Apple Breakfast Cake

Sweeten up your mornings with apple breakfast cake! This cake has sweet apples and tons of cinnamon sugar in every bite. This is a classic that is delicious for all seasons.

This apple breakfast cake is so delicious and full of flavour. The warm spices mixed with soft apples is a combination that never gets old.

The cake comes together in a few easy steps, and is the perfect way to start the day.

For more cake recipes, try Carrot Coffee Cake, Easy Apple Cake, and Easy Carrot Cake.

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• Ingredients Notes
• Step by step instructions
• Expert Baking Tips
• FAQ
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• Apple Breakfast Cake

Ingredients Notes

Full recipe and ingredients are in the recipe card below. Feel free to scroll through this section to view certain key ingredients we’re using!

• Apples – I used McIntosh apples. You can use any kind of apples though. If you use Granny Smith, there will be a sour contrast to the cake. I had 2 cups total, sliced into small cubes. I chopped them with the skin on, but you can peel it if you'd like.
• Butter – This will be softened for the cake.
• Cornstarch – This helps add a nice texture in the cake. If you don't have it, replace with all-purpose flour.
• Eggs – Make sure they’re at room temperature before beginning.
• Flour – All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.
• Yogurt – You can also substitute this for kefir or buttermilk. To make buttermilk, stir 1 cup of room temperature milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Allow to sit on your counter for at least 10 minutes minimum.

Step by step instructions

Here is how to make and bake this apple breakfast cake. You will need a 9×9 baking pan lined with parchment paper, 3 mixing bowls, a spatula, and an electric handheld mixer.

Step 1 – Prep. Grease the pan. Place parchment paper on the bottom and 2 sides of the pan so it's hanging over the sides. Gently grease the other two sides and then set aside.

Step 2 – Mix dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, add in the dry ingredients; flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

Step 3 – Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, add softened butter and white sugar. Mix on medium to high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Don't forget to scrap the sides of the bowl every 30 seconds or so.

Step 4 – Add in wet ingredients. Into the creamed butter and sugar, add in the yogurt, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Continue mixing on medium speed until smooth.

Step 5 – Add in dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl. Using a spatula, gently mix until a soft cake batter forms. Do not over-mix! Over-mixing causes cakes to be tough.

Step 6 – Add apples. Slice the apples into small cubes. Then add into the bowl and mix in a few times.

Step 7 – Bake. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. In a small cup, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle it evenly on top.

Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes. Mine took 40 minutes exactly. Every oven is different, so your time may be different than mine. After 30 minutes I would start checking with a toothpick to see if it’s ready. A toothpick should come out clean with no wet batter.

Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy! This apple breakfast cake is so good! It is best served fresh, and stays good on the counter for up to 3 days.

Expert Baking Tips

Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours

• Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
• Do not over-mix! A big reason cakes don’t turn out is because the batter is over-mixed. Once you see no flour streaks, stop mixing.
• Use fresh, not frozen. Make sure to use fresh apples!
• To make ahead of time: Bake, cool, slice, and store in an airtight container or wrap in foil/saran wrap.

FAQ

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes. To bake it in a 9×13 pan, use 2x more of each ingredients. The cake will be taller. It should take anywhere from 40-55 minutes to bake. You can 2x the recipe in the recipe card.

Can I bake this in an 8×8 pan?

Yes, but the cake will be taller.

How do I make buttermilk?

If you don’t have yogurt that this recipe calls for, you can use buttermilk instead. To make buttermilk, stir 2/3 cups of room temperature milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Allow to sit on your counter for at least 10 minutes to activate before using.

Do I peel the apples?

You can if you'd like, but I love the colour and texture the skin adds so I kept mine on!

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