Apple Sheet Cake
This Apple Sheet Cake is a soft and buttery cake made with fresh apples and finished with a sweet pecan streusel. Sheet cakes are perfect for parties or family gatherings since they are simple to bake and easy to slice for a crowd. It is one of my favorite fall recipes to bake right after apple picking with my family.
Apple season is here, which means you’ll be seeing plenty of recipes with this sweet fruit. I love how versatile apples are because I can make everything from apple snickers salad to my super decadent homemade apple pie that always shows up on our holiday table. My kids love apples as much as I do, so we turn it into a family activity. They pick apples at the orchard, and I head to the kitchen to turn them into something delicious.
Table of contents
For this apple sheet cake recipe, you only need a few ingredients like apples, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, butter, and almond meal. You can always play around with it too, like adding chopped nuts for crunch or mixing in another fruit for a twist on the flavor. That is what I love most about this cake, it is super flexible and easy to make your own. I have tried plenty of variations and I’ll be sharing them below in the post, so don’t forget to check them out!
Why you will love this recipe
- The smell that fills my kitchen with apple and spice: When this cake is in the oven, the mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples drifts through the house. So good!
- A cake I can make with simple pantry staples: I love that I can pull this together with flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and apples. It is super easy, yet the cake is always soft and moist.
- Perfect when I need a dessert for family or friends: Since it bakes in one pan, I just cut it into squares and serve. It is my favorite for holidays, gatherings, or casual weekends at home.
- A recipe that lets you play and make it your own: Sometimes I stir in walnuts or pecans, and other times I swap in a different seasonal fruit. That is the best part, I am never stuck making it the same way twice.
What you will need
For the cake:
- Apples: I chop fresh apples to keep the cake moist and sweet.
- Flour and baking powder: I use cake flour with baking powder so the crumb stays light.
- Dairy and eggs: I mix in milk, eggs, and melted butter to get a soft and rich texture.
- Sweetener and flavoring: I add sugar and vanilla bean for sweetness and aroma.
For the streusel:
- Powdered sugar: I use confectioners’ sugar to keep the topping light and sweet.
- Pecan meal: I pre-made finely ground pecans.
- Butter: I mix in soft butter at room temperature so it blends easily.
- Cinnamon: This is a must! I sprinkle it in for a spiced flavor.
How to make
Preheat and make the topping: I start by heating the oven to 350 degrees F and lining a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper. While the oven warms, I mix the streusel by kneading the butter with the sugar and pecan meal until it comes together, then I set it aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: I melt the butter in the microwave, then beat the sugar and eggs in my stand mixer for a minute or two until they look light and frothy. Next, I pour in the milk and cooled melted butter, whisking on low speed until everything is blended.
Add the dry ingredients: I gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a wooden spoon until they are just combined.
Put it all together: I pour the cake batter into the pan I lined earlier, making sure it spreads evenly from corner to corner.
Finish: Then I scatter the diced apples evenly over the batter and top it all with the pecan streusel, making sure it covers the surface.
Bake and serve: I slide the pan into the oven and bake the cake for about 40 to 50 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Once it is done, I let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving it slightly warm.
Expert tip
Apple cutting size is key
When I first tested this apple sheet cake, I noticed quickly that the way I chopped the apples is very important for the final texture. If the pieces were too big, they would sink or leave soggy spots in the cake, but when I diced them small and kept the size even, the apples baked perfectly into the batter.
More tips to consider:
- I learned to stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients were combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of light.
- I always check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready to cool.
- It is tempting to slice right into it, but giving the cake a little time to rest helps it hold together and slice neatly.
- For the streusel, I always make sure the butter is soft at room temperature. It blends smoothly with the sugar and pecan meal without clumping.
- When I use pecans or walnuts, I like to toast them lightly first. It adds a nutty flavor that makes the streusel even better.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Nutty walnut crunch: Sometimes I swap the pecans for walnuts in the streusel. It gives the topping a slightly earthier taste that my husband really enjoys.
- Brown sugar streusel: When I want a deeper sweetness, I use brown sugar instead of powdered sugar. The flavor turns rich and caramel like, which pairs beautifully with the apples.
- Apple and pear mix: I like to dice in a pear or two with the apples for a softer texture and a little extra sweetness. My kids think it is fun when they find both fruits in one slice.
- Cinnamon lovers: If I am baking this for my family, I usually add an extra pinch of cinnamon to the batter. It makes the cake extra aromatic and cozy on a chilly day.
- Glazed finish: Sometimes I whisk a quick glaze with powdered sugar and milk to drizzle over the top once the cake cools. It adds a shiny finish that looks lovely for a holiday table.
Serving suggestions
Serving this apple sheet cake slightly warm with a drizzle of my homemade caramel sauce is a must in my opinion, and it pairs beautifully with a slice of Instant Pot pecan cheesecake when we host fall gatherings. For brunch, I sometimes set it out next to a pecan pie French toast casserole so everyone can enjoy with their coffee.
On cozy weekends, I like to slice the cake and serve it as a dessert after a bowl of my cheesy crockpot cheeseburger soup for a comforting sweet and savory spread. During the holidays, this cake sits perfectly next to my crockpot sweet potato casserole, and when I want to dress it up, I spread it with my cream cheese frosting to make it even more festive.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: I keep leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze: I like to flash freeze the cooled cake in the pan for a few hours, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before placing it in a freezer bag for a couple months.
- Thaw: When I am ready to serve it again, I move the frozen cake to the fridge and let it thaw overnight.
- Reheat: This cake tastes wonderful at room temperature, but if I want a slice slightly warm, I heat it in the microwave on medium for 15 to 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
I usually go for Granny Smith and Honeycrisp because I love the mix of tart and sweet. The Granny Smith apples stay intact and keep the cake from being too sugary, while the Honeycrisp apples soften and melt into the batter. When we go apple picking, my kids like to choose all kinds of apples, and I just toss them in.
Yes, I always take a few minutes to peel them. Leaving the skins on can make the texture uneven and a little chewy, which my kids are quick to notice. I usually sit at the table with them and peel while they sneak a few slices to snack on. By the time I am done, the apples are ready to dice and add right into the cake.
Yes, I often do that when I do not have cake flour in the pantry. The texture is a little denser, but the flavor is just as good, and no one ever complains. When I do use cake flour, the cake has a fluffier crumb that I really enjoy, but all purpose flour still makes a delicious apple cake worth sharing.
More recipes with apples:
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Apple Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups cake flour all-purpose also works
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 apples peeled and diced
Streusel topping:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 cups very finely chopped pecans using a food processor – or walnuts
- 3/4 cup sugar or you can use brown sugar as well
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Chop the apples and set aside.
- First, in a large bowl, combine all the streusel ingredients, and stir with a fork until well blended, and set aside.
- Next, using an electric mixer, whisk the sugar and eggs for 1-2 minutes until slightly frothy. Add the melted butter and milk and whisk on low speed until combined.
- After that, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, and mix on the lowest speed until just combined, do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Spread the diced apples over the cake, then crumble the pecan streusel mixture on top.
- Bake until lightly browned for about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
Apple cutting size is key
When I first tested this apple sheet cake, I noticed quickly that the way I chopped the apples is very important for the final texture. If the pieces were too big, they would sink or leave soggy spots in the cake, but when I diced them small and kept the size even, the apples baked perfectly into the batter.More tips to consider:
- I learned to stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients were combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of light.
- I always check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready to cool.
- It is tempting to slice right into it, but giving the cake a little time to rest helps it hold together and slice neatly.
- For the streusel, I always make sure the butter is soft at room temperature. It blends smoothly with the sugar and pecan meal without clumping.
- When I use pecans or walnuts, I like to toast them lightly first. It adds a nutty flavor that makes the streusel even better.