This apple snack cake is easy to make, packed with chunks of apple and gently spiced. It has a wonderful balance of sweetness, tender buttery cake and fruitiness. It's always incredibly popular with all who try it, so make sure you do soon, too!
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When my older son was young, we needed to get out of the house pretty early every day. It wasn't so much that he was clamoring at the door, but he was obviously not content being in the confines of our house and needed more to keep him happy.
Luckily, I had a few friends in the same position, and particularly when the weather wasn't great, we'd often head to the Children's Museum.
Much as it is a great museum (and we still go now, just less often), one thing I have never understood is why it doesn't open until 10am.
I know there are plenty of parents and caregivers of young kids who, even with travel time, could do with it being open a good hour or more earlier. Because for whatever reason, so many kids are early risers (why can't they inherit the early bird/night owl genes of their parents?!)
However thankfully, there's a great cafe nearby, Flour, which we still go to regularly for lunch when we're at the museum. We'd sometimes meet there first for coffee and a snack, and their apple snack cake was definitely a favorite.
I've previously shared a sour cream apple cake which we all loved, but I decided it was about time to try a version of the snack cake.
I found the original, which this draws on (from owner Joanna Chang's book, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
Don't worry, though: it's still definitely sweet and has a wonderfully round spice flavor, without being too much. It's moist, light and not too crumbly.
Steps to make apple snack cake
This is a really easy cake to make, as you simply:
- Cream together the sugar and butter;
- Add the eggs and mix.
- Separately mix the dry ingredients.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Stir through the diced apple and dates, then put in a lined pan and bake.
I've added a few chopped dates in here, as I love both the flavor and texture, but you could also use raisins as in the original. Many recipes also add in some nuts which you are welcome to do as well, I just knew my kids would be funny about them and I do really like it without.
I tried it both with and without frosting and I really have a hard time deciding which I prefer. Funny enough, the kids go for with frosting but it is a little more messy. My compromise is the drizzle you see here. It's up to you, and it's delicious either way.
If you're a fan of fruity cakes, then you might also like to try my French pear cake, Austrian apricot cake or this banana cake.
This apple snack cake is a wonderfully easy and tasty cake perfect for any time of day. Enjoy it with coffee, as dessert, as part of brunch or any excuse. It's jam-packed with juicy apples and is sure to be a hit.
Like apple-y treats? So do I! Try these other tasty ideas:
- Apple bacon cornmeal scones
- Caramel apple magic bars
- Apple crepes
- Classic apple tarte tatin
- Apple banana smoothie
- Æblekage - Danish apple trifle
- Plus get more inspiration in the fall recipes archives.
Plus my German plum cake or Dutch spice cake are other great options to go with a cup of tea/coffee.
I use this 9x9 inch square baking pan for this that works well (and has a lid, handy for storing any leftovers; affiliate link).
Apple snack cake
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsalted butter room temperature or at least cut in small pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves or allspice
- 2 cups apples peeled and small dice, approx 2 apples (peeled and cored weight/vol)
- ⅓ cup chopped dates
For the maple frosting (optional)
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar (¼ cup is 4tbsp) icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Line a 9x9in (23x23cm) cake pan with parchment.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined (you can use either a stand or hand mixer). Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla and mix in well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add this to the butter mixture - I suggest folding in with a spatula rather than beating (you can add part at a time, if easier). The mixture will be relatively stiff.
- Add the diced apples and dates, mix them through then tip into the lined prepared pan. Smooth the top then bake for approximately 35 minutes until a medium brown color and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- You can enjoy the cake warm or cool, but if you want to add frosting it will need to be cooled first.
- If adding frosting, sift the confectioner's sugar then stir in the maple syrup. Mix until smooth. Drizzle or spread over the cake once it has cooled then cut and serve. It will keep approx 3-4 days at cool room temp in a sealed box.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This post was originally shared in September 2018 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and a video.
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Kelli Cook says
I made this a couple of hours ago. I didn’t have dates or raisins. But it sounded too good to pass up. My bunch didn’t even wait for it to cool off because it smelled so heavenly. Absolutely delicious!
Caroline says
That's so good to hear, my kids are big fans of this one too (both with or without the extra fruit).
Lisa L Van Wieren says
Is there a way to scale this up to a 9x13 pan?
Caroline's Cooking says
So a 9x13 pan is a little under 1.5 times the volume of a 9x9 as I use here. So if you use 1 1/2 times everything (so 6oz butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 2 cups flour etc), but method will be the same. It may take slightly longer to bake, just check for doneness towards the end and give a little longer as needed. You probably don't need to increase the maple drizzle, unless you feel you need extra.
Tara says
I can see why this cake was an instant hit! Definitely perfect for autumn. Love that frosting on top.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it really is great for fall though we'd eat it any time (and have). The frosting works so well to finish it off.
Adriana Lopez Martin says
Love me some apples! What a nice idea for a dessert using seasonal fruit. Apples are such a nice ingredient and so appropriate for the fall. Making this cake for my upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, we are big apple fans, in all forms really - hope you enjoy!
Marie says
This apple cake looks scrumptious! I love the warming spices in it and the frosting sounds so tasty too!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it's a tasty cake for sure!
Sharon says
This looks like the perfect fall dessert! Great with a cup of coffee for an afternoon treat.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, yes definitely good with coffee!
Liz @ Books n' Cooks says
Yum - this is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. I'd love a big slice of it with my afternoon cup of tea.
Caroline's Cooking says
Sounds like the perfect combination!
Wendy Klik says
I've got the coffee poured, now all I need is a piece of this cake.
Caroline's Cooking says
It would go perfectly!
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck says
The frosting on this snack cake sounds so over-the-top dreamy!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it really is delicious!