Soft, tender, and bursting with cinnamon-spiced apples, this easy apple fritter cake is pure comfort! The buttery cake is topped with a crunchy, crackly cinnamon-sugar crust and a sweet glaze that melts in your mouth!
I adore classic apple fritters - warm, golden, and glazed! Truly, what's not to love? But all the frying can be a hassle sometimes. That's why this easy apple fritter cake recipe is such a winner! All those irresistible cozy flavors of a fritter, baked into one simple, no-fuss cake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ The cake is a take on the classic apple fritters. Think of it as a fritter without the fryer. No hot oil and deep frying. Just simple, easy baking without the fuss.
✨ No beaters, stand mixers, and made with basic pantry ingredients, this apple cake comes together so easily!
✨ No need to cook the apples! They get nicely cooked in the oven. As they bake, their juices flavor the cake, keeping it soft and moist.
✨ It’s perfect for brunch, cozy weekend baking, or simply when you need a cake that delivers “wow”!
Recipe Ingredients
Apples: Go with any crisp, juicy variety that’s readily available to you, like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith. They hold shape and give the best texture in all bakes, like apple puff pastry tart or apple crumb cake. Leave softer apples for things like stovetop apple butter.
Flour: All-purpose flour is best here. It gives a light, tender crumb to this apple fritter pound cake.
Sugar: I used regular sugar in the batter and powdered sugar for the glaze. You can use raw sugar or even brown sugar in the cake batter for that rich caramel-apple vibe.
Butter for that bakery-ish richness. Make sure it is melted and slightly cool. I used salted butter. You can also use unsalted butter or any vegetable oil.
Eggs to bind and lift the cake.
Yogurt: I used plain Greek yogurt. Full-fat is best to keep the cake rich and moist. You can use sour cream instead.
Milk: Use any kind of milk you like. But again, full-fat is the better choice.
Vanilla extract: For rounding up the flavors! Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
Cinnamon powder is the magic ingredient in this recipe for apple fritter cake. The spice mixed with apples is a total win, as my baked apple donuts with cinnamon sugar will attest. And if you love the combo, try my apple pie cinnamon rolls or apple cinnamon buckwheat waffles next!
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Apple Fritter Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven and line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
Step 2: In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a smooth, thick batter.
Step 4: Combine diced apples, cinnamon powder, and sugar in a bowl.
Step 5: Pour two-thirds of the cake batter into your baking pan. Spread the apples evenly all over the cake batter.
Step 6: Spoon the remaining batter over the apples and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cake batter.
Step 7: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Let the apple fritter cake cool for a few minutes, then pour the glaze all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Pro Tips
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help them blend easily and give a smooth batter.
- Please don't overmix the batter. Combine just until the mixture is smooth and no dry flour streaks are visible.
- Try to cut apples into equal-sized pieces. This helps them bake evenly.
- The apple fritter cake batter is supposed to be thick, but if it seems too thick and dryish, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
- Please measure the ingredients using a kitchen scale. This ensures better and consistent results.
Serving Suggestions
Apple fritter cake doesn’t need anything! Glaze it and serve it warm. But if you’re really in the mood for something fancy, a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream will take the cake to indulgent mode. I? I love to keep it simple with a cup of coffee and a fork.
Recipe FAQs
At its heart, an apple fritter is a fried dough mixed or loaded with apples and cinnamon sugar, often glazed. This apple fritter cake recipe is a take on that beloved flavor and texture, minus the frying.
The ideal apples for this recipe are ones that hold their shape after baking. Think Granny Smith, Gala, or Fuji will work fine. I use the same types for my apple galette, and they never fail me!
Absolutely. Bake it the night before and keep covered at room temperature. If your kitchen is warm, stick it in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly before serving.
A simple glaze pairs deliciously with this cake, but go ahead and dress it up with a maple glaze (like I did with my apple cranberry scones) or caramel glaze.
Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds before serving. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the cake as it spoils the apple texture.
More Delicious Apple Cake Recipes
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this apple fritter cake as much as we do.
📖 Recipe
Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Melted butter
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 4 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Apple Filling
- 2 large Apples
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
Glaze
- 1/2 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.1.5 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/2 cup Sugar
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, Greek yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla extract.2 Eggs, 1/4 cup Melted butter, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain, 4 tbsp Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well. This is a thick batter.
Apple Filling
- Combine the diced apples, sugar, and cinnamon powder in a bowl.2 large Apples, 1 tbsp Sugar, 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- Pour about 2/3 of the cake batter into your prepared pan.
- Spread the apples evenly over the batter. Make sure all the batter is covered with the apples.
- Spoon the rest of the batter over the apples and spread it with a spatula to cover them completely.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Mix sugar and cinnamon powder in a small bowl.1 tbsp Sugar, 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly all over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake at 180 C/350 F for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes and then pour the glaze all over.
- Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Glaze
- Mix the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl, until thick and smooth.1/2 cup Powdered sugar, 1 tbsp Milk
Video
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help them blend easily and give a smooth batter.
- Please don't overmix the batter. Combine just until the mixture is smooth and no dry flour streaks are visible.
- Try to cut apples into equal-sized pieces. This helps them bake evenly.
- The apple fritter cake batter is supposed to be thick, but if it seems too thick and dryish, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
- Please measure the ingredients using a kitchen scale. This ensures better and consistent results.
Matts W says
I’m allergic to butter, is there a substitute for it?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi, yes, you can use any oil instead - canola, sunflower, olive, coconut, or even avocado oil.