Looking for a super moist Dutch apple cake recipe? This delicious and moist sour cream apple cake is topped with delicious cinnamon apples and sprinkled with powdered sugar. A perfect recipe to make with fresh fall apples.
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Wondering what to do with all the apples you brought home from apple picking? This delicious Dutch apple cake recipe is easy to make and tastes just like a crisp fall day.
Made with either Honey Crisp, Granny Smith or Gala apples, this apple cake bakes up easily and with simple ingredients. Great served with a hot cup of coffee or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What do I need to make a Dutch apple cake?
Sour cream cake ingredients:
- All purpose flour – a great option for this apple cake. You could also use a cake flour for an even more tender and moist cake.
- Granulated sugar – this will give the cake its sweetness.
- Baking powder – the leavening for this cake, it will help the cake rise at it bakes.
- Salt – this will help balance the sweetness of the cake. Don’t leave this out.
- Sour cream – the sour cream will keep this cake extra moist and tender.
- Vegetable Oil – using oil (instead of butter) will create an extra moist and tender cake.
- Egg – will help with leavening and give the cake its signature moist texture.
- Vanilla extract – will provide a delicious flavor and balance to the sweetness.
Apple topping ingredients:
- Apples – most varieties of apples will work for this cake. Your best options will be a slightly sweet, tart apple like a Honey Crisp, Granny Smith or Gala apple.
- Brown sugar – this will create a wonderful sweet coating to the apples.
- Granulated sugar – will add to the sweetness of the apples.
- Cinnamon – the ideal spice pairing for apples, cinnamon goes perfectly with the apples and adds an great flavor to the cake.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How do I make a sour cream apple cake?
To make this apple cake, start by mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. For the dry ingredients combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. For the wet ingredients, combine the sour cream, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract.
To create the batter, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients by whisking together. The batter will be thick and smooth.
Spread the batter evenly into a lightly-sprayed non-stick pan.
How do I make an apple topping for a cake?
To make the apple topping, begin by peeling and chopping the apples into small cubes. I did this by slicing the apples, then cutting the slices into small, bite-sized pieces.
Add the apple pieces to a mixing bowl, then coat with the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Mix together to coat the apple pieces evenly.
Top the cake batter with the apple mixture. Make sure to evenly cover the cake batter with the apples so there is an even layer of apples over the top of the batter.
Ingredient Substitutions and Recommendations:
- Frosting Glaze/Drizzle – Adding a drizzle glaze to this cake would be a great option or alternative to the powdered sugar topping. A glaze is created by stirring together powdered sugar and a small amount of milk or cream. You can also add spices like cinnamon, or flavoring extracts like vanilla, almond, or maple extract to enhance the flavor. To create the glaze, add the powdered sugar to a bowl, stir in the milk until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon. Drizzle this over the top of your cooled coffee cake. For exact ingredient amounts, check out our Applesauce Coffee Cake recipe.
- Pecans – adding about 1/4 cup of chopped pecans to the apple mixture would be a great way to add some texture and crunch to the cake.
- Extra cinnamon or apple pie spice – adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or apple pie spice into the cake batter would be an excellent addition to the flavor of the sour cream cake.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
How long does a Dutch apple cake need to bake?
This apple cake takes longer than average to bake through. Because the apple topping coats the top of the batter, it will take longer for the center of the cake to bake evenly.
The bake time for this cake will be approximately 55-60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions about making an apple cake:
For this recipe I used a round 9″ spring form pan. This is ideal for making any type of coffee cake or apple cake. You could also use a 9 x 9″ square cake pan.
No, an apple cake does not need to be refrigerated and can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container.
An apple cake will last 3-4 days at room temperature. If you would like the cake to last longer, I recommend refrigerating or freezing the cake or individual slices for enjoying later.
Firm, slightly tart apples are best for making apple pie and apple pie tarts. Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn and Pink Lady, are all great choices for baking cakes, pies and tarts.
Love baking with apples? Check out some of our other apple recipes:
- Apple Cider Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
- Microwave Apple Crisp
- Cinnamon Apple Scones
- Healthy Apple Crumble
- Dutch Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
- Apple Danish Braid
- Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
- Individual Apple Pie Tarts
- Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut Cake by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Wondering what to serve with Dutch apple cake? Here are some drinks that would be perfect:
- Hot Mulled Apple Cider
- Chai Tea Latte
- Caramel Brulee Latte
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Amaretto Hot Chocolate
If you loved this apple cake, check out some of these other cake recipes:
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Moist Dutch Apple Cake with Sour Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake batter ingredients:
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granular sugar
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Apple Topping:
- 3 cups apples, peeled and diced about 2 large apples
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cake topping:
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9" round spring form pan with non-stick baking spray. Set prepared pan aside.
- In separate bowls combine the wet and dry ingredients. Dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt, combine with a whisk. Wet ingredients; sugar, sour cream, oil, egg and vanilla, mixing together with a whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a whisk, mixing together until completely smooth. Batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- In another bowl, add the peeled and diced apples, sugars and cinnamon. Stir together to coat evenly. Add the coated apples to the top of the cake batter in the pan, making sure the apples are evenly distributed over the top of the batter.
- Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and crumb-free.
- Let cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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