Apple Tea Cake with Cinnamon

a slice of apple cake on a plate with whipped cream.

5 from 2 votes

This cosy apple tea cake is moist, buttery and loaded with slices of fresh apple and warm cinnamon. An old-fashioned recipe that is quick and easy to make, it tastes absolutely delicious plain, topped with a quick dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of cream or warm custard.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 15

Course: baking, Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

300 grams Granny Smith apples or other baking apples. Peeled and thickly sliced.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (half for the apples and half for the cake batter).
225 grams self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
225 grams caster sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
150 grams butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
additional butter for greasing the cake tin.

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 160°C/320F (not fan-forced). Grease a 20cm springform cake tin with butter and line the bottom of the tin with baking paper.
Peel and thickly slice the apples (about 5-7mm thick). Place the sliced apples in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon (the rest of the cinnamon will be used for the cake batter) until evenly coated. Set aside.

For the cake batter

Place the self-raising flour, baking powder, caster sugar and remaining cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla and mix well, until the mixture is smooth and combined.

Assemble

Spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of the lined cake tin.
Layer the sliced apples on top of the cake batter in the tin, in 2-3 layers. Keep a handful of sliced apples aside to decorate the top of the cake.
Spoon the remaining cake batter over the top of the layered apple slices and spread to cover most of the apples. Decorate the top of the cake with the few remaining apple slices.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the cake is golden and coming away from the sides of the tin. When the cake is ready, the top will spring back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin for a few minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve warm with a sprinkle of icing sugar and a dollop of double cream.

Video

Notes

Fresh apples – use baking apples that hold their shape as they bake. Other apples will turn mushy or grainy inside the cake. Avoid soft, bruised or mealy apples. Granny Smith apples have a crisp, firm structure and tart flavour that make them perfect for this cake. Jonathan apples are also ideal. But you can use any type of sweet or tart baking apple (or a mixture of tart and sweet). Alternatively, add equal quantities of pitted and sliced peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums, or drained and tinned fruit.
Weigh your ingredients for best results. For accurate results, I recommend using a scale to measure your flour. If you don’t have kitchen scales, fluff the flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your measuring cups before levelling with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without packing it too tightly into the cup. Too much flour will result in a dry, heavy cake.
This recipe goes really well with a sprinkling of icing sugar and dollop of double cream, sweetened whipped cream, warm custard or crème fraiche.
You can use a mix of apple varieties (some sweet, some tart) instead of one for a contrast in apple flavour.
For more contrast, keep the apple slices quite thick.
Use a springform cake tin with a removable bottom and line the tin with baking paper for easy removal.
For extra texture and flavour, sprinkle the cake with coarse, raw sugar, cinnamon or flaked almonds.
If the cake is browning too much on top, cover with foil in the last 10-20 minutes.
All ovens are different and cooking times can vary depending on the type of oven, temperature calibration and the type of cake tin used. Check the cake at 60-65 minutes and cook longer, if necessary. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It should be golden brown and pulling away from the edges of the tin.
Storage; You can keep the apple cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Allow the cake to return to room temperature (or reheat in the microwave) before serving.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the cake being divided into 8 pieces, with one piece being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the cake.
This recipe is made using Australian metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition