Easy Apple Cake Recipe (No Peeling Required!)

Freshly baked easy apple cake bars dusted with powdered sugar and served on a plate.

Easy Apple Cake Recipe (No Peeling Required!)

Course: Cake Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: European, Hungarian

Diet: Halal, Kosher, Low Salt

Keyword: apple cake, apple cake recipe, easy apple cake, easy apple cake recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Cooling Time: 15

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: squares

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Timea

A quick, one-bowl apple sponge cake loaded with juicy unpeeled apple chunks and warm cinnamon. Bakes into tender cake bars under a golden-copper crust with just 15 minutes of prep time.

Print Recipe

Metrics - US Customary

Equipment

1 electric hand mixer or sturdy wire whisk
1 mixing bowl large
1 ceramic baking dish 24 × 24 cm (approx. 9 × 9-inch), or glass baking dish
1 Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
1 Fine-mesh sieve

Ingredients

4 pieces apples unpeeled, cored, and cut into 2–2.5 cm / 1-inch cubes
3 pieces eggs large, free-range, room temperature
150 g sugar caster
½ tsp salt fine
80 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
180 ml whole milk room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
300 g plain flour all-purpose
2 teaspoon baking powder or 10 g
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon sunflower oil or butter, for greasing the baking dish
1 tablespoon powdered icing sugar optional, for dusting

Instructions

Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F / 160°C Fan). Lightly grease a 24 × 24 cm baking dish with 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil or melted butter.
Beat Eggs and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, caster sugar, and salt using an electric hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until pale, thick, and foamy.
Add Liquids: Pour in the melted butter, room-temperature milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk on low speed for 30 seconds until combined.
Sift Flour: Set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold gently with a spatula just until the flour is incorporated and you have a smooth, velvety batter.
Prep Apples: Core the unpeeled apples and cut them into hearty 2 to 2.5 cm (1-inch) cubes.
Fold Fruit: Add the chopped apples and ground cinnamon to the batter. Fold gently with a spatula from the bottom up until all apple pieces are coated.
Fill Dish: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top evenly with a spatula.
Bake: Bake on the centre rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is a deep golden-copper colour and a toothpick inserted into the sponge crumb comes out clean.
Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool in the dish on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered icing sugar, cut into 9 to 12 bars, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure the eggs and milk sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before starting so the melted butter mixes in smoothly without solidifying.
Testing Doneness: Pierce the actual sponge when testing with a toothpick; hitting an apple chunk will leave wet fruit juice on the skewer even when the cake is fully baked.
Traditional Layered Version: Looking for a rolled shortcrust pastry layered with grated spiced apples instead? Try my traditional Hungarian Almás Pite recipe.
Using Up Extra Apples: If you have softer eating apples that need using up, they work best grated into quick apple fritters.

Nutrition