Description
Grandma’s classic apple cake recipe brings warmth from traditional German kitchens to your table. Fragrant spices and tender apples create a comforting dessert that connects generations through simple, heartfelt baking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 2 medium apples)
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preparation: Generously butter and flour a 9-inch pan, creating a non-stick foundation for the apple-infused cake.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, developing a fragrant and structurally sound base for the cake.
- Flavor Foundation: Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then methodically integrate eggs and vanilla, building a rich, smooth batter with complex flavor profiles.
- Batter Composition: Gradually blend the spiced flour mixture with yogurt and milk, folding gently to maintain a delicate crumb and prevent overmixing.
- Final Assembly: Gently incorporate diced apples and chopped nuts throughout the batter, ensuring even distribution of fruit and potential textural elements.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F (175C) for 45-50 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Cooling and Finishing: Rest cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Complete cooling and finish with a delicate powdered sugar dusting or indulgent caramel drizzle before serving.
Notes
- Choose Ripe Apples: Select firm, slightly tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for optimal texture and balanced sweetness in the cake.
- Prevent Apple Browning: Toss freshly diced apples with a splash of lemon juice to maintain their bright color and prevent oxidation during preparation.
- Master Gentle Mixing: Fold ingredients with a light hand to avoid overmixing, which can develop tough gluten and result in a dense, heavy cake texture.
- Temperature Precision: Allow ingredients like eggs and butter to reach room temperature before mixing, ensuring smoother incorporation and more consistent baking results.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg