Julie Clark
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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 apple 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!
You may also love our apple oatmeal cookies!
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!
Can I substitute coconut oil for the canola oil? I only have coconut oil and olive oil in the house. 🙂
Just made this and it is DELICIOUS! A really nice recipe that uses quite a few apples!
I cut the recipe in half and used an 8×8 square pan. Used organic whole wheat flour, real butter, very large apple chunks, and half white half light brown sugar. Amazing!! Your recipe is like, fool-proof. I even forgot about it while it was in the oven, cooked longer than I planned, and it’s a little dark, but, tastes amazing. Moist, fresh apple walnut taste. Thank you for sharing your recipe;)
If you don’t have canola oil can you use vegetable oil
To answer the above questions about applesauce: I made this cake last night in a kind of bread style fashion. I subbed in the oil for 2oz of coconut oil and made up the rest with applesauce. I did everything else as stated but made the apple chunks a little larger (because I was too lazy to cut them up small). I also roasted the walnuts first as I love the nutty taste that this brings out. I put it in a loaf pan, covered the top with tin foil and cooked it at 350 for about an hour. I… Read more »
I only have 2 eggs is that okay?
Wow walnuts can make a wonderful cake
I’m so sorry about your lack of apples from the tree 🙁 but the cake looks wonderful!
I always made this cake for my children when they were small.
What a lovely cake and so easy to make. I made it yesterday and took it for our Walking Group – Actif Woods Aberystwyth – and everyone wants the recipe. I’ve no idea what canola oil is so I used vegetable oil. As for applesauce, I thought it was stewed apples. How on earth can you substitute that for oil?
Thanks for the recipe.
I just tried this recipe today. It was so easy. The cake turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Hi this looks amazing 🙂 was just wondering if I can sub some of the oil for applesauce? Would it make it too dense?
Also, is it possible to make it in a round springform pan? Thanks 🙂
This cake did not last long at my house! It sure was yummy. I think the next time I bake another, I’ll use 1/4 cup less sugar. I am curious as to how best to store it. I covered mine with plastic wrap and found that it got a little too moist. I also may try using a bundt pan for a different look. Thanks for such a great recipe!
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.