Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
This cinnamon apple yogurt cake was inspired by a number of classic apple cake recipes, but I wanted to create a version with a little more flavour and texture. It is made with two kinds of apples, creamy Greek yogurt, a hint of fresh lemon and a buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble that bakes into the top.
The result is a soft, moist homemade apple cake filled with tender apple pieces and finished with a simple lemon glaze. It is an easy fall dessert, but honestly, it is just as good with coffee at breakfast or as a simple afternoon treat.
Short Description of the Recipe
This cinnamon apple yogurt cake is a soft, moist homemade apple cake made with two kinds of apples, Greek yogurt, warm cinnamon and a buttery brown sugar crumble. A light lemon glaze adds just enough sweetness without making the cake feel heavy.
Why It’s Good
The Greek yogurt keeps this easy apple cake tender and moist, while the chopped apples add little juicy pockets throughout every slice. I also like the contrast between the soft cake and the slightly crisp cinnamon crumble on top. It smells amazing while it bakes. Even better, the flavour develops as it sits, so the cake is still delicious the next day.
When to Serve It
Serve this moist cinnamon apple cake for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving dessert, weekend brunch or an afternoon coffee break. It is simple enough for everyday baking but pretty enough to bring to a potluck or family dinner. A slice is especially good slightly warm, although it also tastes lovely at room temperature.
Step 1: Coat the Apples
Add the chopped apples to the flour mixture and toss until every piece is lightly coated. Flour-coated apples are less likely to sink, helping distribute tender apple pieces throughout the cinnamon apple yogurt cake.
Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, add the eggs, Greek yogurt, oil, sugar and vanilla. Using Greek yogurt gives this moist homemade apple cake a soft, tender crumb without making it feel heavy.
Step 3: Whisk Until Smooth
Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth and evenly blended. A few tiny yogurt streaks are fine, but make sure the eggs are fully mixed before adding the floured apples and dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix the Cinnamon Apple Cake Batter
Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until the flour is just incorporated. The cinnamon apple yogurt cake batter will be quite thick and packed with chopped apples. This is normal. Avoid overmixing so the baked cake stays soft and tender.
Step 5: Transfer to the Baking Pan
Spoon the thick apple cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly, making sure the apple pieces are distributed throughout. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula, but do not press the batter down too firmly.
Step 6: Add the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and melted butter until small, moist crumbs form. Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon crumble evenly over the apple cake batter. It does not need to look perfect—those uneven little clusters become the best crisp, buttery pieces.
Step 7: Bake the Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
Bake the cinnamon apple yogurt cake until it is golden, well risen and a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out without wet batter. The topping will settle into the cake in some spots and stay crisp in others, giving this moist homemade apple cake plenty of texture and warm cinnamon flavour.
Step 8: Cool the Baked Apple Cake
Remove the cinnamon apple yogurt cake from the oven once it is golden, well risen and fully baked in the centre. Let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. The brown sugar cinnamon topping will become slightly crisp as the cake cools.
Step 9: Drizzle with Lemon Glaze
Mix the icing sugar, lemon juice and enough milk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled moist cinnamon apple cake. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips and Tricks
Coat the apples with flour. Tossing the chopped apples in the dry ingredients helps keep them evenly distributed throughout the cinnamon apple yogurt cake instead of sinking to the bottom.
Do not worry about the thick batter. This homemade apple cake batter is quite thick and loaded with apple pieces. That is exactly how it should look. Spread it gently with a spatula rather than adding extra liquid.
Avoid overmixing. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together only until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the cake heavier instead of soft and tender.
Cut the apples into small, even pieces. Large chunks may stay too firm while the cake bakes. Smaller pieces soften nicely and give you apple in almost every bite.
Check the centre carefully. The apples keep this moist cinnamon apple cake quite tender, so a toothpick may come out with a few moist crumbs. You just do not want to see wet batter.
Let the cake cool before glazing. A warm cake will melt the lemon glaze and cause it to disappear into the topping. Slightly warm is fine, but fully cooled gives the prettiest finish.
Ingredient Notes
Apples: Using one tart Granny Smith apple and one sweeter apple, such as Gala or Honeycrisp, gives this easy apple yogurt cake a more balanced flavour. The tart apple holds its shape, while the sweeter apple becomes softer and juicier.
Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt keeps the cake moist and gives it a soft, tender crumb. Full-fat or 2% yogurt works best. Avoid strongly flavoured yogurt because it can change the taste of the cake.
Oil: A neutral vegetable oil keeps the cake moist without adding a noticeable flavour. Light olive oil also works, but avoid a strong extra-virgin olive oil.
Lemon zest: Fresh lemon zest brightens the apples and cinnamon without making the cake taste strongly of lemon. It is a small addition, but it really helps.
Brown sugar crumble: Brown sugar gives the cinnamon crumble topping a deeper caramel flavour than regular white sugar. Leave a few uneven crumbs when sprinkling it over the batter. Those little clusters become crisp and buttery as the cake bakes.
Lemon glaze: The simple lemon glaze adds a fresh finish and a little extra sweetness. Add the milk slowly—it takes very little liquid to make icing sugar thin.
Tips and Tricks
Toss the chopped apples with the dry ingredients so they stay evenly distributed in the cinnamon apple yogurt cake. The batter will be thick, which is normal. Mix only until combined, then bake until the centre is set and a toothpick comes out without wet batter.
Ingredient Notes
Use a tart Granny Smith apple with a sweeter apple for balanced flavour. Greek yogurt keeps this moist apple cake soft and tender, while brown sugar gives the cinnamon topping a buttery caramel flavour. Add the glaze only after the cake has cooled.
Moist Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
Equipment
- 8-inch round cake pan or springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl for the cinnamon topping
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Vegetable peeler
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apple Cake
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple large and peeled and chopped
- 1 apple small sweet apple such as Gala or Honeycrisp, peeled and chopped
- 2 eggs large
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar or berry sugar
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt plain
- ⅓ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tablespoon milk only if needed
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup icing sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 –2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Prepare the Baking Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Coat the Apples with the Dry Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the chopped apples and toss until the pieces are lightly coated with flour. Coating the apples helps keep them evenly distributed throughout the moist cinnamon apple cake instead of sinking to the bottom.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, add the eggs, sugar, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Whisk until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined. A few tiny streaks of yogurt are fine, but make sure the eggs are completely mixed in.
Make the Apple Cake Batter
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour-coated apples. Gently fold everything together just until no dry flour remains.
- The cinnamon apple yogurt cake batter will be thick and packed with apple pieces. That is normal. Add one tablespoon of milk only if the batter seems unusually dry or difficult to mix.
Fill the Cake Pan
- Spoon the thick apple cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly with a spatula, making sure the apple pieces are distributed throughout.
- Smooth the top lightly, but do not press the batter down too firmly.
Add the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir until moist crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon topping evenly over the cake batter. Leave a few larger clusters. They bake into crisp, buttery little pieces on top of the soft apple cake.
Bake the Cinnamon Apple Cake
- Bake for 40–48 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well risen and set in the centre.
- Insert a toothpick near the middle of the cake. A few moist crumbs are fine, but there should not be any wet batter. Because this cake contains plenty of fresh apples and Greek yogurt, the centre may take a little longer to bake.
Cool the Cake
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Add the Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together the icing sugar, lemon juice and one teaspoon of milk. Add a little more milk only if needed to create a pourable glaze.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cinnamon apple yogurt cake. Let it set briefly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use one tart apple and one sweet apple for the best flavour in this moist cinnamon apple yogurt cake.
- Chop the apples into small, even pieces so they soften properly and spread throughout the cake.
- Tossing the apples with the dry ingredients helps prevent them from sinking.
- The apple yogurt cake batter will be thick. This is normal, so avoid adding extra milk unless it seems unusually dry.
- Do not overmix the batter or the cake may become dense.
- Check the centre with a toothpick. A few moist crumbs are fine, but there should be no wet batter.
- Let the cake cool before adding the lemon glaze so it stays visible on top.
- Store this homemade apple cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Ellen Britt
Hi, I’m Ellen — a passionate home cook dedicated to creating easy, flavorful recipes inspired by real-life cooking and shared family traditions. Every recipe on this site is a true collaboration, developed and tested together in our kitchen to ensure it’s reliable, simple to follow, and absolutely delicious.