Apple Harvest Cake
Nothing beats a homemade harvest cake in the fall and winter months. This apple harvest cake mixes up in one bowl, so you don’t need to break out the beaters. It’s loaded with grated apples, golden raisins, toasted walnuts, warm spices and a splash of rum, and it’s tender enough that you don’t need to bother with frosting. Think of it as an old-fashioned apple raisin cake that tastes even better on day two.
Fresh apple cake recipes are an obsession of mine. It started with my grandmother’s homemade applesauce, which became her applesauce snack cake. From there, it morphed into plush applesauce muffins, then an apple bundt cake (with maple glaze).
This apple spice cake is a simple single-layer cake that’s super moist, dense with fruit and nuts, and richly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
The flavors of this harvest cake remind me of fall farmers’ markets, with baskets of every type of apple imaginable and heady cinnamon-spiced apple cider.
This apple cake leans more toward fruit cake than fluffy layer cake, because it’s packed with fruit and nuts.
What is harvest cake?
Harvest cake is a fall spice cake made with the season’s fruit and nuts. Most versions start with apples, and many add raisins, walnuts or pecans, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It’s a rustic, single-layer cake meant for slicing and sharing, not a fancy frosted layer cake.
This version uses grated apples, golden raisins and toasted walnuts, with applesauce and buttermilk in the batter and a splash of dark rum. A dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs.
Why you’ll love this apple harvest cake:
- It’s a one-bowl apple cake recipe that uses everyday pantry staples and ingredients.
- This recipe makes a single-layer cake, so you won’t be stuck with a big dessert for days.
- No frosting or decorating required; if you’re a lazy baker like me, you’ll appreciate this.
- Dual purpose: it works as a morning coffee cake or after-dinner dessert.
- There’s no oil or butter, so it’s naturally lower in fat than most cakes.
- Dress it up for entertaining with a scoop of vanilla and a dessert sauce.
Ingredients:
- Buttermilk – for a tender cake crumb. The acid in the buttermilk activates the baking soda.
- Applesauce – use store-bought for convenience, or try my McIntosh Applesauce.
- Eggs – for a tender crumb and sturdy structure.
- Rum – just a splash; you can also use light or dark rum. (I used Mount Gay).
- Vanilla Extract – use real vanilla instead of imitation for the best flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – I use King Arthur’s unbleached flour.
- Light Brown Sugar – pack it into the measuring cup.
- Baking Soda – a leavener that works with an acid to provide lift. The acid in this recipe is buttermilk.
- Baking Powder – a leavener that acts with the heat of the oven. Be sure to check the expiration date on yours – it matters.
- Cinnamon – Look for Saigon or Ceylon cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Cloves – give the harvest cake the classic fall spice flavor and aroma.
- Nutmeg – I keep whole nutmeg in my cabinet and grate it on a microplane. Whole nutmeg will stay fresh for years, while ground nutmeg loses its potency after 6-12 months.
- Allspice – tastes like a combination of all of these spices, hence the name.
- Salt – baked goods need salt to round out the flavors. Without it, baked goods will taste flat.
- Walnuts – you can also substitute with pecans.
- Apple – You can use any type of apples, from Granny Smith to Honeycrisp.
- Golden Raisins – I like golden raisins over regular Thompson raisins because they don’t leave the speckled appearance, but use what you have on hand.
- Powdered Sugar – optional, for garnish instead of frosting.
Step-by-step instructions:
1. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the applesauce, egg, rum, and vanilla. Add the buttermilk and whisk again to combine.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Whisk until they’re well combined.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no dry bits are left in the bowl. You don’t need an electric mixer; you can do it by hand.
4. Stir in the chopped walnuts, grated apple, and golden raisins.
5. Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and spread it evenly in the pan.
6. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
7. Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen the sides and flip it out onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom.
8. Once cooled, turn the cake out onto a cake plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Pro-Tips:
- Grate the apples right before you mix. Grated apple browns fast. Prep everything else first, then grate and fold them straight into the batter.
- Toast the walnuts first. Five to seven minutes on a sheet pan at 350° turns them from bland to nutty. Let them cool before chopping so they don’t go oily.
- Spoon and level the flour. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and makes a dry, heavy cake. Spoon it into the cup and sweep off the top.
- Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing after the flour goes in makes the cake tough. A few streaks are fine, since folding in the apples, raisins and nuts finishes the job.
- To ensure the cake pops out of the pan easily, I recommend spraying the pan with vegetable spray, inserting a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of your cake pan and spraying again to ensure the cake doesn’t stick; it’s very moist, and this method is a failsafe against stuck-on crumb.
- Apple harvest cake is moist and dense, so when you turn it onto a wire rack to cool, the rack’s pattern may stay embedded in the top of the cake (see photo below) instead of being flat and smooth. Powdered sugar hides it.
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving. The cake’s surface is damp, so sugar added hours ahead soaks in and disappears. A fine mesh sieve or sugar shaker gives the most even coat.
Best apples for harvest cake:
I’ve found this easy apple cake recipe works well with most apple varieties. We’ve made it with Granny Smiths, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold to excellent results. You could also use Cortland, Braeburn, or Jazz apples.
Grated apple is one reason this cake has a compact, even look without a domed center, adding moisture and keeping the crumb tight.
How to prep apples for the harvest cake
- Remove the skins with a vegetable peeler.
- Slice the apples into quarters and cut away the cores with a sharp knife.
- Use the large grates of a box grater to shred the apples.
Variations and swaps:
- Swap grated pears for the apples or use a combination.
- Swap golden raisins with dried cranberries or currants.
- If you’re short on baking spices and don’t want to invest in more, substitute 1¾ teaspoons of apple pie spice or pumpkin spice for the individual spices in the apple cake.
- For a lighter-colored cake, use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
FAQ’s
Yes. It doesn’t need frosting, but cream cheese frosting or fluffy, not-too-sweet ermine icing work well.
Yes. Use the same amount of apple cider or apple juice. You’ll lose a little depth, but the cake will still be full of flavor.
Grating is what makes this cake work. The apple shreds melt into the crumb so every bite tastes like apple, with no chunks. Chopped apples will give you pockets of fruit and a different texture.
Yes. Peels don’t break down when grated, and they leave chewy bits in the cake.
It’s supposed to be. This is a fruit-heavy snack cake, not a light, fluffy layer cake. The grated apples and applesauce give it a tight, tender crumb. If it seems gummy in the center, give it a few more minutes and check with a toothpick.
Typically, a bundt or 9×13 pan will hold enough for 2 9-inch layer cakes, so this recipe as written doesn’t have enough batter for those pans. If you doubled the recipe, it would likely work (though I haven’t tried it). You’d likely need to adjust the baking times as well.
Make ahead:
- You can make the cake a day ahead and keep it wrapped in cellophane overnight; it gets moister overnight.
Storage:
- The cake will last for 2-3 days wrapped in cellophane at room temperature.
- For longer, refrigerate and let the cake rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Freezing:
- This apple cake freezes well. Wrap it in two layers: the first is plastic wrap, then freezer paper or foil.
- Keep frozen for up to two months.
What to serve with apple harvest cake
A sprinkle of powdered sugar is all you need, but if you really want to dress it up, here are a few suggestions:
- A dollop of freshly whipped heavy cream or Reddi-Wip.
- Drizzle the fresh apple cake recipe with some crème anglaise.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla or rum raisin ice cream.
- Add a drizzle of this Southern bourbon caramel sauce or spiced apple cider rum sauce.
More fruity cake recipes:
- Carrot Pineapple and Coconut Cake
- Upside Down Pineapple Rum Cake
- Incredible Key Lime Cake with Rum
- Lemon Strawberry Crumb Cake
- Pear Upside-Down Cake
- Super Moist Mango Lime Cornmeal Cake
- Fresh Apricot Cake with Sugared Almonds
- Passion Fruit Cake
- Fresh Plum Cake Recipe
- Meyer Lemon Blackberry Swirl Loaf
More apple recipes:
- A Modern Twist For A Classic Apple Brown Betty
- Easy Make Ahead Apple Frangipane Tart
- Old Fashioned Rustic Apple Cranberry Tart w/ Walnut Crust
- Moist, Gluten-Free Apple Walnut Buckwheat Muffins
- Apple Butternut Farro Recipe
- Oven French Toast with Apples and Sausage
- Curried Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Maple Pumpkin Apple Butter
Apple Harvest Cake
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons rum dark or golden rum is best.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 apple peeled, cored, shredded
- ½ cup golden raisins
- powdered sugar optional
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Spray pan liberally (bottom and sides) with vegetable spray. Place the parchment in the bottom of the pan and spray the parchment with vegetable spray. Set aside.
- Spread ¾ cup walnuts on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the nuts are golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, add 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup applesauce, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons rum and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Whisk to combine, then add the liquid ingredients and use a rubber spatula to blend until the batter is well mixed and there are no dry bits left.
- Add 1 apple, the toasted walnuts and ½ cup golden raisins. Use a rubber spatula to fold them into the batter several times to distribute evenly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Cool to room temperature.
- Place a cake plate on top of the cake and invert it. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
NOTES:
- Make the cake a day ahead and keep it wrapped in cellophane overnight; it gets moister overnight.
- The cake will last for 2-3 days wrapped in cellophane at room temperature.
- For longer storage, refrigerate and let the cake rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
- This apple cake freezes well. Wrap it in two layers: the first is plastic wrap, then freezer paper or foil.
- Keep frozen for up to two months.
NUTRITION:
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy. Values are calculated automatically based on the ingredients and quantities in each recipe and may vary depending on specific brands, exact measurements, and substitutions made. For precise nutritional guidance, especially if you have a medical condition or dietary restriction, please consult a registered dietitian or run the ingredients through your own nutrition calculator.Pin Easy Apple Cake Recipe For Later!
What size apple do you recommend
What variety of apple do you recommend?
I used Gala here, but Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Jonagold, or any other crisp apple. I used a medium-size and it yields a little over a cup of grated apple.
I don’t see an apple listed in the ingredients, however it is said to add 1 to the batter. Please explain.
Thanks,
It’s listed in the ingredients: 1 apple, peeled cored and grated.
Can I use a springform pan to help keep the sides of the cake from sticking??
You can, but it’s not necessary. Just run a sharp paring knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any bits; the parchment paper will do the heavy lifting.
What quantity of raisins? Can’t wait to bake this!
Nice catch, Kathie! 1/2 cup of golden raisins.
I served this at a dinner party for relatives visiting from Martinique. I wanted something typical of American fall flavors (plus I had some beautiful apples I wanted to use up). It was a huge hit! Dense, super moist, and slices beautifully. This cake will definitely be a permanent part of my dessert repertoire! Thank you Lisa!
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’m loving all the warm spices in this cake!
Light and delicate cakes have their place, but sometimes all you want is a dense and intense piece of cake. And I think this apple harvest cake would fit the bill! I could definitely see having this for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
I’m with you Annemarie!
This is a cake I can enjoy anytime, especially on a chilly afternoon with a nice hot cup of tea.
I’m so glad you like it, Janette!
What a beautiful and tasty looking spice cake. Perfect for the season.
Hi Lisa
Could I use wholemeal flour instead of white flour?
Is the cake sweet ? Could I omit white granulated sugar?
Thank you
Sorry made a mistake with sugar. Iknow it only has brown sugar.oops!
Hi Jo! I would think you could use whole wheat flour instead of white, but it may make it a little more dense and this is already a hefty cake. If you do it, let me know how it turns out.
I love a good spice cake and this one sounds delicious!
It is officially on the must try list!
Glad you like, Katrina!