There are certain things I look forward to making when fall arrives, and this apple cake has become one of them.
Years ago, a dear friend made an apple cake that I absolutely loved. Hers came from an old family recipe, and I remember how much I enjoyed it. It stayed with me, and eventually I started trying to recreate something similar in my own kitchen.
I experimented with recipes I found online, including Lucinda Scala Quinn's German Apple Cake published on MarthaStewart.com, and made adjustments to suit my taste. I use a little more flour, Honeycrisp apples, and a round pie dish that I love serving straight from the oven.
Over time, it became a seasonal staple in our home.
What I love most about this cake is its balance of sweet and tart. The apples are tossed with lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar before being arranged over a simple cake batter. As it bakes, the kitchen fills with the loveliest smell, and the apples soften into the golden top.
This time, I used the vanilla I made last year. I love when something made at home finds its way into everyday life again, long after the day it was first prepared. It makes even an ordinary afternoon of baking feel connected to the seasons and traditions of our home.
It's also wonderfully uncomplicated. You don't need a special occasion or much advance planning to make it. It's the sort of thing you can put together on an ordinary afternoon, serve when friends stop by, or bring along when visiting someone.
And if you happen to have children nearby while you're slicing the apples, you may want to prepare an extra one. In our house, the spare apple slices tend to disappear before the cake even makes it into the oven.
That's part of the pleasure of baking at home, too.
Not every recipe needs to be saved for a celebration. Some are worth keeping simply because they're easy to make, lovely to share, and become part of the way a season feels in your home.
This is one of those cakes for me. Every fall, I find myself coming back to it.
German Apple Cake Recipe
This is my adaptation, made with Honeycrisp apples and a little extra flour. I like to prepare the apples first so they have time to sit in the lemon juice and cinnamon sugar while I make the batter.
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1⅓ cups granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
You can slice a third apple if you'd like extra pieces to snack on while baking.
Instructions
1. Prepare the baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter an 8-inch round pie dish or another appropriately sized baking dish.
2. Prepare the apples.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a medium bowl. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, then toss them in the lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup sugar with the cinnamon. Add the cinnamon-sugar mixture to the apples and toss until evenly coated. Set aside while you prepare the batter.
3. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Make the batter.
In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter with 1 cup of the sugar until combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Assemble the cake.
Spread the batter evenly into the buttered dish. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping rows across the top, pressing them lightly into the batter.
6. Bake.
Bake for approximately 50 minutes, until the cake is golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and serve.
Let the cake cool in the dish for 10–15 minutes before serving. Enjoy it slightly warm or at room temperature.
A Few Notes from My Kitchen
The apples: Two Honeycrisp apples are enough for the cake. If you use three, you'll likely have extra slices left over—perfect for little kitchen helpers to snack on while you bake.
The baking dish: I love using a round pie dish, especially my Anthropologie one. It looks lovely on the table, and I can serve the cake right from it.
Making it ahead: This cake is easy to prepare on the day you plan to serve it. Let it cool before serving, and store any leftovers covered.
A Recipe to Return to Each Fall
Some of the best traditions begin with something we loved in someone else's home and make our own.
This cake reminds me that a recipe doesn't need to be elaborate to become meaningful. Sometimes, it's simply the one you find yourself making every year, sharing with friends, and returning to when the first signs of fall arrive.
A Few Things I Used
A few of the kitchen things I reach for when making this cake.
My round pie dish — The dish I use to bake and serve this cake.
A sharp paring knife — For peeling, coring, and thinly slicing the apples.
Measuring tools — The everyday basics that make baking from scratch a little easier.
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