Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake with tender apples, warm cinnamon and a soft moist crumb for an easy homemade dessert.
This Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake is soft, moist and full of warm cinnamon and tender apple in every bite. The yogurt gives the cake a lovely tender crumb, while the apples add natural sweetness and moisture, making it an easy homemade dessert that works just as well for brunch as it does with coffee or tea.
Soft Cinnamon Apple Cake with a Moist Yogurt Crumb
This Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake is soft, moist and filled with tender apple and warm cinnamon flavour. The yogurt keeps the crumb light and tender, while the apples add little pockets of sweetness throughout the cake.
Why This Apple Yogurt Cake Works So Well
The yogurt makes a noticeable difference here. It keeps the cake moist without making it heavy, and the apples stay soft as they bake into the batter. I like that the cinnamon comes through warmly without overpowering the fresh apple flavour.
Perfect for Fall Baking, Brunch or Coffee
Serve this Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake for a cozy fall dessert, weekend brunch or afternoon treat with coffee or tea. It’s simple enough for everyday baking but still feels special enough for guests or a holiday breakfast table.
How to Make Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
Prepare the Apples and Yogurt Batter for a Moist Cake
For this Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake, coating the chopped apples before they go into the batter helps them distribute more evenly instead of sinking to the bottom. The yogurt, eggs and oil are mixed separately until smooth, which gives the cake its soft, moist texture.
I like getting both mixtures ready before combining everything. It keeps the batter easier to handle and helps the apples stay evenly scattered through the finished cake.
Thick Apple Yogurt Batter for a Soft, Moist Cake
The batter for this Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake should be fairly thick once the apples are folded in. That thicker texture helps keep the apple pieces suspended through the cake instead of letting them all sink to the bottom.
I like to spread the batter evenly in the pan and gently smooth the top before baking. It helps the cake rise more evenly and gives you a better balance of tender apple and soft yogurt crumb in every slice.
Add the Cinnamon Crumble for a Warm, Golden Finish
The cinnamon crumble adds another layer of flavour and texture to this Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake. As the cake bakes, the topping turns golden and slightly crisp while the yogurt cake underneath stays soft and moist.
I like scattering the crumble fairly evenly rather than pressing it into the batter. That helps create little buttery, cinnamon-spiced pockets across the top and gives the finished apple cake a more rustic homemade look.
Finish the Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake with a Simple Glaze
Once the Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake is baked and golden, a light glaze adds just enough sweetness without covering up the warm cinnamon and apple flavour. The crumble stays visible underneath, so the cake still has that rustic, homemade look.
I like drizzling the glaze over the cake rather than spreading it completely across the top. You get little sweet pockets in each slice while still keeping the cinnamon crumble crisp in places.
Tips for the Best Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
• Coat the apples before folding them in. This helps the apple pieces stay more evenly distributed through the Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake instead of sinking to the bottom.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, mix just until combined. A little restraint here helps keep the yogurt cake soft and tender.
• Spread the batter evenly. The batter is fairly thick, so smooth it gently into the pan before adding the cinnamon crumble. That helps the cake bake more evenly.
• Scatter the crumble, don’t press it down. Leaving the topping loose gives you those little cinnamon-spiced pockets and a nicer crumbly texture on top.
• Let the cake cool before glazing. If the cake is too warm, the glaze can melt straight into the surface. Cooling it first gives you a cleaner drizzle and better texture.
Real Kitchen Tip: Let the Apple Yogurt Cake Cool Before Glazing
For the best Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake, let the cake cool before adding the glaze. If the cake is still too warm, the glaze melts into the top instead of sitting nicely over the cinnamon crumble.
I like to wait until the cake is just barely warm or fully cooled. The crumb also sets as it cools, so the slices hold together better and the tender apple pieces stay nicely in place.
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.