Julie Clark
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Apple Dapple Cake
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This apple dapple cake is a vintage Amish recipe with a simple apple flavor. Use Granny Smith apples to balance the sweetness of the cake.
We’re kicking off apple season with this easy Apple Dapple Cake recipe. Think 8 ingredients & 10 minutes prep time. In less than an hour you’ll be sitting down to a slice of warm apple cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel topping.
This apple cake recipe comes from my favorite Amish cookbook that I’ve had since I was newly married. What caught my attention was the simplicity of this recipe. And I know you’ll love it, too.
About this Apple Dapple Cake Recipe:
- Flavor: Most apple desserts have spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. This recipe has a simple flavor that allows all of that apple sweetness to shine through. Add cinnamon if you’d like (more on that below), or enjoy it as is.
- Texture: This cake has a unique texture, almost like a thick, soft, cookie cake. It’s not light and fluffy. It’s dense and moist, which holds up to all of the apples, ice cream and caramel.
- Method: Bake this cake in a standard 9×13″ baking pan.
What kind of apples are best for baking?
Use Granny Smith apples in this recipe. The apples are tart, which works well with the already sweet cake. Granny Smith apples are easy to find and are often one of the cheaper apples to buy.
If you don’t like Granny Smith, try Braeburn, Gala or Honeycrisp.
What is the easiest way to peel apples?
Use an apple peeler/slicer/corer kitchen gadget that quickly peels, cores and slices apples. It’s amazing and I don’t know how we’d survive fall baking without it.
That tool is how you will keep this recipe quick and easy. It will take about 3 minutes to peel the apples needed for this cake.
Apple Dapple Cake Ingredients
There are only 8 ingredients needed for the cake, but I highly recommend serving with ice cream and caramel. 🤤
- For extra richness, use half light brown sugar and have white sugar. But most times I use all white.
- Homemade vanilla extract makes everything better. 😋
- Canola oil, vegetable oil or even melted coconut oil will work well in this cake.
- I’ve not yet tried to make this cake gluten free, but an all-purpose gluten free flour would most likely work well.
How to Make Apple Dapple Cake
Make this 8 ingredient cake in just 5 simple steps. No mixer needed.
- Prepare. Prepare by dicing the apples, preheating the oven, and greasing a 9×13″ cake pan.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil. Mix until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix just until barely blended. Do not over mix.
- Fold in apples. Fold in the vanilla and chopped apples. The batter will be very thick.
- Bake. Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Recipe Variations
- Add ½ cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Or you can simply sprinkle nuts over the top of the ice cream.
- Want a glaze for the cake instead? I recommend a buttermilk glaze. You can use the recipe from our prune cake.
- Make this in a bundt pan for something a little fancier. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes with a bundt cake pan. Also, grease the pan really well before adding the batter.
- Add ½ teaspoon up to 1 teaspoon of any type of spice you’d like. Apple pie spice is a great option.
- Poke holes with a wooden skewer in the top of the cake after baking. Pour warmed caramel sauce over the cake and allow it to soak in.
How to Serve Apple Dapple Cake
Serve this cake warm, with a scoop of frozen custard or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top.
If you need to make the cake in advance, reheat by covering the pan with foil and placing in the oven set to the “warm” setting. It should take about 20 minutes to warm through.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 48 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze the cake whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Apple Dapple Cake {Only 8 Ingredients}
This apple dapple cake is a vintage Amish recipe with a simple apple flavor. Use Granny Smith apples to balance the sweetness of the cake.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
- 1 cup canola oil 8 ounces
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 5 grams
- 3 cups peeled, cored and chopped Granny Smith apples
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Recommended Toppings:
- caramel sauce
- ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper for easy removal if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil. Mix until evenly combined.
- Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix just until barely blended. Do not over mix.
- Fold in the vanilla and chopped apples. The batter will be very thick.
- Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cake is getting too brown too quickly, cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil to continue baking.
- Serve warm with ice cream and caramel topping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 48 hours. Freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Apple Recipes You’ll Love
During apple season, you might find you want a new apple recipe to enjoy. Here’s a few we love!
So happy I found this recipe here! My grandmother and mother used to make this apple cake it is so good!! My mom had the index card that my grandma wrote this recipe down on they called it Autumn apple cake, but I lost the recipe and I’ve been looking everywhere for it for years! I was shocked and so happy to see it here thank you thank you so much! When you bake it it’s so delicious it’s moist the top has this fluffy texture so good you will love it!