Name: Old Fashioned Apple Dapple Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and level); 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed); 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (or canola oil); 3 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 cups Granny Smith apples (peeled and diced small, about 3 to 4 medium apples); 1 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped, optional); 1/3 cup butter; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed); 1/3 cup heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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This old fashioned apple dapple cake is a moist, tender apple cake loaded with diced Granny Smith apples and finished with a warm brown sugar glaze that soaks right down into every bite. You don’t need a stand mixer or a Bundt pan. Just a bowl, a wooden spoon, and a regular 9×13 pan. It’s the kind of fall dessert a lot of you remember from years ago.

Why Is It Called Apple Dapple?

When we were filming this one, Darren asked me the question I bet a lot of you are wondering: why in the world is it called apple dapple? Well, it’s because you cut the apples small and just kind of “dapple” them all throughout the batter, so when you cut into the cake you can see little pieces of apple in every slice.

It is a funny name, but it’s a good old fashioned cake, and I know a lot of you remember it from years ago. It’s perfect for this time of year.

Old fashioned apple dapple cake with brown sugar glaze in a 9x13 pan

Now, I realize not everybody has a big stand mixer, and not everybody has a Bundt pan. That’s exactly why I love this version. You stir the whole thing together by hand and bake it in a 9×13. Honestly, the hardest part is chopping the apples, and you can do that. I know you can.

If you’ve made my Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze, this one will feel familiar. They’re similar, but the measurements are a little different, there’s a little more apple in this one, and the brown sugar glaze is a little different too. You really can’t go wrong with either.

Apple Dapple Cake

Serves 15. Prep 25 minutes, bake 50 to 60 minutes, rest 15 to 20 minutes. You will need a 9×13-inch baking pan and a small saucepan.

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1½ cups vegetable or canola oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups diced Granny Smith apples (about 3 to 4 medium apples, cut small)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the brown sugar glaze:

⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan. Since the cake stays in the pan and you serve it in slices, greasing is all you need.
Mix the dry ingredients. Measure 3 cups of flour using the dip, level, and pour method. Loosely spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk until well combined. That also helps break up any larger lumps in the flour. Set it aside.
Peel and dice the apples. Peel the apples, then cut right next to the core. Lay each piece flat-side down so it stays put on your cutting board, slice it, then cut across into small pieces. You want about 4 cups of small diced apple. Small pieces bake up perfectly tender and dapple all through the cake.
Combine the sugars, oil, and eggs. In a large bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Pack the brown sugar the way you normally measure it, so it holds its shape. Pour in the oil, then add the eggs one at a time, checking each one for shells. If a little piece of shell falls in, use the shell to get it out. It grabs it much easier than your fingers. Add the vanilla.
Mix by hand. Use your good old trusty wooden spoon (or a whisk, if you’d rather) to stir everything together. It comes together in no time.
Add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Add the flour mixture in about three additions, stirring after each. The batter gets thick toward the end, but you can still mix it by hand. Stir just until combined. You don’t want to over mix a cake batter.
Fold in the apples. Fold in the diced apples (and nuts, if using) until they’re spread all through the batter. It will look like a lot of apples. That’s what keeps this cake so moist.
Bake. Spread the batter into your greased pan and bake at 325°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Every oven is a little different. Mine tends to cook a little quickly, so I start checking early. When a toothpick in the center comes out clean, it’s done.
Make the glaze. While the cake has just a few minutes left, add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla to a small saucepan. The measurements make it easy, because everything but the vanilla is a third of a cup. Bring it up to a simmer, stirring, until it’s smooth and combined. That only takes a few minutes.
Let the glaze rest. Take the glaze off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. I think that’s the hardest part of this recipe!
Glaze the warm cake. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze all over the top, making sure it covers every little bit. You can poke holes in the cake first if you want to, but it will soak down into it no matter what.
Wait, then slice. Let the cake sit 15 to 20 minutes so the glaze can soak in and set up. Then slice it right out of the pan and enjoy.

Tips for the Best Apple Dapple Cake

Dice the apples small. This is the secret to the “dapple.” Small pieces bake up tender and show up in every bite.
Granny Smith is the classic choice. It’s a traditional baking apple and holds up beautifully in the oven.
Don’t over mix. Once the flour goes in, stir only until you don’t see dry streaks.
Glaze it warm. The glaze needs to go on while the cake is still warm so it soaks in.
Want to use a Bundt pan? Go right ahead. Just grease and flour the pan, since you’ll need to turn the cake out.
Add some crunch. Darren’s vote? Pecans or walnuts, stirred into the batter or sprinkled on top with the glaze. Use whatever you have or whatever you prefer.
Use a sharp knife. A sharp knife makes chopping all those apples so much easier, and as Darren reminded me, a sharp knife is safer than a dull one.

About the Knives We Used

I finally broke down and got a new set of knives, and we put them to the test chopping the apples for this cake. These are the Cangshan ELBERT Series knife set, available on Amazon. This is not a paid promotion, and the company didn’t reach out to us. A lot of you have asked about knives, so we looked for something good quality at a price point more people could afford. They aren’t cheap, but they’re nowhere near the most expensive knives out there.

The set comes with kitchen scissors, a chef’s knife, a rocking knife, a bread knife, a utility knife, a paring knife, a peeling knife, steak knives, and a built-in sharpener. My honest verdict? You don’t realize how bad your old knives are until you have something really good. These are so much sharper and make cutting so much easier.

Shop the Cangshan knife set on Amazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is apple dapple cake?
Apple dapple cake is an old fashioned Southern apple cake made with lots of small diced apples mixed through the batter and topped with a warm brown sugar glaze that soaks into the cake.

Why is it called apple dapple cake?
Because the apples are cut small and “dappled” throughout the batter, so you see little pieces of apple all through each slice.

Do I need a mixer to make apple dapple cake?
No. This recipe is mixed entirely by hand with a bowl and a wooden spoon. You can use a whisk too, but no electric mixer is needed.

Can I bake apple dapple cake in a Bundt pan?
Yes. Grease and flour the Bundt pan well so the cake releases when you turn it out, and rely on the toothpick test for doneness.

What are the best apples for apple dapple cake?
Granny Smith apples are the traditional choice because they bake well and add a little tartness to balance the sweet glaze. You’ll need about 4 cups diced.

How do I know when apple dapple cake is done?
Insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, it’s done. Start checking a few minutes before the 50-minute mark, since ovens vary.

Should I poke holes in the cake before adding the glaze?
You can, but you don’t have to. As long as the cake is still warm, the glaze will soak down into it on its own.

How long should apple dapple cake sit before cutting?
Let the glaze rest about 5 minutes before pouring, then let the glazed cake sit 15 to 20 minutes so the glaze can soak in and set.

Can I add nuts to apple dapple cake?
Absolutely. Chopped pecans or walnuts are delicious stirred into the batter or sprinkled over the top with the glaze.

What’s the difference between apple dapple cake and fresh apple cake?
They’re very similar. My apple dapple cake uses a little more apple, slightly different measurements, and a slightly different brown sugar glaze than my Fresh Apple Cake. Both are moist, old fashioned apple cakes you can’t go wrong with.

Give This One a Try

There is a reason this old fashioned cake has stuck around as long as it has, and that’s because it’s delicious. No mixer and no Bundt pan needed. Just mix it with your bowl and spoon and bake it in your 9×13. I hope you’ll give it a try in your kitchen. I know your friends and your family will love it too.

Looking for more fall desserts? Try our Pumpkin Crunch Cake, Apple Crostata, Apple Crisp, and Country Apple Dumplings.

Thank you so much for joining me at Mary Katherine’s Table. And remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.