If you love cozy fall desserts, you’ll adore this traditional Dutch apple cake recipe. It’s soft, buttery, and filled with juicy apples. It's a simple recipe made in a 9x13 baking dish thats perfect for any time of year, but especially during apple season.
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When apple picking season hits, I always want to bake delicious treats like this, or my pumpkin mini muffins and fill the house with the warm spices and cozy scent of fall baking.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a simple one-bowl batter that you can throw together fast.
- The apple slices bake into the top,for a rustic look without extra decorating.
- It stays moist for days and tastes even better the next day.
What Makes This A Dutch Apple Cake
Traditional Dutch apple cake is full of fresh apples, layered in a buttery cake. What makes a Dutch apple cake stands apart from other apple cakes is its simplicity. There’s usually no frosting, just a crisp sugar top or a light crumble.
The Best Apples for Dutch Apple Cake
Choose apples that stay firm when baked and balance sweetness with a little tart flavor. Granny Smith is always a good choice for its crisp texture and tangy bite. Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples also work well if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
For the best taste, try mixing two kinds, one tart and one sweet. It gives the cake more flavor and the perfect apple texture in every bite.
Ingredients & Ingredient Tips
- Apples – Crisp varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady give the best balance of tartness and structure.
- All-purpose flour – Make sure it’s sifted for a light crumb.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and helps brown the edges beautifully.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar – Brown sugar gives depth; white sugar adds light sweetness.
- Eggs – Use at room temperature for better volume.
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – Adds warmth and enhances the apple flavor.
- Baking powder and salt – Keep the crumb fluffy and balanced.
- Cinnamon – Optional, but it gives that comforting, old-fashioned bakery aroma.
Tools Needed
- 9 by 13 inch baking dish
- Mixing bowls (one large, one small)
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Wire rack for cooling
How to Make This Recipe
I’ve been making this classic Dutch apple cake for a long time, and every time I pull it from the oven, it reminds me of something you’d find traveling in Europe at an open-air market. It’s got simple ingredients, big flavor, and a soft, buttery crumb.
Start by creaming the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
Next, mix in the eggs one at a time, then add a splash of vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients
Alternate adding the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Start with ⅓ of the dry ingredients, alternating with ½ of the buttermilk, and mix gently until just combined. Repeat until all the ingredients are added and the mixture is combined. Don't overmix.
Peel and chop 3–4 apples into thin pieces. Fold most of them into the batter, then pour the batter into your prepared pan. Peel and slice them thin and push apple slices right into the batter, arranging them in a pretty pattern across the top. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crisp finish.
Bake at 350°F for about 55-60 minutes, until the top turns golden brown and the center is set. The end result is a cozy, coffee cake-style dessert with a tender crumb and pockets of soft apple.
Let the cake cool for 10–15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides and release it from the pan. I usually cut it into individual slices and store them in an airtight container, though it never lasts long in my house.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat gently in the oven or microwave before serving.
Allyson's Tip
If you’re planning to sell your Traditional Dutch Apple Cake, try offering it by the slice with a small dollop of buttercream frosting on top.
You can also bake the batter directly into mini cake tins for single-serve portions that are easy to package and display at markets.
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Traditional Dutch Apple Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 apples peeled and chopped
- ½ cup butter, softened 113 g
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar 250 g
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar 25 g
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15 ml
- 1 cup buttermilk 240 g
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (1 for batter, 1 for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. a
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Sift in ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then add half the buttermilk. Repeat, starting and ending with flour. Mix gently after each addition.
- Fold in the chopped apples. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing.
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