15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (2024)

Gather your freshly picked apples, we're baking apple cake. Our roundup of delicious apple cake recipes features a variety of all sorts of sizes and flavors of the beloved seasonal fall fruit. Perhaps you're craving an apple bundt cake or coffee cake to go with your morning cup of coffee. Or maybe an apple dump cake or caramel apple cake is the type of dessert recipe you're looking for. We've got all those moist apple cake recipes and more here.

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Apple-Maple Snack Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (1)

This apple cake proves how brilliant apple and maple are as a pair. With only a handful of pantry ingredients added to the mix, you'll have this apple cake baking in just 15 minutes. It's the perfect apple cake recipe when you're craving a fall treat and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

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Caramel Apple Poke Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (2)

There's nothing like the rich flavor and moist texture that comes from baking a poke cake. This apple cake has both apples and apple butter to deliver the signature fall flavor. Dulce de leche gets into all the nooks and crannies for the ultimate caramel apple dessert. It's also made in two loaf pans so you can have one for yourself and one for a friend (that is if you decide to share).

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Maple Brunch Cake with Apples and Cranberries

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (3)

This apple cake recipe "bakes" right in your slow cooker. Simply layer sliced apples into the bottom of you slow cooker and top with a homemade maple cake batter. This easy apple dessert is best served warm.

The 7 Best Small Slow Cookers for Entertaining, Meal Prep, and More, According to Testing

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Apple Pie Coffee Cake

15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (4)

Enjoy all the flavors of an old-fashioned pie in this delicious apple coffee cake. A warm-spiced apple pie filling is sandwiched between a moist buttermilk cake. Of course, you can't forget the signature streusel topping.

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Apple Sheet Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (5)

Talk about a showstopping dessert for a 9x13 pan. Chopped fresh apples, apple butter, and dried apples all appear in this apple cake recipe that is as delicious as it is picturesque. A simple maple icing gives your cake the perfect sweet finish.

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Apple Cake with Buttery Caramel Sauce

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (6)

When you have a lot of baking apples to use up, keep this apple cake recipe in mind. You'll need 6 cups to go into the walnut-dotted spice cake. We love enjoying a piece with the warm buttery caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream.

Types of Apples to Know for Your Fall Cooking and Baking Adventures

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Apple-Cherry Dump Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (7)

Our apple dump cake is the answer to your cravings when you need an easy dessert recipe stat. The secret to making this apple dump cake recipe a breeze? The wonderful slow cooker. After a few hours of "baking," you've got a delicious sweet-tart treat. Don't forget the ice cream!

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Apple-Maple Spice Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (8)

Just wait until the glorious cinnamon-and-fruit aromas from this apple bundt cake fill your kitchen. Choose a medium tart apple variety such as Granny Smith or Gala for the cake, as they'll contrast the sweetness a bit while holding their shape nicely after baking.

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Torta di Mele (Apple-Fig Cake)

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (9)

This apple cake recipe has a fancy-sounding Italian name but is actually really easy to make. Apples combine with fresh figs and get a spicy-sweet flavor from crystallized ginger and honey. A dollop of sweetened mascarpone cheese makes a delicious alternative to whipped cream.

Test Kitchen Tip: Can't find fresh figs? Use dried figs and rehydrate them in apple juice or brandy before using them as directed in the recipe.

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Caramel-Apple Pudding Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (10)

Rich, indulgent, and perfectly cozy, this apple cake recipe is hard to beat. The pudding cake is baked over a layer of apple slices and topped with raisins and caramel for a sweet fall treat everyone will love.

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Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (11)

Our apple upside-down cake includes cornmeal for an unexpected, yet delicious contrast in flavor and texture to the fruit and sweet sauce. The buttery homemade caramel sauce tastes divine against the sweet-tart apples and dried cranberries. Pecans add a lovely crunch.

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Fresh Apple Cake

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (12)

This cake recipe using fresh apples has appeared in our BHG cookbook for many years and continues to be a fan favorite. As one reviewer raves, "I've been making this for years, I got the recipe from my mom's BHG cookbook many years ago. This week I made it using mostly pears and substituting caramel chips for some of the walnuts, and it was amazing!"

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Cinnamon Apple Spice Cake with Apple Topper

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (13)

When you want a beautiful dessert to display but aren't a fan of frosting, serve this fresh apple cake. The batter includes oil and buttermilk to achieve an ultra-moist texture with a bit of tangy flavor. Use a mixture of different types of apples and/or pears for the fruit topper and filling for color and flavor variation.

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Applicious Cider Cake with Butterscotch Frosting

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (14)

Planning a harvest feast at home? Make this stunning apple cake for friends and family to swoon over. The triple-threat of apples in the recipe comes from apples, apple cider, and Calvados (apple brandy). As if that wasn't apple-y enough, we top it off with an apple cider glaze.

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Classic Fresh Dutch Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

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15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (15)

A caramel glaze takes this apple sheet cake into totally decadent dessert territory. As one BHG home cook shared, "Excellent! Used Gala apples. Did not have half and half so used whole milk in glaze, which made it thinner. It soaked into cake and was delicious."

15 Apple Cake Dessert Recipes That Are the Perfect Seasonal Treat (2024)

FAQs

Why does my apple cake fall apart? ›

Why Did My Apple Cake Fall Apart? There are two main reasons why an apple cake would fall apart: (1) it was simply too warm when you were trying to cut and serve it or (2) you used too many/the wrong kind of apple.

Is apple cake made from leftover cake? ›

Apple cake is a delicious and quick to make round shaped cake made with leftover chocolate cake and desiccated coconut popularly sold in Indian Bakery.

Does fresh apple cake need to be refrigerated? ›

I've found that fresh apple cake does need to be refrigerated for freshness, particularly with the addition of the cream cheese frosting. To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days. Let come close to room temperature prior to serving.

How do you store apple cake overnight? ›

When storing a cake overnight, you need to cover your cake fully to prevent any air and store it at the right temperature. To do this, you can easily wrap your cake in foil or plastic wrap, and place it in an airtight container. Make sure to keep your cake in the refrigerator overnight.

Why is my apple cake too moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

What is the very old fruitcake? ›

A 141-year-old fruitcake, baked by Fidelia Ford, in 1878, sits in the home of Dorothy Ford, in Tec*mseh, Mich. Fidelia died before the cake was served and the family, out of respect of her memory, decided not to eat it and has instead passed it down for generations.

What are the best apples for baking a cake? ›

According to New England Today, the best apples for baking are firm-tart apples, and firm-sweet apples. Firm-tart apples are apples like Granny Smith, Esopus Spitzenburg, Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Pink Pearl. Firm-sweet apples are Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jazz, Jonagold, and Pink Lady.

Can I freeze homemade apple cake? ›

Apple cake freezes well. Simply wrap the cooled cake in a layer of storage wrap, then in a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Can you leave apple cake out overnight? ›

How to Store Apple Cake. You can leave this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2 to 3 days. If left uncovered, it may dry out more quickly, so it's best consumed within 1 to 2 days. You can also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to extend its life to about a week.

What is the shelf life of apple cake? ›

Homemade apple cake, depending on the ingredients used, typically lasts about 1-2 days at room temperature and 5-7 days if refrigerated. Apple cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months. How do you tell if Apple Cake is bad? For identifying a bad apple cake, look for any signs of mold.

Can I cover my cake with aluminum foil? ›

It moderates the oven's heat, ensuring a gentle and even cooking process. Preventing Over-Browning: If your cake's top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminium foil to protect it from direct heat.

How long does apple cake last unrefrigerated? ›

The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature. However long you keep the cake, it's best not to cover it — it's too moist.

Can I leave cake in oven after baking? ›

But they don't expect you to leave the cake in the oven (whether turned "off" or "on") past when it is done. Leaving it in the oven while the oven is cooling down would just introduce too much variability as ovens would cool at different rates.

How do you keep a cake from falling apart? ›

Several steps can be taken to prevent cakes from sinking in the middle. Eensure the oven is fully preheated, avoid frequent opening during baking, use correct ingredient measurements, mix thoroughly, avoid overmixing, bake on the center rack, and avoid underbaking.

How do you keep fruit cake from crumbling? ›

Purees like applesauce are able to add moisture to the cake and prevent it from drying and crumbling, while also offering fewer calories than oil.

Why does my fruit cake fall apart? ›

This can happen for a variety of reasons ranging from type of flour, not enough eggs/wrong size eggs, not enough liquid or fats and even storage. 'Causes of crumbly fruit cake'. It's a real eye opener.

How do you keep a cake from crumbling? ›

  1. First, make sure the cake is completely cool--a warm cake is more prone to crumbling.
  2. Second, warm some of the frosting just a bit, and pour a thin layer over the cake. Spread it quickly and let it cool again. ...
  3. Finally make sure your frosting isn't too thick, and use a light hand when spreading it.
May 25, 2019

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