This Dutch apple cake is decadently soft and topped off with fresh apples, sweet brown sugar, and warm cinnamon! Enjoy your cake with coffee at breakfast, as a sweet afternoon snack, or simply as an after-dinner dessert. It's hard to resist when every bite is bursting with sweet, juicy apples!
Best Dutch Apple Cake Recipe
A Dutch apple cake is like a combination of apple cake and apple pie, with tender cinnamon-coated apples literally sinking into the top of the cake! It may actually be one of my favorite apple cake recipes of all time (which is saying a lot!)
The flavor of this cake is very light and not overly sweet, which is perfect for snacking on at any time of the day (and you don't have to wait for dessert!) It has a warm vanilla flavor that is only enhanced by the cinnamon apples!
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In the mood for some pie? Go ahead and take a look at my Dutch apple pie recipe! Or, you can check out more delicious apple cake recipes!
🥘 Dutch Apple Cake Ingredients
If you enjoy baking at all, it is highly likely that you have every single one of these items already at home! You're already one step closer to enjoying this moist and delicious cake!
Dutch Apple Cake
- Flour - 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
- Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Salt - ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Butter - ½ cup of butter (1 stick) that has been softened at room temperature.
- Sugar - 1 cup of sugar.
- Egg - 1 large, room temperature egg.
- Vanilla - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- Milk - ¾ cup of room temperature milk. I used whole milk, but you can use your preferred kind.
Apple Topping
- Apples - 2 medium-sized apples that have been peeled, cored, and then cut into thin slices. I used Honeycrisp apples, but you could also use Braeburn, Jonagold, or any other type that can hold up to the heat of the oven.
- Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Sugar - ¼ cup of sugar.
- Brown Sugar - 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Dutch Apple Cake
This Dutch apple cake is so easy to make, all you have to do is mix the batter and top it off with apples! You'll need a 9-inch springform pan, a mixing bowl, your stand mixer, and a silicone spatula.
This recipe will yield one 9-inch cake which can be cut into 12 servings.
Make The Cake Batter
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Sift. Sift 1½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt together. Set aside.
- Cream the butter. Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together ½ cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Finish the batter. Alternate between mixing in the sifted ingredients and ¾ cup of milk in small amounts until both have been fully incorporated. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
Mix Apple Topping, Assemble & Bake
- Make the apple topping. Toss 2 peeled and thinly sliced apples with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ cup of white sugar, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to make the apple topping and mix well to combine. Gently press the apples into the top of your cake in rows (some overlap is ok, but try to stick to 1 layer of apples).
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve your Dutch apple cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, whipped cream, or a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream! It tastes fantastic warm, cold, or room-temperature, so just serve it your favorite way! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- A springform pan is incredibly useful due to the delicate nature of this cake. You may also use a 7x11 pan, but I highly recommend greasing it and using parchment paper on the bottom of the pan to make your cake easier to remove. Be sure to let it cool before slicing.
- A medium-sized apple will yield roughly ¾ cup of sliced or cubed apples while a larger apple will yield closer to 1 cup.
- You want to use apples that hold up well to baking. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jonagold, or Granny Smith would be my first choices.
- Using room temperature ingredients will prevent the butter and sugar from breaking the emulsion once the eggs are added. It also will help your cake bake evenly.
🥡 Storing
Once cooled, Dutch apple cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for 5 days.
I recommend freezing individual slices by wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them into heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before eating or reheating.
If you prefer your cake warm, reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30 seconds.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
If you didn't already know, not all apples can handle the heat of the oven in the same way. Some apples remain firm while others become entirely mushy! For best results, I'd recommend honey crisp (which is what I used here), Braeburn, or even granny smith! Take a look at my post on the best apples for baking and cooking for more recommendations!
Yes! However, I recommend freezing the slices individually rather than the entire cake. This makes it easier to serve, as you'll only need to thaw out the exact number of slices you want. Simply wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a Ziploc bag, and freeze them for 3 months at most.
Technically, this cake does not have to be refrigerated, although it does last longer if it is. In a sealed container at room temperature, your Dutch apple cake will be good for about 3 days. However, the fridge does a fantastic job of keeping this cake fresh for up to 5 days.
🍎 More Apple Desserts
I have so many yummy apple dessert recipes to try out, so here are a few of my favorites!
- Apple Cranberry Pie - A classic fruit pie that uses a combination of both apples and cranberries!
- Granny Smith Apple Pie - The most iconic and traditional apple pie recipe out there!
- Apple Cobble Bars - All of the flavors of an apple cobbler, but as super simple and easy-to-make bars!
- Sugar Cookie Apple Cobbler - A two-ingredient recipe that is shockingly tasty!
- Apple Crisp - An oatmeal streusel topping and loads of fresh apples are in this sweet dessert!
- Irish Apple Cake - Another apple cake recipe that is topped off with a sweet custard!
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📖 Recipe Card
Dutch Apple Cake
Ingredients
Dutch Apple Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk (at room temperature)
Apple Topping
- 2 medium apples (peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Alternate between mixing in the sifted ingredients and the milk in small amounts until both have been fully incorporated. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
- Toss the thinly sliced apples with the cinnamon, white sugar, and brown sugar to make the apple topping and mix well to combine. Gently press the apples into the top of your cake in rows (some overlap is ok, but try to stick to 1 layer of apples).
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- A springform pan is incredibly useful due to the delicate nature of this cake. You may also use a 7x11 pan, but I highly recommend greasing it and using parchment paper on the bottom of the pan to make your cake easier to remove. Be sure to let it cool before slicing.
- A medium-sized apple will yield roughly ¾ cup of sliced or cubed apples while a larger apple will yield closer to 1 cup.
- You want to use apples that hold up well to baking. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jonagold, or Granny Smith would be my first choices.
- Using room temperature ingredients will prevent the butter and sugar from breaking the emulsion once the eggs are added. It also will help your cake bake evenly.
- To store: Once cooled, Dutch apple cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for 5 days.
- To freeze: I recommend freezing individual slices by wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them into heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before eating or reheating.
- To reheat: If you prefer your cake warm, reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30 seconds.
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