Apple Sour Cream Slice (Without Cake Mix)

You’ll love this easy apple sour cream slice, made from scratch (without cake mix). A buttery shortbread base is covered with warm apples, topped with cinnamon dusted sour cream and baked to perfection. Using canned pie apples, it is as easy to make as it is delicious!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy – so easy to throw together, thanks to ready-made, canned pie apples. 10 minutes of hands-on time is all you need!
• Simple ingredients – basic pantry staples like flour, butter, sugar and canned pie apples are all you need.
• Made without cake mix – some versions of this recipe use packet cake mix to make the base. But my shortbread crust is made from scratch and just as easy.
• Bursting with apple flavour – the magical combination of apple and cinnamon pair with rich sour cream and buttery shortbread. It has all the warming, buttery flavours of a delicious apple pie, but with less fuss.
• Not overly sweet – this slice isn’t too sweet, just like the apple slices available in bakeries across Australia.
• Deliciously nostalgic – an old-fashioned slice that is loved by all ages!

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Plain flour – plain (all-purpose) flour forms the shortbread crust. Be sure to weigh the flour for the perfect base. Too much or too little flour can alter the texture or cause it to crumble. Weights have been included below, for accuracy.
• Rice flour – mixes with the plain flour to make the perfect, crisp and golden shortbread base for the slice. Cornflour can be used instead, but I recommend rice flour for best results.
• Icing sugar – also called confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar, icing sugar adds sweetness and texture to the shortbread crust. This slice is not overly sweet, so it’s important to use the exact amount of icing sugar.
• Butter – helps to bind the shortbread base. It needs to be chilled, straight from the fridge to form a perfect, flaky and tender crust. I recommend using real, salted or unsalted butter rather than margarine or butter substitutes, for best results.
• Canned pie apples – are used for the apple layer. Canned pie apples are pre-stewed with no added sugars and are ready to use straight from the can, making them a quick and convenient option. They can be found in supermarkets in the canned fruit section. Of course, you can also use homemade pie apples or stewed apples if you have an excess of apples on hand. Just be sure to drain any excess liquid before adding them to the slice, or the slice will be overly wet.
• Sour cream – for the topping layer. Use regular, full fat sour cream for best results. Light or low-fat sour cream won’t set as firmly.
• Cinnamon – ground cinnamon is used to flavour the apple filling. And it’s also used to make cinnamon sugar, which is sprinkled over the sour cream layer before baking.

Step by step instructions

Full recipe quantities and instructions can be found in the detailed recipe card below.

This slice has 3 easy layers;

1. Shortbread base
2. Pie apple filling
3. Sour cream topping

1. Combine all of the shortbread ingredients in a food processor and mix until it forms a soft dough.

2. Press the shortbread mixture into the bottom of a lined 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 inch) square tin.

3. Bake until lightly golden.

4. Mix the apple filling ingredients together and spread them over the cooked shortbread crust. There’s no need to cool the base first.

5. Top the slice with sour cream and a dusting of cinnamon mixed with sugar.

6. Bake the slice until the sour cream layer has set.

7. Chill – allow the slice to cool and refrigerate until set.

8. Cut into slices and serve!

Expert tips

• Line the baking tin. Lining the tin with baking/parchment paper makes it easier to remove the slice from the pan. Leave the edges of the paper long, to help lift the slice from the tin when it has fully set. The base is more fragile when warm, so if you want to eat it right away, cut the slice while still in the tin and remove individual pieces one at a time.
• Use chilled butter straight from the fridge to make the shortbread. As with making pie dough, cold butter will produce a more tender crust. Use a food processor where possible, to speed up the process and avoid warming the dough with your hands.
• If you don’t have a food processor, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips and mix until a soft dough forms. Try to keep the butter and dough as cool as possible.
• Instead of apples, you can swap for canned pears, or even peaches or apricots.
• This slice is not overly sweet. There is no added sugar in the pie apples and only a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the sour cream layer. If you prefer the slice a little sweeter, mix 2-3 tablespoons of caster sugar into the apple layer or through the sour cream before layering it onto the slice.
• Drain the apples first, to ensure there isn’t a lot of liquid, or the slice will be wet.
• The slice should chill for at least 2-3 hours before slicing, to firm up completely. Serve it chilled – it tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge!

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2022, but was re-published with new information and photos in January 2023.