40 Amazing Apple Cake Recipes You Have to Bake On Repeat

Nettie Moore

Mon, September 23, 2024 at 7:43 PM UTC

8 min read

Granny Smith apples are the most popular choice for baking apple cakes due to their tart flavor and ability to hold up well in baking.
When cutting apples for cakes, it is recommended to peel off all the skin first and use an apple slicer for evenly-cut pieces that bake better in cakes.
Toppings for apple cake can include caramel drizzle, whipped cream cheese frosting, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or vanilla frosting, depending on personal preference.

Apple cakes are the perfect dessert for any fall birthday or a family get-together, but there's no need to wait for an autumnal occasion when trying one of these 40 amazing apple cake recipes! There are so many simple recipes here that can be made any day of the week.

Best Apples for Baking

Granny Smith apples are the most popular apples used for baking, since they have a bright, tart flavor, which is a great contrast to the sweetness of apple cake. They also hold up well when baking. Most cakes and pie recipes call for Granny Smith apples because of the successful outcome. If Granny Smith apples aren't available, Braeburn's apples are also delicious with their slightly tart flavor, yet slightly sweeter than a Granny Smith apple. They also do well in baking, have a delicious texture and are an all-around delicious apple. Envy apples are also a wonderful choice because they don't brown when they are cut for at least an hour. This is a convenience because the apples don't need to be chopped at the last minute. Honeycrisp apples are crunchy, crisp, sweet apples and are also popular. A sweeter apple would be a Gala or Fuji apple.

Best Way to Cut Apples for Cakes

Make sure to wash the apples well before cutting and using a sturdy peeler, peel off all of the skin first. Then, use an apple slicer to press down evenly over the stem top of the apple and you'll have uniform apple slices! Pro tip: Evenly-cut pieces bake better in cakes than different-sized slices.

How to Make an Apple Cake

When making the perfect apple cake, the texture is key with just the right amount of apple chunks or pieces throughout with an addition of nuts also adding to that crunch texture. Add a caramel frosting or a buttery vanilla glaze to the top to make the cake even tastier.

Best Toppings for Apple Cake

Caramel drizzle is a wonderful choice on top of an apple cake and is a perfect fall combo. While caramel tastes great with an apple cake, so does a whipped cream cheese frosting . Cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or vanilla frosting is so delicious.

What Is Served With Apple Cake?

It really depends on what your favorite topping is, but there are so many choices like a scoop of vanilla ice cream or caramel ice cream. Caramel sauce is delicious, and so is vanilla cream sauce. Powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar is a lighter choice and looks so pretty when serving apple cake.

Best Apple Cake Recipes

Nothing compares to the incredible aroma of apples baking in a sweet cake—it's the smell of warmth and comfort food. Most apple cakes usually have delicious spices like vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg or a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the tart fall apples.

Here we have 40 of the best apple cake recipes you'll encounter, from apple bundt cakes and apple crumb cakes that go perfectly with a cup of coffee, to stunning apple layer cakes and quick snack cakes. There's no doubt you'll find a wonderful apple cake to make whatever the occasion calls for.