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Apple Dapple Cake is an easy, vintage cake recipe loaded with apples and nuts, and a sweet buttery glaze on top.
This Apple Dapple Cake is one of those old-fashioned, vintage recipes that everyone absolutely loves!
It’s a super moist, dense, vanilla-infused cake that is loaded up with chunks of apples and nuts throughout.
To make this easy apple cake even better – as soon as it comes out of the oven – you’ll pour a caramel-like butter and brown sugar glaze over the top. It seeps in while the Apple Dabble Cake is still warm – and it makes this heavenly cake just that much more delicious!
What is Apple Dapple Cake?
Apple Dabble Cake is an old vintage apple-nut cake recipe that has been around for decades. It seems that everyone’s grandmother had this recipe in their collection!
Some people claim that this easy, glazed apple cake is an old Amish recipe. Others say it has Southern roots – especially if you use pecans as the nuts in your cake. We’ve also seen a similar recipe – without the glaze – on a Jewish recipe blog which notes that the oil-based batter (vs lard) made this cake suitable for kosher diets.
Regardless of the origin – this Apple Dapple Cake is fantastic!
What kind of apples should I use?
This recipe calls for the Granny Smith variety of apples – in part, because their tartness helps balance the sweetness of cake. Granny Smiths are also ideal for baking because they stay relatively firm when baked, so you’ll see and taste the apples in your cake.
Alternately, you can use any other type of ‘baking’ apple that will stay firm when baked such as Brauburn, Honey Crisp, or Jonagold. Just note that these apples are sweeter than the Granny Smith variety so your cake will be extra sweet.
Best Apple Cake You’ll Ever Make? YUP!
I’m going to let you in on one more little secret…this IS the exact same cake batter we use to make our Best Apple Cake Ever recipe – that SO MANY of our readers love and rave about! 😊
That earlier apple cake recipe got the name “Best Apple Cake Ever” from my sister-in-law Pam. But since we posted it here, several readers wrote to us to tell us that it was originally called an Apple Dapple Cake – and they are correct!
Today’s Apple Dapple Cake is baked in a 9×13-inch pan instead of a bundt pan – so it’s even easier to transport to your next party or potluck. And it’s just as delicious!
You may enjoy these other Apple recipes:
- Best Apple Cake Ever
- Apple Cider Poke Pound Cake
- Apple Kuchen Bars
- Cranberry Apple Clafoutis
- Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Apple Dapple Cake
Ingredients
Shortening and flour to prepare a 9X13 pan * see note
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large Granny Smith apples (about 1 3/4 pound)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Glaze
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place rack in upper third of the oven.
Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl then sift a second time.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix vegetable oil with both sugars until well mixed.
With mixer running, add one egg at a time and once mixed, add vanilla and mix and scrape the bowl.
Slowly add the dry ingredients with mixer running on low. Scrape the bowl again and mix.
Peel, core and cut the apples into bite sized pieces and fold into the batter.
Fold the walnuts into the batter then spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake in top third of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, put all glaze ingredients into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil and stir with a wooden spoon continuously for one minute.
Remove from heat and pour over the top of the warm cake.
Cool the cake or serve warm by cutting into 12 pieces (3 rows X 4 rows).
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Notes
*We have found that different colored pans cook differently as well as cooking in glass vs metal. So, the cooking time may vary slightly depending on what type of pan you use. We used a dark non-stick metal pan and ours took 50 minutes and was just starting to get dark on the sides.
Just made this cake today. It’s moist, flavorful and the glaze is just lovely.
I had to stop myself from cutting off another piece… yikes! I’m thinking it’ll be even better tomorrow.
If you’re not sure which apple cake recipe to try, start with this one.
★★★★★
Thanks Teresa! 🙂
Wonderful! Perfect fall dessert for company. Topped it with fresh whipped cream. I will double the glaze next time.
★★★★★
Thanks Rebecca!
It just kills me when people rate this but change the recipe. Get your own recipes posted on your own site! Just rude to me! I’m making this today (your recipe) and I’m sure it will be great just the way it is. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a frustration of mine too Mimi… 🙂 We hope you enjoy the cake!
Everybody loved this cake it was a wonderful cake. Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear you all enjoyed the cake Julie!
About how many cups of apples would this be? I have frozen apples in the freezer labeled by the cups. Thank you.
Without precisely measuring it (I don’t have apples on hand) about 3-4 cups.
This looks so delicious and want to make it but as I,m on my own can I freeze it.
Thk you
Linda
Sure Linda – you can freeze it. You might want to add additional glaze after it’s thawed (or wait to glaze the portion you freeze).
Thank you for the easy to follow recipes! I’m making this for my grown sons birthday this weekend.
You’re welcome Kim – hope he has a wonderful birthday!
Thank you for having a 9 x 13 recipe, since I no longer have a bundt pan. I made this yesterday but had to bake it 1 hour. After pulling it out and cooling it sank and was soggy and does not stay together. I was surprised it calls for 1 1/2 cups of oil, could it have caused my issue. I used Red Delicious apples. I would love to try again if I could avoid the soggy issue. Any advice?
Hi Audrea – If the cake was underdone in the center and sank, it sounds like the it just needed additional time in the oven. This is a dense batter and you used a different apple than called for in the recipe so it’s possible the Red Delicious apples gave up more liquid into the batter than the Granny Smiths which stay firm as they bake. Plus, every oven is different so baking time may vary. I’d suggest using the toothpick test to check for doneness in the center of the cake. Hope that helps.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I used the 9×13-in pan recipe with a Xylan non-stick steel pan. Took 42 minutes to bake perfectly! The glaze was too sweet for me but my mom absolutely flipped for it! So next time I think I will just glaze half the cake for her and the other half u glazed for me haha! There were so many apples but we are apple crazy here so I think I would add an additional apple next time but that’s just for my personal taste. I did not sift the flour mixture because I couldn’t find my sifter. But recipe still came out perfect! Thanks for such a fabulous recipe!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome Sandy – so glad the cake was a hit!
Hi, I use applesauce in all my cakes that call for oil. I make my own applesauce and all of my cakes turn out good and moist. Have you ever tried it. A lot less calories!!
Hi Lin – We’ve tried replacing some but not all oil with applesauce in some recipes. It works in many recipes.