This Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake recipe is flavored with vanilla and lemon in the classic Italian style.
Whether you like your apple cake for dessert or with a cup of tea or even for breakfast, this cake is it. And because the batter is loaded with apples, this old fashioned fresh apple cake recipe bakes up totally moist and delicious.
Which apples do you need for this Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake recipe?
Truly the choice is yours. It is better to use a baking apple. While I tried tart granny smith apples, I preferred royal gala or pink lady apples in this cake. Either way, use a baking apple you really like because this cake is loaded with apples. There is no mistaking that this is indeed an apple cake!
My top tip for you is that if you have leftovers store this cake in the refrigerator. It is so moist with so much apple through the cake that it will not keep well at room temperature.
And if you have leftover apples, make this delicious Puff Pastry Apple tart – it’s so easy! Before dessert give my delicious homemade cavatelli pasta a try, you will love it.
The technique used to make this cake.
The great thing about this cake is the technique used to make it. You can make this cake right now because there is no waiting for the butter to come to room temperature.
There are many methods used to make cakes. This method is one of the easiest and can be made even if you don’t have an electric mixer. My old fashioned fresh apple cake recipe is made using the “rubbed-in” method which involves rubbing the fat, in this case butter, into the flour to form fine breadcrumbs. Then the liquids are added which can be by hand or on a low speed with an electric mixer.
Rubbing the butter into the flour is a very common method when making pastry and scones but not as often with cakes. I love this method for making cakes because it is such an easy, no fuss way to have a cake in the oven quickly. The butter is used straight from the refrigerator. Simply cut the butter into small pieces and rub in with your fingertips or using an electric mixer.
How do you know if a cake is done?
Baking cakes is so rewarding but it’s disappointing if it’s not cooked through. This can happen even if you have followed a recipe to the letter. Sometimes ovens vary in temperature. Or the ingredients were slightly different to the ones used in the original recipe. For example, in this recipe your apples might be larger or juicer than mine.
So there are few ways to check if your cake is done before removing it from the oven.
- Press the top of the cake. Is it set and does it feel springy?
- Have a look at the sides of the cake. Is it pulling away from the edges a little?
- If your answer is yes to the first two – insert a thin skewer or cake tester into the centre. Does it come out clean with no cake batter clinging?
If the cake isn’t done but the time as specified on the recipe is up, then give it another 5 minutes and check again.
Were you looking for a Cinnamon Apple cake?
Well, that’s here too! It’s so simple to turn this old fashioned fresh apple cake recipe into an equally delicious Cinnamon Apple cake. Simply add one teaspoon of cinnamon in with the flour, sugar and salt and leave out the vanilla and lemon rind. Other wise continue exactly the same way.
But do try this old fashioned fresh apple cake recipe with vanilla and lemon. I’m like you, I love using cinnamon in baking. Just check out my Italian Apple Crostata. But the vanilla and lemon bring a wonderful freshness and lightness to cake which I know you will love like I do!
This old fashioned fresh apple cake recipe is an easy cake to make particularly if you have not baked a lot or don’t own an electric mixer. If you can peel, core and slice apples, you can make this cake.
More cake recipe you’ll love
German Plum Cake
Pear Tea cake
Chocolate and Almond cake
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a comment or tag me on instagram @marcellina.in.cucina.
Either way, I love to hear from you!
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Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups self rising flour see notes
- ⅔ cup sugar castor or superfine
- 1 stick (4oz/115 grams) unsalted butter cold
- pinch of fine salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup yogurt plain or Greek
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- grated rind of one lemon
- 4 apples see notes
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter and flour a 9inch/23cm spring form cake pan.
To make the cake batter.
- Into the bowl of an electric mixer place flour, sugar, butter and salt.
- With a paddle attachment, mix on low for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Don’t over mix.
- Scrape the bottom of the bowl to loosen any mixture that may have settled.
- Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla and lemon rind.
- Mix on medium low speed for 1 minutes or until well combined.
Prepare the apples.
- While the cake batter is mixing, peel, core and finely slice the apples. Reserve one sliced apple for decorating the top of the cake.
To bake the cake.
- Fold 3 sliced apples through the cake mixture.
- Pour into prepared cake pan.
- Decorate with reserved apple slices.
- Drizzle over honey.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Check by inserting a fine skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. A few crumbs clinging is ok.
- Cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Store in the refrigerator due to the high content of apples.
Fiona Nugent
Hi marcellina, a very nice cake but it took 90 minutes to bake. I used a 9 inch springform and my oven temp works properly. Any idea why it took so long?
Marcellina
Fiona, I think the apples were very juicy and added moisture the to cake. This cake has so many apples that a juicer apple would do that. Glad you enjoyed the apple cake! xx
Jaimie
What a lovely and moist looking cake! Thank you for sharing, I’m really looking forward to trying this.
Helena
Delicious, it got eaten up very quickly. Many overindulged
Marcellina
Hehe…easy to do! 🙂