There are plenty of apple cakes out there, but what I love about this one is its balance of ease, flavor, and texture. It delivers cozy, autumnal payoff you’d expect from something far fussier. The batter comes together quickly, enriched with yogurt and applesauce for tang and moisture, so the cake itself is tender and flavorful without being overly sweet.
The cake is complete with a fan of thinly sliced apples baked down into soft, cinnamon-scented layers. I like to use Cortland or Gala, which stay tart and supple once baked. Granny Smiths, while classic for pie, stay a little too firm here and don’t give you that melt-in-your-mouth texture. A quick brush of softened butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar help the fruit caramelize just enough to make every bite feel like it’s crowned with spiced apple pie.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
This Easy Cinnamon Apple Cake Delivers Big Fall Flavor With Minimal Effort
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
For Cake:
170 g unsalted butter (6 ounces; 12 tablespoons), melted and cooled, plus more for greasing
248 g all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces; 1 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
150 g granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
2 large eggs, at room temperature
113 g plain yogurt (4 ounces; 1/2 cup)
127 g applesauce (4 1/2 ounces; 1/2 cup)
4 medium Cortland, Macintosh, or Gala apples (1 pound; 454 g), peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
For Topping:
28 g unsalted butter (1 ounce; 2 tablespoons), melted
30 g granulated sugar (about 1 ounce; 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter; set aside.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to combine; set aside.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugar, and salt to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by the yogurt and applesauce, whisking until smooth. Add flour and whisk until just combined.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
Using a flexible spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Working clockwise, fan apples out on top of batter in a single, even layer until batter is completely covered. Using a pastry brush, brush softened butter on top of apples. In a small bowl, whisk sugar and cinnamon to combine and sprinkle over apples.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
Bake until edges are golden, apples have softened, and cake is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then remove sides and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Serious Eats / Niedle Creative
Special Equipment
9-inch springform pan, whisk, flexible spatula, pastry brush, wire rack
Make-Ahead and Storage
The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
