Apple and Vanilla Cake Recipe – Elegant Homemade Dessert
Apples are among the most versatile fruits you can use in desserts, and an apple cake is always a classic choice. Simple, fragrant, and timeless, this dessert brings together a soft sponge batter with tender, cinnamon-flavored apple slices. The result is a balanced and comforting cake that’s perfect for any occasion.
I love how the apples soften during baking, releasing their natural sweetness and a lovely aroma that fills the kitchen. The texture of the cake is fluffy and moist, while the apples add freshness and juiciness. It’s the kind of dessert that reminds you of home, warmth, and cozy afternoons.
You don’t need advanced baking skills to prepare it – just a few basic ingredients and fresh apples. The result is a delicious homemade dessert, perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a sweet ending to a family meal.
Apple Cake
Ingredients
Apple Sponge
- 145 g light brown sugar
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 200 g whole eggs
- 180 g neutral vegetable oil
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 6 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground cardamom
- 2 g salt
- 360 g grated apples (large grater, un-drained)
- 10 g lemon juice
Caramelized Apples
- 200 g apples (peeled and diced small)
- 10 g lemon juice
- 35 g granulated sugar
- 20 g butter
- Water (as needed)
Mascarpone Cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 150 g cream cheese
- 80 g powdered sugar
- 260 g whipping cream
- 10 g vanilla extract
Frosting Cream (for covering the cake)
- 200 g whipping cream
- 200 g white chocolate
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 200 g butter (room temperature)
Instructions
Apple Sponge
- Combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs in a bowl. Whisk 1–2 minutes until slightly foamy. Add the oil and mix well.
- Meanwhile, grate the apples (with peel) on a large grater and add the lemon juice.
- Mix the grated apples into the egg mixture.
- In another bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Fold the dry mixture into the batter with a spatula.
- Divide the batter into 3 equal portions and transfer into three 18 cm pans lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 160 °C for 25–30 minutes.
- Allow to cool and level if needed. Wrap and keep refrigerated.
Caramelized Apples
- Caramelize the sugar until golden.
- Add the butter, then the apples, and cook over low heat until the apples soften. Add a little water if needed. Cooking time depends on the apple variety.
- Cool completely before use.
Mascarpone Cream
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer.
- Mix until you get a firm, fluffy cream.
- Transfer into a piping bag for assembling the cake.
Assembly
- Place one sponge layer into a cake ring lined with acetate.
- Spread part of the mascarpone cream, adding half of the caramelized apples in the center. Cover with more mascarpone cream.
- Place the second sponge on top and repeat the layering.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Frosting Cream
- Heat the whipping cream with vanilla until hot.
- Pour over the white chocolate and emulsify with a hand blender.
- Cover with plastic wrap in contact and cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours.
- Whip the butter until light and airy.
- Add the ganache and mix just until the cream is firm and spreadable.
- Frost the cake with this cream and decorate as desired.
Equipment
- Mixer
- Kitchen scale
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Mixing bowls
- Spatulas
- Cooking pots
- Hand blender
- Three 18 cm cake pans
- Adjustable cake ring
- Acetate sheet
- Offset spatula
- Disposable piping bags
