Julie Clark
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Apple Walnut Cake
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Apple Walnut Cake is a moist snack cake with apples and walnuts in every bite. It’s one of the best apple recipes to make during the apple picking season. This cake is so full of flavor that no frosting is needed. A simple dusting powdered sugar will do.
My mom and dad have had apple trees for years. I’ve gotten to enjoy their applesauce, pies and cobblers over the years. I knew I wanted apple trees when I got my own house.
Fast forward 16 years later and guess what? I have my own apple trees! They are still small, but every year they are full of blossoms so one day we will be harvesting. I can picture myself using those perfectly round McIntosh apples in a few pies, apple danishes and apple walnut cake of my very own.
I still love the simplicity of this little Apple Walnut Cake. Apples take center stage. Cinnamon and walnuts pair perfectly with those apples.
About this Apple Walnut Cake Recipe:
- Flavor: This apple cake is loaded with apple cinnamon flavor. If you remember any type of apple cake or bread from when you were young, this will remind you of it. Simple and comforting!
- Texture: Keep the walnuts and apple pieces larger for more texture, or chop them finely for less texture. The cake is moist and tender either way.
What are the best apples for apple cake?
You’ll see that this cake is stuffed full of apples.
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonathan and Gala apples all great apples for baking are commonly found in grocery stores. Braeburn and Winesap are delicious too.
Do you have to peel apples for baking?
You don’t have to, but I highly recommend it. I don’t like the texture of baked apple skins in my cakes, pies and breads, so I always peel the apples.
Here’s a little tip.
The best invention ever is an Apple Pie Peeler/Corer. It makes working with apples a breeze. Just as we told you when we made the Amish Apple Goodie, those hand-crank peelers are a life-saver if you do much baking with apples at all. In about 3 minutes you’ll have the 5 apples that are needed for this recipe completely ready.
How to Make Apple Walnut Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture mix just until blended.
- Fold in the apples and nuts.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
I wanted to keep the apple walnut cake basic, so I put an effortless dusting of powdered sugar on top. It makes the cake look pretty and gives just a touch of extra sweetness to the cake.
Recipe Variations
- Add other spices such as nutmeg, allspice or cloves. They all pair well with apples.
- Try adding raisins if your family wouldn’t mind.
- Want frosting on the cake? I recommend a cream cheese frosting.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for a special treat.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Then store in the fridge or freezer.
For longer term freezer storage, wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a second container and freezer for up to 6 weeks. Allow the cake to thaw completely before unwrapping it.
This apple walnut cake is my idea of a great start to a morning. Along with a cup of Russian tea or coffee, of course. And it’s the perfect ending to a long day. Enjoy!
You may also love our apple oatmeal cookies!
Apple Walnut Cake
Apple Walnut Cake is a moist cake with apples and walnuts in every bite. This cake is so full of flavor that no frosting is needed. A simple dusting powdered sugar will do!
Servings 15
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar 350 grams
- 1 cup canola oil 205 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 267 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped (470 grams)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts 128 grams
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar 33 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium-size bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture mix just until blended.
- Fold in the apples and nuts.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool and then sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate or freeze after that.
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: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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!
I got this recipe online 2 years ago, finally decided to make it today for a brunch. The taste is great, however even after 45 minutes in the oven, most of the batter was still uncooked. I had to serve just the corners of the cake and take it back to the oven to finish baking. I used Gala apples.
I find this cake almost too moist. The recipe calls for 1 cup oil and at the time I thought this seemed like a lot. After several days the cake feels wet. This is after storing in refrigerator. Can the oil be cut down to make a drier cake?
I made this cake but it took 50 minutes to cook. I’d also add more walnuts. It was delicious.
oh. my. goodness. most of what you make looks like heaven… but this makes my mouth crave the hot apples and the lovely taste that only walnuts get when they bake and caramelize just a little bit. LMAO I recently “discovered” Pazazz apples (sweet and hearty – the nickname is “jolly rancher apples” but… I disagree) and I feel like they really want to meet this recipe. thank you for this! perfect timing!
I made this cake and was absolutely delicious!! I did however use only one cup of sugar
Going to try this one this week. Looks fabulous!
What a yummy and easy recipe
Good flavour but the ratio is way off! I had way too much apple and had to bake it for 40 mins extra. It was still soft
This is so delicious that the word “delicious” isn’t good enough!
Have made this cake twice. Perfectly moist and great apple taste and the walnuts add a nice bit of crunch. One change I made was halving the sugar and it was still sweet enough. This recipe is a keeper for me! Thanks.
I just made this Apple-Walnut Cake recipe and didn’t turn out right. I followed recipe exactly and at 40 minutes in oven, middle of cake was still wet. I let it bake 20 minutes longer and toothpick came out fairly clean. I let it sit for 20 minutes and when I cut a corner piece, there were still some wet batter.
Amazing cake
I baked this cake last night. I LOVE sweets, but this cake was way way too sweet.
For anyone who wants to try this cake- I would probably do 1 cup instead of 1 3/4 cups of sugar next time. Other than that, it was super moist and absolutely loved the walnuts and apple combination! Thanks for sharing the recipe !
Hi! What type of apples did you use?
What variety of apple do you use? Grannies? Rome? Gala? SomethIng else???