February 27, 2024

Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake

My grandma’s fresh apple cake is moist and delicious and made with fresh apples and cinnamon, then iced with the best cream cheese frosting ever! I made apple cake recipes from both of my grandmas this week and am going to post them both because they are so so good! I took them over to my daughter’s house for a taste test and we couldn’t decide on a favorite. This recipe is from my Grandma Jones and is the one that my mom used to make. I have included the cream cheese frosting recipe for the cake as well. It is the most dreamy and creamy frosting ever and I could eat the frosting by itself.

Ingredients for Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake:

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups apples, chopped, Granny Smith, Gala or combination. I used Granny Smith apples.
3/4 cup raisens (optional)
Cooking oil spray

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 tbsp. butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk

How to make Grandma’s Fresh Apple Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl place the sugar, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, and chopped nuts. Whisk all the dry ingredients together.
Place the eggs in a separate large mixing bowl and beat them lightly. Add the oil, vanilla extract and diced apples and stir to combine.

Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and stir together.
Mix in the raisens (optional but very delicious in this cake)
Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour cake batter into the pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few little crumbs. Start checking the cake at 25-30 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the oven and the water content of your apples. If you are using a dark non-stick pan you may need to adjust your oven temperature to 325 degrees and increase the cooking time. Watch cake and check for doneness after 25 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake.

Cool the cake and then frost with icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Place butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend together with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix well.

Add 1 tbsp of heavy cream or milk at a time until frosting is a spreadable consistency. I usually use 1-2 tbsp cream.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cake with an offset spatula or knife.

Store the cake in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
I would not recommend freezing this cake because the frosting may become crumbly.

Try my other yummy dessert recipes:

Oatmeal Cake With Coconut Pecan Topping

Simple Apple Blueberry Dump Cake

Vintage Strawberry Cream Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Yummy Strawberry Ice Cream

Grandma's Fresh Apple Cake

LeAnn

My grandma's fresh apple cake is moist and delicious and made with fresh apples and cinnamon, then iced with the best cream cheese frosting ever!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup nuts, chopped (walnuts or pecans)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups apples, chopped (Granny Smith, Gala, or combination)
3/4 cup raisens, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 tbsp butter
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl place the sugar, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, and chopped nuts. Whisk all the dry ingredients together.
Place the eggs in a separate large mixing bowl and beat them lightly. Add the oil, vanilla extract and diced apples and stir to combine.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and stir together.
Mix in the raisens (optional but very delicious in this cake).
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour cake batter into the pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few little crumbs. Start checking the cake at 25-30 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the oven and the water content of your apples.
Cool the cake and then frost with icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Place butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend together with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix well.
Add 1 tbsp of heavy cream or milk at a time until frosting is a spreadable consistency. I usually use 1-2 tbsp cream.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cake with an offset spatula or knife.
Store the cake in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. I would not recommend freezing this cake because the frosting may become crumbly.