The method is three separate mixes: dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and the apple mixture. The batter comes together from the first two, then the layering begins, half the batter into the tin, half the apple mixture spread over it, the remaining batter, the remaining apple mixture on top. An optional scattering of brown sugar finishes the surface and adds a faint crunch. The apple layer is thin enough that the cake rises around it and stays airy, which is why each slice looks slightly different from the last; the apple slices shift as the batter rises around them.
The orange juice in the batter adds a brightness that keeps the sweetness from going flat. The applesauce is worth making yourself, the homemade version carries a freshness that the store-bought kind cannot quite match, and there is a recipe on the blog that makes it straightforward. One hour in the oven, a 9-inch tin, and a cake that holds its moisture
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Apples – I like Granny Smith and/or Honeycrisps.
- Apple sauce – read how to make applesauce or buy at the store.
- Cinnamon
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Orange juice
- Brown sugar – optional
How to Make Double Apple Cake
Step 1 – Make 3 mixes and line your cake from with parchment paper.
- The dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.
- The wet ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla extract.
- Apples (in thin slices), applesauce, cinnamon and sugar.
Step 2 – Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
Step 3 – Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the cake form and top that with half of the apple mixture, spread out as much as you can.
Step 4 – Pour the rest of the batter in the cake form and then the remainder of the apple mixture, same as before, spread out as much as you can.
Cover with brown sugar. This is an optional step. It adds a little bit of crunch and sweetness.
Step 5 – Place the cake in an oven of 350°F Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry.
Allow the cake to cool a little, before slicing it.
The layer of apples and applesauce is thin enough for the cake to rise in between the slices, become airy and stay moist. It also means that the apple slices slightly move, which will make each individual slice different from the next.
Other Apple Desserts to Try
Double Apple Cake
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 1 whole apple, cut in very thin slices (by hand or mandolin)
- 1/2 cup applesauce (NOTE 1)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Dry ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch cake form with parchment paper.
- Make 3 separate mixes:1. Mix all dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.2. Mix all wet ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla extract.3. Mix apple slices, applesauce, cinnamon and sugar.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
- Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the cake form and top that with half of the apple mixture, nicely.
- Pour the rest of the batter in the cake form and then the remainder of the apple mixture.
- Cover with brown sugar. This is an optional step.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Allow the cake to cool a little, before slicing it.
Notes
- This recipe is made with homemade applesauce. A quick and easy recipe can be found here. You can also use store-bought applesauce if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.