This apple cake recipe is not only incredibly easy to make, it is also very tasty. A wonderful combination of fresh fruits, walnuts, cookies, butter and a spiced cake batter, this is one of the best apple cake recipes I've ever tried.
What kind of recipe is that
This is a Bulgarian old-fashioned apple cake that was very popular a few years ago. It is somehow similar to the Apple Dump Cake as it contains layers.
The difference is that here the melted butter is the first layer, follower by a layer of cookies, a layer of chopped apples and topped with spiced batter with ground walnuts.
Even with the batter this is a very easy cake which you can make in less than 1 hour from scratch.
What ingredients you need
You need very simple ingredients for this cake:
- ⅓ cup/ 70 g butter, melted
- 3 apples, peeled and finely chopped
- ⅞ cup/ 100 g walnuts, ground or finely chopped
- 1 cup/ 200 g sugar
- 1 ½ cup / 170 g flour
- 4 eggs
- 200 g butter cookies, or shortbread or similar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
What kind of cookies you can use
You can use different kinds of cookies or even graham crackers. Lotus Biscoff cookies are one option, shortbread cookies, petit beurre, digestive biscuits or even Snickerdoodles. As long as they have a plain taste or are cinnamon based, they are a great option.
Preparation summary
First you need to melt the butter into a large baking tin. You can use a 10-12 inch round pan, deep pie dish or a deep rectangular pan.
Then you need to arrange the cookies on top of the melted butter: depending on their size, shape and the shape of the pan, you can break them or not.
Arrange the peeled and chopped apples on top of the cookies.
At the end spread the batter made of the eggs, sugar flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
Baking
The baking time depends on the size and shape of your pan but normally it is about 35-40 minutes at 350° F / 180° C. When the top is golden brown test with a toothpick for readiness: it should come out clean.
Serving
- You can serve this cake in many ways:
- If you bake it in a rectangular pan, you can easily slice it into apple bars
- If baked in a round pan it can still be sliced as bars but also as triangular cake slices
- Serve it warm or cold, with whipped cream, with vanilla ice cream or even plain: it is so versatile and delicious in many ways!
Storing
One of the great qualities of this apple cake is that it keeps well in the fridge for over 3 days. I even believe that it is nicer within 2 days because the cookies get softer and the apple flavor spreads everywhere in the dessert.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
I am sure that you will love this moist Apple Cake with walnuts!
If you made it, please leave a comment to let me know how it went!
Looking for more easy apple dessert recipes with few ingredients? Check out also the Chocolate Apple Cake which is moist and tasty marble bundt, or the Healthy Apple Cobbler made with unrefined ingredients.
Or maybe you will like the Apple Caramel Pudding which is perfect for breakfast!
📝 Recipe
Old fashioned Fresh Apple Cake recipe
Equipment
- 1 10-12 inch round pan or pie dish or deep rectangular pan
Ingredients
- 4 oz/ 100 g butter, melted
- 3 apples, medium, peeled and finely chopped
- ⅞ cup/ 100 g walnuts, ground or finely chopped
- 1 cup/ 200 g granulated sugar, or light brown sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup / 160 g flour
- 4 eggs, large
- 7 oz/ 200 g cookies, or graham crackers, see notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ground cloves
- ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F/ 180° C.
- Melt the butter over a pan of simmering water and pour it into a 10-12 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Alternatively you can use a deep pie dish or a deep rectangular pan. Spread the butter well all around the bottom and the sides of the pan.
- Arrange the cookies/ graham crackers on the bottom of the pan in order to cover it completely. You may need to break some or all of them, depending on their shape and the shape of the pan.
- Spread evenly the chopped apples on top of the cookies.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a mixing bowl whisk eggs and sugar for a few minutes until foamy. Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix gently with a rubber spatula, until homogeneous.
- Fold the ground walnuts into the batter.
- Pour the batter over the apples. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- Store the cake for 3 days in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
- I prefer red apples for this cake (Red Delicious, Gala, Pink Lady) but you can use any kind.
- You can use any type of cookies with plain taste or cinnamon flavor: shortbread cookies, petit beurre, nila wafers, digestive biscuits, Biscoff Lotus cookies, snickerdoodles, etc.
- The recipe was adapted from Supichka
Lily says
I wasn't sure what you meant by apple and biscuit cake, but now I understand that is has a buttery biscuit bottom with an apple center and delicious walnut cake on top. Really cool and pinned for later!
Daniela says
It is very cool indeed! To be honest, before baking it I wasn't even expecting that it would be that delicious! I am glad you liked it too, Lily 🙂