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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Breakfast

    Dutch Apple Cake

    Published: Oct 21, 2021 · Modified: Jul 4, 2023 by MaryAnne · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Dutch apple cake has a moist and tender crumb with plump pieces of juicy and crunchy apple creating the perfect amount of moisture. Rich brown sugar and cinnamon add deep molasses notes and warm spice. This light and moist cake bakes up easily and beautifully, is not too sweet, and can be enjoyed as dessert or with your morning coffee.

    Dutch apple cake arranged on a white platter.

    Depending on where you live, you might be knee deep in apples this time of year. It's a great problem to have, and I have just the thing to help you use up those apples.

    Dutch apple cake has a moist and tender crumb with plump pieces of juicy and crunchy apple, creating the perfect amount of moisture, and brown sugar and cinnamon add deep flavor and warm spice.

    It works as a breakfast coffeecake, an afternoon tea cake, or dessert, like my strawberry cake, chocolate zucchini loaf and blueberry lemon pound cake.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why This Cake is the Best
    • 💬 Why Is It Called Dutch Apple Cake?
    • 🍎 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🔪 How To Make Dutch Apple Cake
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🍰 More Cake Recipes
    • Dutch Apple Cake Recipe

    ⭐️ Why This Cake is the Best

    • Tender and moist old-fashioned apple cake
    • Juicy and crunchy apples
    • Quick and easy cake recipe
    • Can be served as tea cake or coffee cake
    • Not too sweet

    💬 Why Is It Called Dutch Apple Cake?

    It's hard to pin down where this cake originated, but there are variations known as "Polish Apple Cake", "Jewish Apple Cake", and "German Apple Cake", which can involve a crumble topping and oil used in place of butter.

    Regardless of origin, this cake is thought to be a combination of apple pie and apple cake, with the apples melting into the cake batter, creating a super moist cake that's not overly sweet.

    🍎 Ingredient Notes

    cake ingredients arranged on a table.
    • Baking powder - Always check the expiration dates of your leaveners before using them; they are integral to making cakes.
    • Cinnamon - Adds subtle notes of warm spice. You could also use a large pinch of nutmeg or cloves.
    • Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter helps you control the amount of salt in your cake. It's also very important to make sure your butter is at room temperature. This will ensure a light and creamy texture without lumps of hard butter.
    • Brown sugar - Using brown sugar in this recipe adds more complex flavor than just using granulated sugar.
    • Apples - I recommend using a sweet-tart-crisp apple like Fuji or Honeycrisp for this recipe. If you're looking for more ways to use up your apples, try my spice cake, apple pie, or apple muffins.

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Yogurt. Use the same amount of yogurt (½ cup) for sour cream. I also tested this recipe using plant-based yogurt and it worked well.
    • Spice. Add a pinch of nutmeg or cloves for more spice.

    🔪 How To Make Dutch Apple Cake

    *See the recipe card below for the full printable recipe.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

    dry ingredients whisked together in a mixing bowl with a whisk in the background.

    Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar for several minutes, stopping once to scrape down sides of bowl.

    butter, brown sugar, and sugar creamed together in a stand mixer.

    Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for around one minute after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.

    Eggs and vanilla mixed into cake batter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Alternating, add half of the dry mixture, then the sour cream, and finish with the remaining half of the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.

    dry ingredients and sour cream mixed into cake batter.

    Gently fold in half of the apples and pour into prepared pan. Use an offset spatula or back of spoon to even out the batter.

    Sliced apples mixed into cake batter and poured into a prepared springform pan.

    Arrange remaining apple slices on top of batter in preferred pattern. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is no longer wiggly in the center.

    Apple slices arranged on top of cake batter in a springform pan with a white napkin.

    Let cake cool for 10-15 minutes on wire rack. Run a knife along the rim of cake and unlatch to remove outer ring. Cool completely before slicing.

    Slice of cake being served.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • How to serve: You can serve this apple cake at room temperature, cold, or reheated. It is delicious at any temperature, and should be served at your preferred temperature. Pair with a mug of hot chocolate for an indulgent treat.
    • Storage: Store cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
    • How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
    • Use room-temperature eggs. This incorporates air into your batter and makes your cake so much lighter and fluffier. To quickly bring your eggs to room-temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
    • Mix just until combined. Over-mixing could produce extra gluten, creating a chewier cake, and we are going for a lighter texture. Over-mixing could also cause your cake to sink in the middle. We want to avoid that!
    • Use an electric hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.
    • Presentation. To really maximize the apple taste and texture (and up the "wow" factor), I fold half of the sliced apples directly into the batter and place the other half on top in a circular pattern. However, you can fold all of the apples right into the batter if you don't care about creating a pretty cake top; it's just as delicious without it!
    • Use a 9" round cake pan if you don't have a springform pan. Make sure that you spray it (or butter it) well, as it will be more likely to stick to the pan. If you don't care about taking the entire cake out of the pan to display on a platter, don't worry about this aspect.
    • Add a pinch of granulated sugar to top of cake before baking for a slightly crunchy topping.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best apples for apple cake?

    I recommend a sweet-tart-crisp apple like Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Fuji. You could use Granny Smith, but I would add a bit more sugar since Granny Smith apples are very tart. Another option is to use a variety of apples for different textures and sweetness levels.

    What is the best apple to bake with?

    Stick with sweet-tart-crisp apples, like Fuji, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp. If you are going for a more tart flavor, use Granny Smith, or use a combination for a more complex flavor.

    🍰 More Cake Recipes

    • Sliced apple pie with melting ice cream on top.
      Easy Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
    • frosted and sliced bundt cake on a white platter.
      Moist Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting
    • Chocolate orange cake with orange halves in background.
      Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
    • Strawberry buttermilk cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries.
      Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get my FREE Guide on Money Saving Tips on Buying Groceries, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox!

    Dutch apple cake arranged on a white platter.

    Dutch Apple Cake Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    This Dutch apple cake has a moist and tender crumb with plump pieces of juicy and crunchy apple creating the perfect amount of moisture. Rich brown sugar and cinnamon add deep molasses notes and warm spice. This light and moist cake bakes up easily and beautifully, is not too sweet, and can be enjoyed as dessert or with your morning coffee.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine American, Dutch
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 235 kcal

    Equipment

    • 9-inch springform pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 eggs, room temperature
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 3 apples (peeled and thinly sliced), divided

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
    • Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar for several minutes, stopping once to scrape down sides of bowl.
    • Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for around one minute after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.
    • Alternating, add half of the dry mixture, then the sour cream, and finish with the remaining half of the dry mixture. Mix until just combined.
    • Gently fold in half of the apples and pour into prepared pan. Use an offset spatula or back of spoon to even out the batter. Arrange remaining apple slices on top of batter in preferred pattern.
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is no longer wiggly in the center.
    • Let cake cool for 10-15 minutes on wire rack. Run a knife along the rim of cake and unlatch to remove outer ring. Cool completely before slicing.

    Notes

    • How to serve: You can serve this cake at room temperature, cold, or reheated. It is delicious at any temperature, and should be served at your preferred temperature.
    • Storage: Store cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
    • Use room-temperature eggs. This incorporates air into your batter and makes your cake so much lighter and fluffier. To quickly bring your eggs to room-temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
    • Mix just until combined. Overmixing could produce extra gluten, creating a chewier cake, and we are going for a lighter texture. Overmixing could also cause your cake to sink in the middle. We want to avoid that!
    • Use an electric hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.
    • Use a 9" round cake pan if you don't have a springform pan. Make sure that you spray it (or butter it) well, as it will be more likely to stick to the pan. If you don't care about taking the entire cake out of the pan to display on a platter, don't worry about this aspect.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 155mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 381IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Haner

      October 21, 2021 at 10:49 am

      5 stars
      This recipe sounds similar to a cake mom made occasionally. It was great with a cup of coffee. I think I will try it when I invite my new neighbors over for coffee.....

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 21, 2021 at 4:31 pm

        She might have! It's a very delicious (and easy) cake. I hope you and your new neighbors enjoy it!

        Reply
    2. Jess

      November 06, 2021 at 7:49 am

      5 stars
      I love all the fresh apples that this cake uses. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 06, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Yes - it's plump full of apples, which makes it super moist! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Artney

      November 06, 2021 at 8:43 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely decadent! The perfect amount of sweetness. This cake is so delicious, it can be enjoyed anytime!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 06, 2021 at 9:42 am

        Thanks, Artney! I love the amount of sweetness in this cake - perfect as coffee cake or with afternoon coffee.

        Reply
    4. Claudia Lamascolo

      November 06, 2021 at 10:03 am

      5 stars
      This is such a great presentation to serve and everyone loves apples here a prize winner to me! Beautiful!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 06, 2021 at 12:23 pm

        Thanks, Claudia! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Jen

      November 06, 2021 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      Never eating apple pie again. This is my favorite apple dessert now.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 06, 2021 at 12:24 pm

        Awwwww, that's so sweet! I'm so glad you love it as much as I do!

        Reply
    6. Jacqueline Meldrum

      November 06, 2021 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      My friend at work gave me some apples from her garden and this looks like the perfect recipe.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 06, 2021 at 5:49 pm

        This apple cake would definitely be a great way to use them! 🙂

        Reply
    7. CA

      September 19, 2023 at 6:18 am

      5 stars
      Hi there, any idea if this will freeze well?

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        September 19, 2023 at 7:04 am

        Hi! Yes, I freeze this cake by wrapping individual slices in foil and placing them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Have a good day!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm MaryAnne! Gastronotherapy is where I create easy recipes that are mainly vegetarian and vegan. And I have a huge sweet tooth, so dessert is never far behind.

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