Here’s a delightful cake for afternoon tea – Cinnamon Apple Teacake! Apples take centerstage here – you’ll find them inside AND on top, mingling with buttery cinnamon flavours.
While it’s sheer perfection fresh out of the oven, this is one of those rare cakes that is still truly great 3, 4, 5 days later!
Cinnamon Apple Teacake
I call this a teacake because it just seems like the perfect cake to serve at a quaint afternoon tea with friends. Filtered sunlight streaming in, a rustic table laden with baked goods (scones essential), freshly brewed tea served in teacups, sitting around with my friends, chatting and laughing gently.
The reality of gatherings with my friends is quite the opposite. We screech, we ROAR with laughter. We’ll debate economic policy, but you’re more likely to walk into an animated discussion about Real Housewives, cheeky jokes about Magic Mike (& XXL😈), or dissecting Survivor.
This from a group of highly educated women – lawyers, finance executives, journalists.
And a food blogger. 😂
All jokes aside though, I do have some semblance of logic for why I call this a teacake – because it’s a single layer, not very tall, simple cake. Exactly the sort of cake you’d whip up for an impromptu afternoon tea with friends – as opposed to a dramatic two layer Red Velvet Cake or Carrot Cake piled high with fluffy frosting.
(In case you’re interested – other quick ‘n easy cakes I make for impromptu gatherings include this Strawberry Cake, Blueberry Cake and a chopped Apple Cake.)
LOTS of apples in this teacake recipe!
I say this is a simple teacake recipe, and the cake batter itself IS simple to make. But it does take time to chop the apples because I use quite a generous amount.
600g/1.2lb, to be exact. Because if we’re going to make an apple cake, I want to make sure we can TASTE the apple in it – rather than just a few token bits of apple littered throughout the cake!
Here’s what you need:
Apples – use any type of apples you want. My personal favourite is Granny Smith – I just adore the slight tartness to offset the sweetness of cakes;
Butter for flavour, oil for moisture – a winning combination I use frequently. We all love butter, but it does nothing to hold moisture in cakes;
Flour and baking powder – these can be switched with self raising flour;
Cinnamon – because apple + cinnamon is a match made in heaven.
How I chop apples for cake
Here’s how I peel, core and chop apples for this cake. I find this method yields the least waste / is speedy.
But use whatever means works for you – if you don’t have a scooper like you see in Step 2 below, just quarter it then cut out the core using a knife.
Peeling is optional for the slices used for the topping, but recommended for the chopped pieces mixed into the batter (biting into skin in a tender cake isn’t ideal).
How to make Cinnamon Apple Teacake
After you get past chopping the apples, the cake batter itself is dead easy: whisk wet, whisk dry, mix them together. Top with apples, bake.
The one thing I do very deliberately is to only use cinnamon to coat the apple. I feel like you get more bang for your buck to get good cinnamon flavour in the cake – you need a fair amount to make the crumb itself really taste of cinnamon.
Also I like having a pale cake crumb – it looks nicer with the contrast to the deep golden apple topping!
Glazing the cake
Brushing the cake with warmed jam is entirely optional – it’s just to give it a lovely shiny finish.
It’s best to use apricot jam because it glazes on clear. Other flavour jams (strawberry, raspberry etc) work just fine but there is a slight tinge of colour – though not really noticeable in this teacake because the apples are golden!
No photo – not even the recipe video – can capture how beautifully moist the crumb of this cake is. And the smell when it’s baking…. ugh! Cinnamon! Apple! Butter! Cake!
There are not enough exclamation marks in this world!
So, I guess you’re just going to have to make it so you can experience it for yourself. 😇 – Nagi x
PS BIG UPSIDE – this is one of those rare cakes that actually really truly holds up perfectly for days and days. Yes it is spectacular fresh out of the oven. But it is near perfect for 3 to 4 days, and will keep for 5 to 6 days in the fridge, weeks, months in the freezer!
Watch how to make it
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Cinnamon Apple Teacake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples:
- 600g/ 1.2 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (or any other – red, green, golden) (4 large, 5 small/medium, Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 50g/ 3 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 2 tbsp white sugar
Dry:
- 1 1/2 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet:
- 4 tbsp/ 60g unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 cup oil (canola, vegetable)
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature (~55g/1.95 oz each) (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup white sugar , caster / superfine best (but not essential)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze (optional):
- 1 1/2 tbsp apricot jam (or other flavour)
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Grease a 20cm / 8″ springform pan with butter, then line with baking paper (parchment paper).
Apples:
- Chop half the apples into 1.25 cm / 1/2" pieces.
- Slice the other half into 3mm / 1/8" thick slices.
- Place into separate bowls. Sprinkle/drizzle each bowl with half the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat, set aside.
Batter:
- Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour Wet ingredients in a separate bowl in the order listed. Whisk well to combine.
- Pour Wet into the Dry ingredients bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until flour is incorporated.
- Add chopped apple. Gently mix through until JUST dispersed (to keep cinnamon on apple, not dispersed through batter).
- Scrape into cake pan, smooth surface.
- Top with sliced apples – fan them out in a circle, overlapping each other by 1/4 (fiddle away to use up all the apple / make it even!).
- Bake 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (Note 3). Cover loosely with foil if you have to bake beyond 50 min (to stop apples burning).
- Place on cooling rack, release sides of springform pan.
Glaze & Serve:
- Heat Glaze: Place jam and water in a small bowl, microwave 20 seconds to warm, then mix.
- Glaze: Brush apples on surface with glaze.
- Cool: Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting with sharp knife. It is sheer perfection when it's still slightly warm in the middle.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More apple recipes
I am very fond of apple desserts!
Life of Dozer
Compost in action!
Made it. Did not glaze it. Everyone loved it. Another excellent recipe. Thank you Nagi. This site is fantastic. I have made so many of your recipes and they have all been great Keep up the good work.
I’ve just sliced it for the first taste test! I doubt the family or the workplace will get to sample this first cake. It’s mine. All mine!
This is hands down the best apple tea-cake recipe I’ve tried. It was a big hit with the family and is a keeper – thanks Nagi!
I’m so glad it was a hit Julie! N x
THE HOUSE MATES DEVOURED THE WHOLE CAKE!! So Tasty!
First time cooking chicken curry , it was amazing and easy ! I love it
6 stars! My cake didn’t rise – probably oven issue – but the taste the taste! and the cook process so easy. Going into my repeat list for sure
was eyeing this pie for few weeks now and finally got to make it.
Came out so so juicy, it meted in the mouth !
served it with ice-cream to be completely spoiled.
Thank you Nagi xx
What an amazing teacake. I made it today, and it came out perfect. I did not glaze it, nor did I use a springform pan – just a regular 8 inch cake pan, and after the cake cooled down I flipped it over on a plate and removed the wax paper. It’s very very delicious. Thank you Nagi for sharing this recipe!!
Soooo good!! I made this delicious recipe and it stayed moist & tender, just like you said Nagi. I didn’t have a springform pan so I used a glass baking dish & cut it into squares for serving.
Perfect Anne! N x
I do not have an oven. Can I use the same recipe and bake it using a rice cooker?
Hi Michelle, no sorry it wont work unfortunately! N x
See the picture that Nagi posts are the top of this recipe – WELL it turned out looking exactly like that. Beautiful! And I ain’t no baker. Besides how beautiful it looked it tasted as good as it looked. Absolutely delicious and easy! Thank you for sharing all your recipes. *on a side note 50 mins was not enough for my oven. I believe I had it in there for at least 60. So do check and don’t be surprised if it goes well over the 50. Thank you, this is the dessert I made for Father’s Day… ❤️
Great recipe Nagi. Thanks
Wow Nagi thank you and my family thank you also so delicious
Another delicious recipe – Thank You!! I’ve made it once with Granny Smith apples and once with Pink Lady apples – for me Pink Lady apples win, just. The bursts of Cinnamon Apple throughout are what really make it. We love it so much I’ve converted my favourite Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins into Cinnamon Apple Muffins using your method. Yum!! Thanks again!!
I avoid baking cakes because I’m not a confident baker but seemed easy enough. I baked this and it went down an absolute TREAT! Thank you
Made this Cinnamon Apple Teacake 2 days ago. Only one word to describe it:
SENSATIONAL. Keep up the great work. Reading your recipes & Dozer’s antics make my day. xxx
YOU FIBBED! You said this would last 4 days and mine was gone in a day and a half. Now I have to make another, and what’s more this time I’ll have to share 😉
I have this problem ALL the time 😂
Absolutely awesome cake – quite possibly the best ever! Thank you so much Nagi, it was a huge hit!
Have one in the oven now and am sure it is going to be great. BUT 4 bowls make up for not having to use a mixer. HA-HA
I absolutely love your recipes, but I cannot use regular flour. All recipes I make that need flour use almond or coconut flour. Could you tell me the ratio difference if I use almond flour? I know it is different. Thanks.
Hi Deyanira, I haven’t tried sorry – it would be a totally different texture. Would love to know if you give it a go! N x
Hi Nagi. Looking forward to make this cake tomorrow morning. I only have 11 inch pan, which i just bought after addicted to your recipes. Well only 11 inch was available. Bakery supplies stores are crowded over here. I scaled your recipe to 18pax. I want the cake a bit high. And saw the measurements a bit difficult to be exact (i dont have a scale). Always follow your cup measurements.
My question:
Is this recipe very forgiving? I am afraid I might not be exact as recipe.
How long to bake?
Temperature to be used?
Thank you.
Hi Shamala, this recipe is forgiving, but best to use weight measurements to get the correct quantities. I would check the cake after an hour and then just keep an eye on it from then on – N x