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slice of apple cake on a plate.
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4.84 from 12 votes

Old-Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake Recipe

This old-fashioned fresh apple cake recipe is the perfect for fall! It’s made with real apples, oil, and buttermilk for a delicious, buttery flavor. A sweet glaze poured over the top makes it super moist and irresistible.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 people
Author: Eden
Cost: $20

Ingredients

Apple Cake

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups apples peeled and finely chopped

Apple Glaze

  • 1/2 cups apple cider
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

Apple Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×12 cake pan or a bundt pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and cardamom.
    dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
  • Whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and buttermilk in a large measuring glass.
    liquid ingredients in a measuring glass.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
    wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
  • Fold in the chopped apples.
    folding in chopped apples
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    pouring apple batter into a cake pan

Apple Cider Butter Glaze

  • While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Add 1/2 cup apple cider, 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp baking soda into a small saucepan and simmer until it’s all melted.
    making an apple cider glaze
  • When the cake is finished baking, remove and pour the butter mixture over the hot cake and let it sit for 1 hour. 
    pouring glaze over the top of an apple cake.
  • Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before inverting it onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
    slice of apple cake on a plate.

Notes

Top this cake with any frosting you want! You can also serve it with just the glaze, which is delicious. 
Baking times vary depending on a few factors, such as:
  • The type of apple you use and how big they're cut.
  • The size and shape of your baking dish and how well you like your cake.
  • An oven's actual temperature. Every oven is different so that yours may run hot or cold.
  • The elevation you're baking at. Higher elevations tend to require longer baking times.
  • We suggest checking your cake a few minutes before the recipe says it will be done. Start with 1 hour and go from there.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg