Fresh Apple Cake With Brown Sugar Topping Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/8/19
Fresh apple cake brown sugar recipe

​The Spruce
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
569 Calories
36g Fat
58g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 569
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 46%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 447mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Protein 5g
Calcium 87mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This fresh, delicious apple cake, baked in a tube pan, is topped with a mixture of butter and brown sugar. The hot topping is poured over the cake when it comes out of the oven, adding a burst of flavor to the dish as a whole.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 3 cups apples (such as Rome Beauty, chopped)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the Topping
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for warm apple cake
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  2. Heat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease and flour a tube cake pan.

    Grease pan
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  3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir or whisk to blend thoroughly and then set aside.

    Flour
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  4. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs.

    Egg in a bowl
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  5. Add the granulated sugar and oil and beat for 3 minutes.

    Add milk
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  6. Gradually stir in sifted dry ingredients.

    Mix
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  7. Fold in apples, walnuts, and vanilla.

    Add apples
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  8. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan and bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    Batter in pan
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  9. About 5 minutes before the cake is done, combine the topping ingredients in a saucepan.

    Butter and brown sugar
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  10. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 3 minutes.

    Bring to a boil
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  11. Pour the hot topping over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

    Pour topping over cake
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  12. Let the cake cool and then loosen the sides, inverting the cake on a plate.

    Let cake cool
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  13. Then invert on another plate, topping side up.

    Let cool
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  14. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tips

  • The cake may be baked in a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes. Pour the brown sugar sauce over the cake, let the cake cool, and serve it from the baking pan.