Description
This Cinnamon Apple Teacake is a moist, tender cake bursting with fragrant cinnamon and fresh apple slices. Perfectly spiced and topped with a glossy apricot glaze, it combines the sweetness of apples with a delicate crumb, ideal for afternoon tea or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples
- 600g (1.2 lb) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (4 large or 5 small/medium apples)
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 2 tbsp white sugar
Batter
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) plain/all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) oil (canola or vegetable)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature (~55g/1.95 oz each)
- 3/4 cup (150g) white sugar, caster or superfine preferred
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 1/2 tbsp apricot jam (or other flavor)
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) for all oven types to ensure even baking.
- Prepare Pan: Grease a 20cm (8″) springform pan with butter, then line it with baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Apples: Chop half the apples into 1.25 cm (1/2″) pieces and slice the remaining half into thin 3mm (1/8″) slices. Place each in separate bowls.
- Coat Apples: Sprinkle and drizzle each bowl of apples with half the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly and set aside to marinate the flavors.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just incorporated; do not overmix to keep batter light.
- Add Chopped Apples: Fold in the chopped apple pieces carefully to keep the cinnamon coating mainly on the apples rather than spreading through the batter.
- Fill Pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface evenly.
- Arrange Sliced Apples: Fan out the sliced apples on top of the batter in a circle, overlapping each slice by about 1/4. Adjust to use all slices evenly for a beautiful finish.
- Bake: Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If baking longer, cover loosely with foil to prevent apple slices from burning.
- Cool: Place the pan on a cooling rack and carefully release the springform sides once slightly cooled.
- Make Glaze: In a small bowl, combine apricot jam and water. Microwave for 20 seconds to warm and thin the jam, then stir until smooth.
- Apply Glaze: Brush the warm glaze over the apple slices on top of the cake to add shine and extra flavor.
- Final Cooling: Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. It is especially delightful when served slightly warm in the center.
Notes
- You can use any variety of apple, such as red, green, or golden, but Granny Smith are preferred for their tartness and firmness.
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature for better batter emulsification and rise.
- If the cake needs extra baking time beyond 50 minutes, cover loosely with foil to protect the apples from burning.
- For best texture, do not overmix batter once wet and dry ingredients are combined.
- Use caster sugar for a smoother batter texture; though regular sugar works as well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Cinnamon Apple Teacake, apple cake recipe, easy teacake, cinnamon dessert, fall baking, homemade apple cake
