Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Apple Walnut Cake
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Apple Walnut Cake is a moist snack cake with apples and walnuts in every bite. It’s one of the best apple recipes to make during the apple picking season. This cake is so full of flavor that no frosting is needed. A simple dusting powdered sugar will do.
My mom and dad have had apple trees for years. I’ve gotten to enjoy their applesauce, pies and cobblers over the years. I knew I wanted apple trees when I got my own house.
Fast forward 16 years later and guess what? I have my own apple trees! They are still small, but every year they are full of blossoms so one day we will be harvesting. I can picture myself using those perfectly round McIntosh apples in a few pies, apple danishes and apple walnut cake of my very own.
I still love the simplicity of this little Apple Walnut Cake. Apples take center stage. Cinnamon and walnuts pair perfectly with those apples.
About this Apple Walnut Cake Recipe:
- Flavor: This cake is loaded with apple cinnamon flavor. If you remember any type of apple cake or bread from when you were young, this will remind you of it. Simple and comforting!
- Texture: Keep the walnuts and apple pieces larger for more texture, or chop them finely for less texture. The cake is moist and tender either way.
What are the best apples for apple cake?
You’ll see that this cake is stuffed full of apples.
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonathan and Gala apples all great apples for baking are commonly found in grocery stores. Braeburn and Winesap are delicious too.
Do you have to peel apples for baking?
You don’t have to, but I highly recommend it. I don’t like the texture of baked apple skins in my cakes, pies and breads, so I always peel the apples.
Here’s a little tip.
The best invention ever is an Apple Pie Peeler/Corer. It makes working with apples a breeze. Just as we told you when we made the Amish Apple Goodie, those hand-crank peelers are a life-saver if you do much baking with apples at all. In about 3 minutes you’ll have the 5 apples that are needed for this recipe completely ready.
How to Make Apple Walnut Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture mix just until blended.
- Fold in the apples and nuts.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
I wanted to keep the apple walnut cake basic, so I put an effortless dusting of powdered sugar on top. It makes the cake look pretty and gives just a touch of extra sweetness to the cake.
Recipe Variations
- Add other spices such as nutmeg, allspice or cloves. They all pair well with apples.
- Try adding raisins if your family wouldn’t mind.
- Want frosting on the cake? I recommend a cream cheese frosting.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for a special treat.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Then store in the fridge or freezer.
For longer term freezer storage, wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a second container and freezer for up to 6 weeks. Allow the cake to thaw completely before unwrapping it.
This apple walnut cake is my idea of a great start to a morning. Along with a cup of Russian tea or coffee, of course. And it’s the perfect ending to a long day. Enjoy!
Apple Walnut Cake
Apple Walnut Cake is a moist cake with apples and walnuts in every bite. This cake is so full of flavor that no frosting is needed. A simple dusting powdered sugar will do!
Servings 15
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar 350 grams
- 1 cup canola oil 205 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 267 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped (470 grams)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts 128 grams
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar 33 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium-size bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture mix just until blended.
- Fold in the apples and nuts.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool and then sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate or freeze after that.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Apple Recipes You’ll Love
During apple season, you might find you want a new apple recipe to enjoy. Here’s a few we love!
I am writing this while my cake bakes. It smells amazing and don’t think I will be able to let it cool. Thanks for this recipie
Yvonne
Good flavour but the ratio is way off! I had way too much apple and had to bake it for 40 mins extra. It was still soft
I always made this cake for my children when they were small.
I made this cake for my cousin’s birthday yesterday and it was a huge hit! Everyone kept complimenting me on how moist and delicious it was. I used golden delicious apples and followed the recipe exactly as stated. I used a bundt pan instead of the 9 x 13 pan and it took a little longer than the 45 minutes to bake. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Just wanted to chime in on the comments about this being an amazing cake. I made it yesterday just to have something sweet around the house, and like others I was a bit dubious about the amount of apples needed. It came out absolutely perfect! 5 stars for sure.
I usually don’t leave any feedback online but I just made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday (he requested something moist with walnuts in it) and it was one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever made. Like others I was a bit worried about the amount of apples but it turned out so well! I also subbed half of the white sugar with brown sugar, used butter and added a little bit of extra walnuts. My husband can’t stop raving about how delicious the cake is and asked me to make sure to save the recipe 🙂 This… Read more »
This recipe is amazing! I can’t keep my hands off of it, so yummy, moist, and flavorful! I love that it is simply full of the apples and nuts, I will admit I was nervous when I saw how much apple went into the recipe. I did sub 1 cup of white and 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead of all white because I love brown sugar and the flavor it gives to baked goods, especially apples 🙂
Thank you!
Awesome recipe! I bet this smells just like fall when it is baking!
I find this cake almost too moist. The recipe calls for 1 cup oil and at the time I thought this seemed like a lot. After several days the cake feels wet. This is after storing in refrigerator. Can the oil be cut down to make a drier cake?
I made this cake but it took 50 minutes to cook. I’d also add more walnuts. It was delicious.
oh. my. goodness. most of what you make looks like heaven… but this makes my mouth crave the hot apples and the lovely taste that only walnuts get when they bake and caramelize just a little bit. LMAO I recently “discovered” Pazazz apples (sweet and hearty – the nickname is “jolly rancher apples” but… I disagree) and I feel like they really want to meet this recipe. thank you for this! perfect timing!
I made this cake and was absolutely delicious!! I did however use only one cup of sugar
Going to try this one this week. Looks fabulous!
What a yummy and easy recipe
This is so delicious that the word “delicious” isn’t good enough!