Simple Apple Cake Recipe (Dairy-Free)

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This simple apple cake recipe uses oil instead of butter, so it’s dairy free! You will love this dense cake with apples and hints of orange.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Cozy Fall Desserts

Nothing quite screams fall like the smell of cinnamon-sugar apples in the oven. Fall is our favorite season here at Simply Rooted Farmhouse. Our whole family loves the weather just a little bit cooler. We finally got around to planting a fall garden this year, and are very excited to have another round of fresh crops to pick. The kids enjoy apple picking from a local orchard, and of course pumpkin picking as well! There are small local farms that we frequent each year for all of our pumpkin picking needs. We like to support small farms whenever possible, and fall is a great time because the farms have so much to offer. Each year I like to make sure to stock up on pumpkins to make homemade puree to freeze as well. For more about us, check out this page.

This post was written in collaboration with two very talented blogger friends as part of a “Cozy Fall Desserts” collab. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the other delicious recipes featured in this post by my blogging buddies.

Apple cake is one of my favorite recipes to make with kiddos in the kitchen. Our kids had so much fun helping me make these cakes, and of course eating most of the apples. To make things a little easier in the kitchen, my husband built the kids a long bench to stand on. This gives us a safe place for the kids to stand on while we’re cooking so they can see what we’re doing and help out too. The bench (and kitchen renovation) can be found here.

What type of apples are used in apple cake?

Any type of apples can be used in this recipe, or use a combination of apple varieties. For the recipe pictured here, I used Granny Smith apples because that’s what I had on hand.

If you’ve just left the apple orchard with a variety of choices, go ahead and use whatever you have to re-create this recipe. The different tastes cook so well together, giving the cake unique flavors (all are delicious).

Bundt Pans, Cake Pans or Loaf Pans for Apple Cake?

Personally, I think that cooking this recipe in a bundt pan would be the most beautiful option. Unfortunately, my bundt pan needs to be replaced so I saved myself the horror of having the cake stick and tried the loaf pans and round cake pan instead! With my test cakes, I found both recipes to be equally delicious, but the loaf pans took longer to cook. Because of the prolonged cook time, the cakes were getting a little too brown on top and needed to be covered for a portion of the cooking time (about 20-30 minutes). I used a round cake pan for the next batch, and it made for a more beautiful cake that cooked in less time.

Tools and Ingredients Needed for this Recipe

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

For the apples

• 5-6 Apples (I used Granny Smith)
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 5 tbsp. Sugar

For the cake:

• 2 C. Sugar
• 3 C. Flour
• 1 C. Oil
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4 C. Orange Juice
• 3 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

• Loaf pans, bunt cake pan or regular cake pan (pictured)
• Large mixing bowl
• Stand mixer
• Measuring tools

How to make Apple Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the apples:

First, peel 5-6 apples and slice into chunks. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over top then mix well. Let this apple mixture sit while you create the batter.

For the cake:

In a mixing bowl, add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until well incorporated.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all wet ingredients (oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla).

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until a thick batter is formed.

Grease and flour the pan. Pour a layer of batter into the pan, then add a thin layer of apples. Repeat until batter and apples are all in the pan.

Bake for 40-90 minutes, depending on the pan type used. For the recipe pictured here, I used a round cake pan and baked for about 90 minutes. If the cake is still raw but getting golden brown, cover with foil and continue cooking until a cake tester comes out clean.

This is a freezer friendly recipe!

Printable Recipe Card

Check out these other cozy fall desserts!

I’ve teamed up with Ally from Tjoelker Family Farm and Rachael from Milk Glass Home today to bring you two more incredible, cozy fall desserts. These friends of mine are especially talented in the kitchen, and you’ll love their simple, tasty creations. Click on the links below to check them out!

Ally’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Rachael’s Caramel Apple Galette

You May Also Like

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

The Best Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

How to Make Blueberry Cake From Scratch

Pin it for Later

Thanks for visiting our Simply Rooted Farmhouse today! In the comments below, what’s your favorite type of apple? We love Gala and Red Delicious for snacking, and Granny Smith for baking.

Until next time …

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