This year started off with a bang and hasn’t stopped yet. I had surgery in February and spent several weeks recovering with assistance from many. Friends made meals and helped with the kids, and our parents stayed with us for a few weeks helping with food, cleaning, and laundry. When times were tough, the love and support of our family and friends gave us comfort and time to heal. And I’m very happy to feel like my old self again.
While Michael’s parents were here, his mother made this cake, a favorite recipe that she got from Cooking Light years ago and makes regularly. It’s a cake that should be in every cook’s recipe file because it’s easy and works equally well for dessert or as a brunch cake. With all the cinnamon and apples, it was an instant hit with our boys, and they love eating it warm with some ice cream on the side or whipped cream on top.
Recipe Notes
The low-fat cream cheese and apples make the cake very moist, and the cratered top fills in nicely with the cinnamon sugar topping. A serrated knife will cut clean slices.
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer with large mixing bowl
- 2 medium bowls
- 8-inch springform pan, lightly greased
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar (divided)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces block-style lowfat cream cheese (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 medium tart apples (peeled and chopped)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.
- In the mixing bowl, beat 1-½ cups of the sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and softened cream cheese until well-blended, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In the medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing at low speed until blended.
- Stir the remaining ¼ cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Toss 2 tablespoons of the mixture with a the chopped apples, then stir the apples in the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is puffy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack and remove from the pan. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Nutrition
More Easy Cake Recipes
More Apple Cake Recipes From Other Blogs
- Gluten-Free Goddess – Sour Cream Apple Cake
- Sass & Veracity – Spiced Upside-Down Apple Cake
- Gluten-Free Canteen – Apple & Banana Spoon Cake
[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]
kellypea says
This cake is beautiful, Andrea! I'm so happy that's you're back on your feet and posting again. Family is a remarkable thing to have and hold, indeed.
Denise says
Thrilled to see you back cooking and blogging. Happy to hear you are feeling better. 🙂 My grandmother use to make a cake like this - I loved the springy texture. Will have to make it for Lenny he loves apples in anything!
Andrea says
Thank you Kelly and Denise, I'm so glad to be back! 🙂
Muna Kenny says
That cake looks gorgeous! Apple cakes are my favorite no matter what version is baked, there is something magical about the taste and the texture of apple cake. I never frost or glaze my apple cakes since it has amazing flavor on its own 🙂