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slice of apple cake on a plate.
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4.82 from 11 votes

Old-Fashioned 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
Calories: 312kcal
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
  • In a large measuring glass, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and buttermilk.
    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

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

Baking times will vary, so start with 1 hour and check the cake from there. Add more time if you need it. 
Top this cake with any frosting you want! You can also serve it with just the glaze, which is delicious. 
 

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