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Apple Fritter Cake

There are certain foods that can immediately conjure up memories and apple fritters are one of those foods for me.

There is an apple farm in Brunswick, Ohio that made the best fresh apple fritters. We would go there as a family and occasionally, my dad would stop by on his way home from work and surprise us with a box of them. I remember exactly how they taste and every time I have or even think about an apple fritter, all of those wonderful memories flood my mind.

It’s November and things are starting to finally cool off a bit, so I have been craving apple fritters. I am not a huge fan of deep frying, so I decided to make this apple fritter cake and it hit the spot perfectly.

A soft, warmly spiced vanilla cake batter layered with spiced apples and drizzled with an apple cider glaze. It’s warm, inviting and gives all of those apple fritter vibes that we love.

Let’s get started…

Begin by combining 8 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of greek yogurt or sour cream, 1/4 cup of apple sauce and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Once the wet ingredients are fully combined, add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and mix until just combined.

Now that our cake batter is ready, toss 4 medium peeled and diced apples (about 3 cups) with 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of apple cider or lemon juice until all of the apples are coated.

Generously grease a 9″ or 10″ baking dish or oven safe skillet. Add half of the cake batter into the baking dish and then add half of the apples over top of it…

Spread the remaining cake batter over the apples and then add the rest of the apples and any juices from the bowl over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the center of the cake mostly clean.

Once the cake is fully baked, transfer it onto a cooling rack and whisk a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk and 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider into a cup of sifted confectioners sugar to create a thick, but drizzle-able consistency.

When the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, but it still nice and warm, drizzle the glaze over the entire surface.

This cake is so wonderful. It has a beautifully tender crumb with warm inviting flavors and those apples are absolutely delicious!


APPLE FILLING: TO COOK OR NOT TO COOK?

Many recipes for apple pies and cakes call for precooking the apples, but this step is not necessary for this cake.

Cooking your apples ahead of time will help to draw the moisture out of the fresh apples, which is helpful when they are being added to a pie crust. Pie crust doesn’t thrive with the additional moisture released from fresh apples, but this cake will soak it all up making it even better! So, don’t be afraid to add fresh apples to this recipe and all the juices they released in the mixing bowl too. It will only make things more delicious.


If you are a fan of apples and cake then this apple fritter cake is going to make you very happy. The apples are tender, but still have some wonderful texture and the cake is soft, moist and delicious on its own, so this pairing is truly fabulous.

The apple cider glaze is what really pushes the “apple fritter” vibe to the forefront. Adding it when the cake is still warm allows the glaze to settle down into the cake a bit and create that glaze consistency that kind of cracks a bit when you bite into it.

I’m obsessed with this whole situation. The textures, the flavors, the whole thing is simple wonderful and I can’t wait for you to try it.

Apple Fritter Cake

A tender, moist and warmly spiced cake layered with spiced apples and an apple cider glaze.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

The Apples...

  • 4 medium apples, peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider or lemon juice

The Cake Batter...

  • 8 tablespoons of butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1/4 cup of apple sauce
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons of course sugar (optional)

The Glaze...

  • 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk
  • 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°
  • Combine 4 medium peeled and diced apples with 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of apple cider or lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix until everything is evenly distributed and set aside for now
  • In a large bowl, combine 8 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of apple sauce, 1/2 cup of greek yogurt or sour cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until fully combined 
  • Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and mix until just combined 
  • Add about half of the cake batter into a generously greased 9-10” oven safe skillet or deep baking dish 
  • Spread half of the apples over the batter and cover the apples with the remaining batter
  • Spread the remaining apples and juices over the top of the batter and sprinkle with course sugar (optional)
  • Bake uncovered in a 350° oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the center of the cake mostly clean
  • Transfer the baking dish onto a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes 
  • While the cake is cooling, whisk 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider and a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk into 1 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar until smooth 
  • Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and enjoy

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