This apple fritter cake is a moist and soft buttery vanilla cake, filled with ooey gooey apple pieces and topped with a crunchy vanilla glaze. It's essentially a giant baked apple fritter that is so moist and tender. This is the perfect cake to celebrate apple harvest and fall. Not only is it easy to make but it is so delicious and truly a crowd pleaser. Serve it alongside coffee, for brunch, or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert time.
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🍏 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Fluffy vanilla cake: The buttery vanilla cake batter bakes up to be beautifully fluffy, moist, and rich - so similar to the batter in an apple fritter.
- Gooey apples: A layer of gooey cinnamon apples gets layered into the center and on top. This gives you distinct layers of gooey apples.
- Vanilla glaze: A simple vanilla glaze that seeps into the cake and forms a crunchy sugary coating is a signature apple fritter coating and is such a delicious addition.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Apples: I used a mixture of honey crisp and granny smith apples. Any tart and crunchy apple will work beautifully. The tartness adds more depth of flavor. Don't choose a soft apple like McIntosh because it will turn into mush.
Cinnamon: A touch of cinnamon in the apples gives them a beautiful fragrant flavor.
Cardamom: I love pairing cardamom with apples, it gives a beautiful fragrant, mildly spicy flavor. If you don't love cardamom you can leave it out.
Lemon juice: A touch of freshly squeezed lemon creates a deeper flavor profile and helps bring the apple flavor out even more.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Unsalted butter: This creates a rich and buttery cake that melts in your mouth.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and a bit of acidity that helps create a moist and tender crumb.
Powdered sugar: Powdered or icing sugar is essential in creating a beautiful glaze typical of apple fritters.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract goes into the glaze, the cake batter, and the apple filling for pronounced vanilla flavor in every single layer.
Milk: You only need a touch of milk for the glaze on top. I used cows milk - you can use plant based milk if you prefer. Alternatively you can use cream for a richer, whiter glaze.
👩🍳 How to make apple fritter cake
Apple fritter filling step by step
Step 1: Add the cubed apples into a large bowl. Then add brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract, flour, and lemon juice.
Step 2: Stir the apple filling together and set it aside while you work on the cake batter.
Vanilla cake batter step by step
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C). Coat the inside of a 9 inch springform pan with a bit of cold butter and a dusting of flour or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened butter and sugar together. Beat with a paddle attachment until creamy.
Step 3: Add eggs one by one and beat well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl well.
Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well to combine.
Step 4: Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the same bowl. Combine with an electric mixer until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Don't overmix - stop mixing as soon as a smooth batter forms.
Step 5: Transfer half of the batter into the greased baking pan. Spread it into an even layer all the way to the sides of the pan.
Spoon two thirds of the apple mixture with the liquid over the cake batter, getting it as even as possible.
Step 6: Spread the remaining cake batter over the apple filling and spread it out evenly. Add the remaining apple mixture on top as evenly as you can.
Place the cake pan on a larger baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
Baking Tip: This apple fritter cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out sticky, but not covered in batter. If it's coated in white then it needs some more time in the oven. Remove the cake from the oven once baked.
Vanilla glaze step by step
Step 1: Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk together to form a glaze. If it's too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time.
Pour the glaze over the hot cake and let it spread and seep into the crevices.
Step 2: When the cake cools completely, run a knife or metal spatula along the outside and release the ring. Slice and serve while warm or at room temperature.
✔️ Expert apple fritter cake tips
- Use tart, crisp apples: This will give you the best apple flavor and texture
- Don't overmix the cake batter: If you mix the cake batter too much, it will produce a dense and hard cake. Mix it just enough to create a thick, creamy cake batter. This took about 20 seconds.
- How to know the cake is ready: The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist, but not covered in cake batter. You should test your cake after one hour in the oven. The apples make it a little trickier to know when it's ready because they're gooey and moist.
- Glaze the cake while it's hot: This allows some of the glaze to seep into the crevices and locks in all that moisture. Just like apple fritters are glazed while they're hot - this cake also needs to be glazed while it's hot! You can glaze it within 10 minutes of removing the cake from the oven.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
The glazed apple fritter cake will keep well refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat before serving so that it's nice and soft again!
For an even easier apple cake recipe, try my Sharlotka apple cake recipe passed down in my family.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Any tart and hard variety will work great! I typically gravitate towards granny smith because they are very tart and crunchy and are easily available in the grocery stores. I will sometimes add honey crisp or only use honey crisp if I can't find granny smith apples.
I haven't tested it, but this recipe should work if you substitute the flour with 1:1 gluten free flour. If you try it, let us know in the comments how it turned out!
Yes you can! I recommend doubling the recipe if you end up baking it in a larger rectangular pan so that the cake doesn't turn out too thin.
🍎 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
Apple filling
- 4 cups apples peeled and cubed small, 4 large apples, 550g
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom ground (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Cake batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Apple filling
- Add the cubed apples into a large bowl. Then add brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract, flour, and lemon juice.4 cups apples, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Stir the apple filling together and set it aside while you work on the cake batter.
Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Coat the inside of a 9 inch springform pan with a bit of cold butter and a dusting of flour or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened butter and sugar together. Beat with a paddle attachment until creamy.½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs one by one and beat well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl well.2 large eggs
- Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well to combine.½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the same bowl. Combine with an electric mixer until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Don't overmix - stop mixing as soon as a smooth batter forms.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Transfer half of the batter into the greased baking pan. Spread it into an even layer all the way to the sides of the pan.
- Spoon two thirds of the apple mixture with the liquid over the cake batter, getting it as even as possible.
- Spread the remaining cake batter over the apple filling and spread it out evenly. Add the remaining apple mixture on top as evenly as you can.
- Place the cake pan on a larger baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. It's ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out sticky, but not covered in batter. If it's coated in white then it needs some more time in the oven. Remove the cake from the oven once baked.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk together to form a glaze. If it's too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the glaze over the hot cake and let it spread and seep into the crevices.
- When the cake is warm, run a knife along the outside and release the ring. Slice and serve while warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use tart, crisp apples for the best apple flavor and texture
- Don't overmix the cake batter, stop mixing as soon as it comes together and is creamy
- The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist, but not covered in cake batter
- Glaze the cake while it's hot
FoCo Gal
YUM. I made this for an Oktoberfest party and it was a huge hit! I baked and frosted it a day before the event, and kept it in the refrigerator until about N hour before the event. So, so tasty. And it really did taste just like a fried apple fritter, it was just amazing!
Ana Garcia-Alcocer
This recipe was incredibly easy to follow and it came out so delicious! Can't wait to make it again!
Ayat Salman
Can you use natural 2% yogurt rather than sour cream?
Thanks
Mary
Yes you can - it will be slightly less rich but will still work great!