This apple and cinnamon cake is soft, moist, and full of flavour. The sweet apples and warm spice make it perfect for a cosy afternoon treat or an easy dessert. Enjoy it on its own, or add custard or ice cream for something extra special.
What You Need
Note: Scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Light Brown Sugar – Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the cake and helps keep it moist.
Butter – Use softened unsalted butter for easy creaming with the sugar.
Self Raising Flour – The raising agent is already included, giving the cake a good rise.
Ground Cinnamon – One to two teaspoons, depending on how much cinnamon flavour you like.
Eggs – Beaten before adding, so they mix evenly into the batter.
Apples – Two medium apples, peeled and cored before chopping. They should weigh around 400g before preparation. Choose a cooking apple for a tangier flavour or a dessert apple for more sweetness.
Sultanas (Optional) – Add extra sweetness and a chewy texture.
Making Apple and Cinnamon Cake
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / Gas Mark 4 and prepare your cake tin. A 20cm (8-inch) round tin works perfectly. I like to line the base with baking paper for an easy release.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar together until they’re pale and fluffy. This is the base of your cake, so take a little time to get it airy. An electric mixer makes this quick work, but a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease will do the job nicely.
Sift the self raising flour and ground cinnamon straight into the bowl. Give everything a gentle stir so the flour starts to blend in with the butter and sugar.
Next, pour in the beaten eggs gradually, stirring as you go. This helps everything combine smoothly.
Peel, core, and chop your apples into small chunks. Add them to the bowl along with the sultanas if you’re using them. Fold them in gently so you keep the batter light and don’t mash the apples.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, checking at the 45-minute mark. If the top is browning too quickly but the centre isn’t quite there yet, loosely cover it with foil. You’ll know it’s ready when a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.
Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15–20 minutes, this helps it firm up so it doesn’t break when you remove it. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely, then slice and enjoy just as it is, or with a generous pour of custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips & Advice
- Apple choice – Bramley apples give a sharper taste, while varieties like Gala or Braeburn add more natural sweetness.
- Extra crunch – Sprinkle a little demerara sugar on top before baking for a golden, crunchy crust.
- Warming spices – Add a pinch of ground nutmeg or mixed spice for more depth.
- Storage – Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Serving idea – For a warm pudding, gently reheat a slice in the microwave and top with custard.
More Baking Recipes
Are you looking for more simple baking recipes? Try these for inspiration;
Apple and Cinnamon Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 225 g light brown sugar
- 225 g butter softened
- 225 g self raising flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 medium apples approx. 400g before peeling and coring
- 50 g sultanas optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / Gas Mark 4. Grease or line a 20cm/8-inch cake tin.
- Cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy.
- Add the flour and cinnamon, then stir to combine.
- Add the beaten eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the chopped apples and sultanas (if using).
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, checking at 45 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
- Test with a skewer — if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Cool in the tin for 15–20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve plain, with custard, or with ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an estimate.
Lisette Halliday
Sunday 5th of October 2025
Hi Liana, Thank you. This cake was absolutely delicious. It has my husband’s approval too, he complained there wasn’t any custard! Do you have a recipe for homemade custard by any chance?
I will let you in to a secret, I had a very senior moment when making the cake today and I creamed the butter and the flour! 😳 In spite of this mishap the cake was scrumptious. I added some milk to soften the mix and it worked well.
Thank you again. Lisette