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Home Cooking and Baking by Sarah Trivuncic

Easy Apple Cake Recipe

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Today I am sharing an easy apple cake recipe that’s so easy you can make it at home or away.

Post updated 2026: This recipe was originally a collaboration with a holiday brand who are no longer around. I’ve removed references to them but this remains a favourite recipe you can make with minimal equipment.

Really easy apple cake recipe with no fancy equipment required - you can bake this Dorset Apple Cake in virtually any kitchen Save

Really Easy Apple Cake Recipe

This is a really easy recipe – probably warming the oven and weighing the ingredients will take longer than mixing it. The flour is rubbed by hand with the butter as if you were making pastry, then the other ingredients are stirred in afterwards.

This easy spiced apple cake recipe is actually known as Dorset Apple Cake. I must confess Dorset is not somewhere I’ve spent much time but it’s firmly on my list after watching episodes of Broadchurch!

Dorset Apple Cake - ingredients
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Ingredients for Dorset Apple Cake

I’ve been serving it with custard in these little enamel dishes* – my husband said “why is it served in these – we’re not camping” and I said “no but they look nice don’t they”.

Dorset Apple Cake - baking with kids
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Ted stirring Dorset Apple Cake

My little helper got fully involved today, this is an ideal recipe to bake with kids.

Steps Making Easy Apple Cake

Dorset Apple Cake - steps, sift the flour and cinnamon in a bowl Save

Mix the flour and cinnamon together.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps - add cut up butter to the flour Save

Add the flour and cinnamon mix to a mixing bowl with butter that has been chopped into chunks.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps - rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs Save

Add the butter and rub into the flour using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps - stir the egg and milk into the flour and butter mix. Save

Stir in the light brown sugar.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps - add the egg to the rubbed flour and butter Save

Beat in the egg followed by 6 – 8 tbsp of milk – you want to achieve a smooth, thick batter.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps - add the chopped apple and raisins to the cake mix Save

Add the apples and sultanas to the cake mix and combine.

Dorset Apple Cake - steps Save

Scrape the batter into your prepared tin (here lined with parchment paper) and gently level out. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Baking equipment away from home

In my experience, self catering kitchens tend to have a fairly standard selection of equipment. If there isn’t a baking tin in your holiday accommodation you could improvise with a pyrex glass dish* or other oven dish lined with baking parchment paper. I’ve even been known to use washed out foil takeaway containers.

Although you might not have a steel mixing bowl* as such, you are bound to have a salad bowl of some description. Or you could improvise with a large saucepan. And you can mix this cake with an ordinary table fork.

Print Recipe
4.84 from 6 votes

Really Easy Apple Cake and Custard

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Baking
Cuisine: British Style
Servings: 8 + generous slices
Author: Sarah Trivuncic

Ingredients

  • 225 g self-raising flour I used a gluten free self raising flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 115 g butter diced and chilled, plus extra for greasing
  • 115 g light brown sugar
  • 1 large eggs beaten
  • 6-8 tbsp milk
  • 225 g Bramley or Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and diced
  • 100 g sultana
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar optional

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.*
  • Mix the flour and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the light brown sugar. Beat in the egg followed by 6 - 8 tbsp of milk – you want to achieve a smooth, thick batter.
  • Add the apples and sultanas and mix to combine. Scrape the batter into your prepared tin and gently level out. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Best served still warm with a little custard.

Notes

If you do not have a baking tin, a pyrex dish lined with paper would suffice.

More Bramley apple baking recipes on Maison Cupcake

If you like this easy apple cake recipe try also:

 

Really easy apple cake recipe with no fancy equipment required - you can bake this Dorset Apple Cake in virtually any kitchen Save

Save this easy apple cake recipe to use it later – or share it with someone you know has an apple glut!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mmmmm I love apple cake, especially with lots of custard! Delicious! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

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