 😂 Thanks Harsha, fixed! N x
Hi Nagi, can I use salted butter instead? As we have finished all the unsalted one currently haha
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.
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
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???
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
I just had this same issue. I hope it still tastes okay!
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.
A little bit more time consuming but well worth the effort. Love this recipe Xx
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.
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!
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!
I’m so glad it was a hit Julie! N x
THE HOUSE MATES DEVOURED THE WHOLE CAKE!! So Tasty!
First time cooking chicken curry , it was amazing and easy ! I love it
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
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
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!!