This easy, from scratch cake tastes just like the apple pie you know and love. Apple Pie Cake with fresh apples, pecans and a sweet glaze.

Don’t you just love homemade apple pie? It can be time consuming to make pie from scratch, but cakes can give you a similar flavor without the work of pie dough. If you like apple pie, you’ll love this apple pie cake!

Apple Pie Cake in 9x13 pan with slice missing

What are the best apples for baking?

Granny Smith and Honeycrisp are our go-tos for baking. It’s good to choose tart and crisp over a sweet apple. Granny Smith are often easy to find in the grocery store which makes them an ideal choice. Braeburn, Jonagold and Winesap are also great choices.

Do you have to peel apples for baking?

Yes. I 100% recommend peeling apples. I realize all the good nutrients are in the peel, but when it comes to baking, I don’t like when the skin separates from the apple during baking. It creates a weird texture. Take the time to peel the apples and you’ll love your bread so much more without that chewy skin.

So how do you quickly peel apples? Best.Invention.Ever: Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer. This will make your apple peeling life easier than ever.

How to Make Apple Pie Cake

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss in 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.

apples with cinnamon and sugar in a bowl

Prepare the cinnamon sugar topping:

Mix brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.

sugar and cinnamon in a bowl with measuring spoon

Make the cake:

In a medium sized bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add flour and baking powder and mix well.
Add eggs one at a time (and beat well between each).
Stir in vanilla and milk until smooth.
Gently fold in chopped pecans.

Assemble the cake:

Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Spread the apple mixture evenly over the cake batter and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top.

Apple Pie Cake unbaked with apples and sugar on top

Lightly pat apples into the batter and swirl the brown sugar mixture through the apples using a knife.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the cake and comes out clean.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

This apple pie cake calls for a simple powdered sugar glaze. If you’d like to save a few calories you can leave it off, but we like the pretty look of the glaze and that little extra sweetness it gives.

Just whisk the sugar and water (or you can use milk!) together until you get a smooth glaze.

How do you store cake with fruit?

This apple cake is safe to store at room temperature 48 hours. If you are going to have it longer than 48 hours, I recommend sealing it in an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze cakes with apples?

Yes! We find that cakes with apples freeze really well. The fruit helps keep the cake moist.

Place the cake in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer. Allow it to defrost completely before opening the container. This will keep the moisture in the cake.

More Apple Cake Recipes:

Apple Pie Cake

4.84 from 6 votes

This easy, from scratch cake tastes just like the apple pie you know and love. Apple Pie Cake with fresh apples, pecans and a sweet glaze.

Servings 15

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

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Ingredients

For the apples:

3 medium apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cinnamon sugar topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water