Apple Tea Cake

 A mix of fresh apples and spices in a tender fluffy cake. This Apple Tea Cake is best served with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon.

This Apple Tea Cake smells heavenly coming out of the oven which makes it very very difficult to wait for it to fully cool (but I recommend you do!) before slicing and enjoying a piece or two.

It’s called a tea cake for a few reasons. It’s perfect in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee (but it can definitely be enjoyed for dessert or breakfast too) and it’s just a simple single layered cake. Not a huge fuss to make but wow does it taste incredible!

Easy Apple Tea Cake

The batter is filled with some of my favourite spices – cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It pairs perfectly with the chunks of fresh apple to produce such a light, tender and fluffy cake.

I like to serve it with cream but its a super moist apple cake so is just as good on its own. Just a quick tip you can also warm it up in the microwave and serve with a little vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgence!

Why this is the BEST Apple Tea Cake

• No mixer required! All you need is two bowls and a wooden spoon
• Super moist cake that will stay fresh for up to 5 days
• Simple and easy recipe to follow
• A great way to use up apples when they are in season
• Can be made into muffins or a loaf too

What Apples are best for Apple Cake?

When choosing apples to use in baking or cooking there are a few important things to consider. Sweetness and structure. Apples that are crispier and more on the tart side work really well. They don’t make your cakes or baking too sweet and the apples will hold their shape and not break down.

I always use granny smith apples in baking but a few other popular options that work well are honey crisp and braeburn.

What to Serve with Apple Cake

This apple cake is super moist so it doesn’t need anything but here are a few ideas to serve with the cake.

• Freshly whipped cream
• Custard
• Yoghurt
• Ice Cream

Apple Tea Cake Ingredients

• Flour – Standard or all purpose white flour.
• Baking Soda – Baking soda is used in this recipe as it reacts to the acid in the apples to create a light and fluffy cake. Baking soda and baking powder produce the same results but work in different ways so don’t substitute on for the other in recipes.
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Brown Sugar – White sugar can be substituted for brown sugar in this recipe. It will create a slightly lighter cake with less of a caramel flavour.
• Oil – Use a flavourless oil like canola, sunflower or vegetable. Oil works best in this recipe to produce a light, fluffy and tender cake. I don’t recommend substituting butter for oil here.
• Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature along with the rest of the ingredients. If you store them in the fridge just remove them about 30 minutes before you start baking.
• Vanilla
• Apples – A tart crisp apple like Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Braeburn is best to use in this recipe. The apple will keep its shape and not make the cake too sweet.
• Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar – Optional for dusting over the baked cake before serving.

How to Make Apple Tea Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Grease and line a 20cm / 8″ round spring form cake pan.

In a a large bowl add the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In a seperate bowl add the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

Peel the apples and dice into small squares, about 1cm or 1/3″ thick.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold together with a wooden spoon.

When the ingredients are just combined add the diced apples to the bowl and fold through.

Pour the apple tea cake mixture into the cake pan and place into the oven for about 50-55 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Leave the apple cake to cool in the cake pan for about 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serving

Dust the cooled cake with icing sugar / powdered sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut slices and place on a small plate.

Serve the cake on its own or with a little freshly whipped cream or natural yoghurt.

Storing

Apple Tea Cake can be stored for up to 5 days.

Place the cake in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 5 days. The apples keep the apple cake moist so it does need to be stored in the fridge to stop it going bad.

To freeze the cake place it into an airtight container and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake fully defrost at room temperature before serving. It can also be served warmed up in the microwave to freshen it up.

FAQ

Does Apple Cake need to be stored in the fridge?

As this apple cake contains a lot of fresh apples it is very moist cake. This means it does need to be stored in the fridge to stop it going bad quickly. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

If you did want to keep the cake at room temperature you would need to eat it within a day or two.

Can I substitute the oil for butter?

I don’t recommend substituting butter for oil in this recipe as it produces a more flat and heavy cake. The batter for this recipe is similar to my carrot cake and the oil gives it a more tender and fluffier texture.

Can this apple cake be made without eggs?

You can use an egg replacement in this apple tea cake recipe. A chia seed egg of flax seed egg would work perfectly.

Is this cake dairy free?

Yes this cake is naturally dairy free as it uses oil instead of butter.

More Cake Recipes

• Banana Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream
• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Syrup Cake