Moist Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Cake
This cinnamon apple yogurt cake is filled with tender apple pieces, warm cinnamon and a buttery brown sugar topping. Greek yogurt keeps the crumb soft and moist, while the flour-coated apples stay nicely distributed throughout the cake. A light lemon glaze gives this easy homemade apple cake a fresh finish.
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.
For the best moist cinnamon apple yogurt cake, chop the apples into small, even pieces and toss them with the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients. This helps keep the apples evenly distributed instead of sinking to the bottom.
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
Serving: 1gCalories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 257mgPotassium: 130mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 133IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 2mg
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