Fresh Apple Cake

This cake is so moist, so yummy and the fresh apples add so much juiciness and freshness! Great on its own for coffee or tea time but you can add some pecans and smother it in a delicious homemade Vanilla Custard Sauce for an elegant and perfect fall or all-season dessert!

I walk my little boy William to school every day and we are grateful that the school is less than a 5-minute walk. In our usual route, I pass through one of our neighbor’s front yard which has a big Apple tree.

Apple Cake

One day in  October I was walking back from school, I saw our neighbor picking up some apples that came from the tree. At this time she has placed a sign by the tree which asked anyone who happens to pass by to pick a bag of apples.

Fresh Apple Cake

She kindly gave me a huge bag of Apples which I excitedly accepted. She told me her tree drops about 50-70 apples a day! She really was quite desperate to give these apples away.

She said I can eat the apples if I prefer and or just use them for baking. I happily thanked our kind neighbor and promised her I won’t waste the apples.

The apples turned out to be quite good and sweet. I have tried them and loved the taste. With the extras, naturally, I had to make some Fresh Apple Cake!

Instead of just adding them on top of the cake in my other apple recipe, I mixed the Apples with the cake batter, added some spices for flavor, and pecans for extra crunch!

It came out super-moist and truly yummy! It’s perfect on its own but you can certainly dress it up with a delicious smothering of custard sauce.

I think the custard sauce perfectly complements the spiced apple cake but if you ask my hubby – it’s even better if you combine ice cream with custard! Have it your way! 🙂

If you want to make the Vanilla Custard sauce, the recipe is here.

Fresh Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce

Manila Spoon
This cake is so moist, so yummy and the fresh apples add so much juiciness and freshness! Great on its own for coffee or tea time but you can add some pecans and smother it in a delicious homemade Vanilla Custard Sauce for an elegant and perfect fall or all-season dessert!
5 from 18 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 people
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 4-5 Granny Smith Apples, chopped peeled or unpeeled
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves, (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 3 Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup neutral-flavored Oil, like vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine the chopped apples, brown and white sugar, spices, salt, flour, baking soda, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and nuts in a large bowl in the order listed. Mix just until there’s no more wisp of flour.
  • Spoon into an ungreased non-stick 9×13 pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with either ice cream or custard (like Bird’s) or a delicious homemade custard sauce. Get the recipe for an easy and tasty homemade vanilla custard here or see notes below.

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
*If you’re using organic apples you can leave the skin on for extra fiber but feel free to peel, too.
If you want to make the Vanilla Custard sauce, the recipe is here.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 98IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
Keyword apple cake, apple cake with custard sauce, fresh apple cake, homemade custard sauce, vanilla custard sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on September 20th, 2023 at 04:27 pm

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43 Comments

  1. October 24, 2014 / 3:19 pm

    Oh my goodness, this looks like a wonderful treat! Pinning! If you have a free moment, I would like to invite you to stop by Foodie Fridays and and link it up with us…it's perfect for this time of year!! Have a wonderful day!

  2. April 28, 2015 / 3:34 am

    Wow! I'm going to have to take a leaf from the husband's book and combine the custard with the ice cream! YUM!!!

    • April 28, 2015 / 3:01 pm

      Great idea! You can never go wrong with that Arman!

  3. April 28, 2015 / 1:57 pm

    This cake looks so moist and tender! I bet that custard sauce really amps up the flavor of the cake too. What an awesome neighbor that you have.

    • April 28, 2015 / 3:02 pm

      It's great to have nice neighbors and we are truly thankful, Miranda. And yes, the custard sauce adds extra yum to the cake! 🙂

  4. April 28, 2015 / 2:16 pm

    how nice of your neighbor to share! we have a cherry tree and end up with huge bowls and bowls and bowls of cherries… as soon as I have enough in my freezer, they start going to my mom and neighbors 🙂

    this cake sounds perfect – and the custard, Mmm!

    • April 28, 2015 / 3:04 pm

      You are a wonderful neighbor to have Kristina! I am sure they always look forward to cherry season for that reason. And thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  5. April 28, 2015 / 8:25 pm

    What a wonderful neighbor you have. This cake looks so moist and delicious and I'll have to try it with that custard topping, it looks so good!

    • April 28, 2015 / 8:47 pm

      Thanks, Joanie and hope you enjoy it! 🙂

  6. April 29, 2015 / 1:44 am

    Sounds like we're having cake for breakfast 😉 I love how many apples you've added, it sounds just divine!

  7. April 29, 2015 / 3:38 pm

    Think I got the comment right this time. So glad I found your blog. I love your recipes. I could comment on all of them. Will follow you. Are you on twitter also?

  8. Taleen
    August 21, 2020 / 4:49 pm

    5 stars
    I love apple cake and that vanilla custard looks so perfect on top! Pinning this, thanks for the recipe!

  9. Marta
    August 21, 2020 / 10:14 pm

    5 stars
    I’m so excited to try this cake now that it’s apple season! I love that it has a custard sauce as well!

  10. Linda
    August 21, 2020 / 10:50 pm

    5 stars
    You sure have a generous neighbor and those apples really don’t go to waste, especially when you turn it into a fresh apple cake. And that vanilla custard sauce…that looks magical!

  11. Jere Cassidy
    August 21, 2020 / 11:19 pm

    5 stars
    I love baking with Granny Smith apples for their tart flavor. This fresh apple cake looks amazingly delicious and that vanilla custard sauce on top looks like you could just eat it by the spoonful.

  12. Stine Mari
    August 22, 2020 / 1:07 am

    5 stars
    What a delicious and moist looking apple cake! I’ve never poured vanilla custard sauce on cakes before, but I think it sounds really tasty.

  13. Amy Liu Dong
    August 22, 2020 / 3:11 am

    5 stars
    I love eating fresh apple cake so much and this one is calling my name. It look so delicious!

  14. Maria
    August 22, 2020 / 5:58 am

    5 stars
    This cake is delicious and the custard sauce is such a wonderful addition! I love the nuts in this cake because it adds the perfect texture.

  15. Chef Dennis
    August 22, 2020 / 8:04 am

    5 stars
    I made your apple cake yesterday and it was ah-mazing! I love the custard sauce, what a great addition!

  16. Georgina | Culinary Travels
    August 22, 2020 / 9:10 am

    5 stars
    I’m going to bookmark/pin this recipe ready for autumn. It looks like the perfect autumnal dessert.

  17. Sondra Barker
    August 22, 2020 / 5:13 pm

    5 stars
    I love a good apple cake and considering I haven’t had one in a while, i will be making this asap! super excited to add the custard sauce too

  18. Leslie
    August 22, 2020 / 10:53 pm

    5 stars
    If I had an endless supply of apples in my backyard, I would be making this recipe 24/7!! This looks heavenly!

  19. Kushigalu
    August 23, 2020 / 8:58 am

    5 stars
    Perfect dessert to try when apples are in season. Love the flavors and texture in this fresh apple cake recipe – so yummy.

  20. Sarah James
    August 23, 2020 / 10:35 am

    5 stars
    What a lovely neighbour you have. Your apple cake looks delicious, I love the sound of the pecans and the vanilla custard. Pinning for later.

  21. Wendy
    August 23, 2020 / 11:20 am

    5 stars
    Oh my gracious! One of my very favorite things about fall is our trip to get fresh apples from the orchard. Thank you for sharing this Fresh Apple Cake recipe. Now I can’t wait for our trip to try this recipe out.

  22. Julie @ Running in a Skirt
    August 23, 2020 / 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    What a perfect apple cake! I love how it used from apples and the sauce it so lovely. Will make again this fall.

  23. Genevieve
    August 23, 2020 / 2:51 pm

    5 stars
    Our apple tree is dropping apples like crazy right now! I need to pin this recipe and make this next weekend. What a delicious dessert for fall and that icing looks amazing!

  24. Emily
    August 23, 2020 / 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    This fresh apple cake is so delicious! I especially love the vanilla custard sauce, it was so good!

  25. Jacqueline Debono
    August 23, 2020 / 4:27 pm

    I love apple cake and yours looks fantastic! How nice of your neighbour to give you all those apples! We get figs and cherries from ours!

  26. Sara
    August 23, 2020 / 9:06 pm

    5 stars
    What a delicious, moist apple cake! The vanilla custard sauce on top absolutely makes this one of the most delightful desserts we’ve made. So happy to have this recipe going straight into apple season!

  27. sapana
    August 24, 2020 / 4:42 am

    5 stars
    I love fruit-based cakes and this looks so tempting. With custard sauce, this apple cake must have tasted heavenly.

  28. Ramona
    August 24, 2020 / 8:15 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been meaning to make an apple cake and this recipe looks perfect! It looks amazing and the custard adds even more flavor. I need to make this as a dessert for my family today as I have all the ingredients. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  29. Beth
    August 24, 2020 / 10:00 am

    5 stars
    This looks delicious, and is the sort of relatively-simple recipe I’m always hoping to find just as we are about to get into apple season. I can’t wait!

  30. Lathiya
    August 25, 2020 / 3:56 pm

    5 stars
    I love baking with fresh apples. This cake looks so good and I bet with that custard it tastes amazing.

  31. Lisa
    April 10, 2021 / 7:13 pm

    Love the cake flavor! Took almost an hour to come out clean on my knife? Still pretty dense textured? Had whipped cream with it and everyone loved it!

  32. Amanda Wren-Grimwood
    January 27, 2022 / 10:18 am

    5 stars
    Can’t beat a great apple cake like this! I love that you can eat as a cake or as a pudding. My husband will love this.

  33. Gina
    January 27, 2022 / 10:23 am

    5 stars
    Loved the tender crumb of this cake and all the apples in it!

  34. Tavo
    January 27, 2022 / 10:38 am

    5 stars
    I loved this apple cake, so quick to make and delicious!

  35. Natalie
    January 27, 2022 / 10:46 am

    5 stars
    Cake with fresh apples is definitely the best! I’m going to bake this cake on Sunday. It looks moist and perfectly flavored. Yum!

  36. Toni
    January 27, 2022 / 11:05 am

    5 stars
    This is such an amazing cake recipe!! I love that you used fresh apples!

  37. Shadi Hasanzadenemati
    January 27, 2022 / 11:47 am

    5 stars
    I have everything I need for this dish, can’t wait to make it this weekend!

  38. Angie Mangione
    September 21, 2023 / 7:30 pm

    Shouldn’t I grease the pan if it’s not non stick?

    • abigail
      Author
      September 22, 2023 / 3:50 pm

      There’s enough moisture in the cake that it was fine without it but feel free to grease the baking dish ahead if you like. It won’t affect the taste so you can certainly do it.

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