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Homemade and better than the bakery, this Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake will become a new fall favorite! Made with boiled-down spiced apple cider, maple syrup, apple butter, and a mix of warming, cozy autumn spices. This cake is topped with sweet cinnamon sugar just before baking. Enjoy the warm smells of fall while this cake bakes away. It’s one of the best baked goods!
There are 3 secrets here. The first is to boil down the apple cider to concentrate its flavor. The second is to use spiced apple butter, it provides even more delicious apple flavor. And finally, serve the cake with warm salted honey butter – so delish!
When the apples are pretty, sweet, and delicious, it’s time to bake with them. September is my favorite month for using apples. I know everyone’s started in on the pumpkin craze, but in September, I bake with apples.
In my opinion, we can save the pumpkin for October and November. It makes it even more special!
So far this month, we’ve made shortcut easy apple fritters (my favorite), apple cider doughnut cookies (with melty chocolate), and now this most perfect apple cake.
Shockingly I’ve never made a simple apple cake before. I have apple doughnuts, maple glazed apple pull-apart bread, and even apple mini cakes, but a sweet apple-filled cake is something the site has been missing. So here we go!
Details
Step 1: boil the cider
Start by boiling down the cider. I’ve been doing this for pretty much every sweet apple recipe I’ve shared. Boiling the cider gives you an even more concentrated flavor that really comes through in the end.
Once the cider has boiled and reduced, continue on with the recipe.
Step 2: mix the batter
It’s a simple batter made with basic ingredients: vanilla, eggs, apple butter, and, of course, apple cider. I also use the perfect combination of warm autumn spices and very thinly sliced Honeycrisp apples.
For my apples, I love to leave the skin on. The skin provides more flavor and more fiber! If you prefer, you can also remove the skin, but around here, there’s no time for that!
Step 3: the cinnamon sugar
I mix granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and cold shredded salted butter.
Just take a very cold stick of butter and use a box grater to shred it. Just like cheese!
Now bake the batter into a sweet sheet cake. The smells from the oven will be better than your fall candles. It’s just wonderful and so cozy.
Step 4: salted honey butter
I’d say this is optional, but really, it’s not. You just have to smear this all over your warm cake. Mix soft salted butter with sweet honey, it’s the most indulgent addition. It’s absolutely what your cake needs.
Serve with coffee, hot cocoa, or even a steaming mug of cider for a quintessential fall treat!
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Lastly, if you make this Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
Servings: 15
Calories Per Serving: 374 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3 teaspoons apple or pumpkin pie spice
- 2-3 Honeycrisp apples, very thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons cold salted butter, grated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat. Let cool.3. In a large bowl, stir together the boiled cider, coconut oil, vanilla, egg, maple syrup, and apple butter, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, apple/pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the apples. The batter will be thick. 4. Spread the batter evenly among the prepared dish. 5. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and grated butter until a clumpy sugar forms. Sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until just set. 6. Serve the cake warm with honey butter (see notes). Enjoy!
Notes
Salted Honey Butter: In a bowl, combine 6 tablespoons butter, 6 tablespoons honey, and a pinch of sea salt.
Pumpkin Spice: mix 1/4 cup cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1 teaspoon allspice.
This post was originally published on September 19, 2023
Does this need to be refrigerated or can it be kept at room temperature?
Hi Emily,
You can keep this at room temperature in an airtight container.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Can you use apple sauce in place of the coconut oil?
Hi Jules,
I’ve never tested this so I can’t say for sure, but you could certainly give it a try!
I hope you love this recipe!
This cake is unstable at room temperature.
Disappeared within minutes of coming out of the oven 🙂 people who don’t eat cake had seconds (possibly thirds).
Teighan I love this recipe, so full of flavour, moist and crunchy. Thank you! Now I just have to deal with demands to “make it again”. 🙂
Lol thank you so much, Pauline:) I am so glad this recipe was a hit! Have a great week!
Oh my gosh Tieghan! This cake is amazing! There was just one problem with it. I wanted to eat the whole thing in one sitting 🙂 ! This will be a fall go to from now on. Super easy to make and the whole family loved it! I even shared some with the neighbors and they gave it an A+.
Hey Laura,
I’m grateful you tried the recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out! Happy Sunday!
Hi. I love your recipes!! What do you suggest in place of butter if I wanted to make this non-dairy- thanks!!
Hi Becky,
I have not personally tested this recipe without butter, but you could try using a dairy free butter like Miyoko’s brand. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try!
This is literally my favorite cake recipe from HBH hands down. The thin sliced apples and that clumped buttery topping-it goes to show that a simple recipe can be jaw droppingly amazing and this one is insane! We all liked it so so much and I even made it gluten free and it didn’t affect the taste whatsoever. This is a wonderful dessert!
Thank you so much, Lucy:) Love to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
This looks amazing. I wonder if I eliminate the butter and just sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of cake…would that work? Just to eliminate some of the sat fat for my diet. The crumble looks so good but I can’t have all that buttery topping so I am hoping the cake with the sugared topping will still be good. What do you think?
Hi Terri,
I think that would be okay for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you!
If I need to bake the cake ahead of time, will it reheat well? Or is it still tasty if I don’t reheat it?
Hi Jacqueline,
I would not recommend reheating, I would just serve at room temp:) It will still be delicious! I hope you love this cake!
Excellent recipe so good!!
Hey Teresa,
Yay!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment! xx
This cake was outstanding! Very flavorful and moist!
Hi Jeanne,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xx
How would you preserve it/reheat it if I am going to make it one day and serve it a day or two later?
Hi Maddie,
You can keep in an airtight container on the counter and then pop in the oven on low to warm through before serving. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This looks so yummy! I’m wondering about reducing the cider. Do I reduce to 1/2 the amount measured or do we want a syrup consistency? Thanks so much!
Hi Kim,
You will want to reduce until you have 1/2 cup. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
delicious!!!!
Thanks so much, Maddie!
I have boiled cider from King Arthur. Can I substitute that? If so, would I still use 1/2 cup?
Hi Barbara, Yes, that will work but you will want to use 1 1/2 cups. I hope you love this recipe!
I was wondering the same thing myself. I would think that you would use 1/2 cup of King Arthur Boiled Cider, since that’s what you would be doing with the 1.5 cups of regular cider at the beginning of the recipe. King Arthur’s product is already boiled down…
Have you ever made this in a Bundt pan?
Hi Katie,
So sorry, I have not, but I think that would probably work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
OH MY GOODNESS! SO good! Thank you, Tieghan!
Hi Melody,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! XxT
This recipe is soo good! The first time I made it, it went really fast! Decided to double the second time and it came out perfect!! A little taller but plenty of room in my 9×13 pan. Will definitely do that again!
Hey Barbara,
Happy Fall Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you:) XxT
Hi – what can I use in the UK as a substitute for apple butter? We so t have it here!
Hi Helen,
A thick apple sauce should work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe! xT