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This one-bowl, no-mixer, Ridiculously Easy Magic Apple Cake is super moist and ridiculously delicious. The fabulous caramel icing is the crowning glory!
When I read the 280 5-star reviews on this cake on the King Arthur website, I knew I had to try it. And when I tried this fabulous recipe the first time, I knew I had to change the name. Over at King Arthur, they call it an "old-fashioned apple cake", but that doesn't really do it justice. It's such a fun, easy recipe with a very unique preparation and such wonderful results - it seemed quite magical to me. So I took the liberty of giving it my own name. Without further ado, let me introduce you to this delicious Ridiculously Easy Magic Apple Cake!
Yes, magical!
Why would I call include the word "magic" in the title? The preparation technique really is quite magical, but when you take the first bite, you know that some kind of delicious magic has also happened in the oven. King Arthur describes it as "a cake where the whole is definitely more than the sum of the parts" and that's true. The ingredient list is simple. The final result is, spectacular, super moist and studded with juicy apples.
I call the recipe preparation technique magical because it's not like any other cake recipe I've ever made and probably nothing like the recipes you've prepared either. Just throw everything, except the apples, in a bowl and mix it all together. At this point, it looks like a crumbly, shaggy mess. Then to make things seemingly worse, you stir in a boatload (4 cups) of chopped apples.
But it's at this point, that the culinary magic begins. Walk away for 5 minutes, then come back and give a good stir. You'll discover that the juices from the apples have transformed the shaggy mess into a nice thick cake batter. You may still feel a bit dubious (I did!) but once the cake goes into the oven and the fantastic aroma fills the air, things will seem more hopeful. And when you peek in the oven and see "the mess", transformed into a beautiful, golden-kissed apple cake you'll become a believer! Oh yeah, and the first fabulous bite emphatically seals the deal!
Although King Arthur instructs to "Mix all of the ingredients except the apples in a large bowl", I did change the technique just a bit. My method may take a minute longer, but I think it helps ensure success. I simply stir together the soft butter and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in the eggs followed by all the other ingredients. Still super easy with super delicious results!
A caramel icing "to die for"
Then there's the icing... oh my!
Some of the reviews on this apple cake did mention that the icing could be a little tricky. When I looked at the recipe it seemed kind of fussy so I adapted a different recipe from Cook's Country, that just uses one pot and is made on the stovetop. It spreads easily and the caramel flavor is beyond delicious!
Another Ridiculously Easy recipe
In addition to being magical, this easy magic apple cake is so darn easy it definitely falls into our Ridiculously Easy Series. You can read more about these popular Café recipes here, but in a nutshell, Ridiculously Easy recipes are ones that take minimal effort, yet make you look like a cooking rockstar. Because they're so easy, they're perfect both for entertaining as well as casual weeknight cooking (or baking).
A super handy kitchen secret
One last little note. The only thing that takes a bit of time in this Ridiculously Easy Magic Apple Cake is chopping up 4 cups of apples. But I have an easy solution for that too! I use one of my favorite little kitchen tools, my Vidalia Chop Wizard. If you've followed The Café for any length of time you know I love this little kitchen workhorse.
The chopper is super easy to clean (in the dishwasher) and store (it's nice and small) and it makes chopping just about anything a breeze. It has two different size grates, so you can chop things tiny or bite-size. The apples don't need to be peeled for this cake so I can prepare the 4 cups of apples needed for this recipe in less than 2 minutes. As I said, I love this little gadget!
I hope I've convinced you to try this recipe. I promise you won't be disappointed. It's the kind of cake that gets even better as it sits for a day or two, but you may never have the opportunity to discover that if you have family and friends like I do. It will disappear in the blink of an eye! Try it, you'll see just what I mean!
Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Magic Apple Cake
- Don't worry about removing the skins from the apples in this cake recipe. You won't notice them once the cake is baked and that saves a lot of time. Plus, since we're indulging in cake with a thick caramel icing, all those good nutrients in the skins will just slightly tip the scales. Maybe not, but it makes me feel a little better.
- When making one-bowl, no-mixer cakes it's important to have two tools, in addition to a mixing bowl. You'll want a rubber spatula, which works well for both stirring and scraping out the bowl when transferring batter to a pan. I like a silicone spatula with a wooden handle. You'll also need a sturdy whisk. Neither of these are expensive but will really help to ensure successful baking.
- With this being a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe, make sure your butter is very soft. You should be able to touch the butter with your finger and leave a nice indentation. Here are a few ways to soften butter quickly:
- You can leave it sit out overnight. But if your house is chilly, it may not soften enough so you may need to also use one of the tricks listed below.
- Boil a cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and get things nice and steamy. Leave the water cup in the microwave, add the butter and close the door. The warmth from the steamy water will help to quickly soften the butter. Sometimes I will even put a kitchen towel or several thicknesses of paper towels in the door so it won't completely close and the light will remain on. The warmth from the light will also help soften.
- Cutting the butter into small pieces helps it soften quicker.
- Place the hard butter on a small plate. Fill a bowl with hot water. Wait 5 minutes then discard the water. Put the warm bowl over the butter.
- Put the butter in the oven with the light turned on.
- Place the butter in the microwave for 1 minute on 10% power. If it's not soft enough microwave in 10-second intervals, checking after each one to see if it's soft.
- What kind of apples to use? I've used a variety of different apples, all with delicious success. Pink Lady, Gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious all work great.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before adding the icing as it will melt and run off the cake if you try to ice a warm cake. (Still delicious but not so pretty!)
- The recipe will make one 9x13-inch cake or 2-8-inch round cakes. I like to make round cakes and remove them from the pan for a pretty presentation. I usually serve one cake and freeze the other so I have an easy dessert in a hurry.
- The icing recipe is for two 8-inch round cakes or one 9x13-inch cake. If you just want to frost one, halve the recipe.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear other's results and ideas for variations.
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Magic Apple Cake with Caramel Icing
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 8 tablespoons butter, very soft
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chopped unpeeled apples, (about ¼-inch dice) (see Cafe Tips above for types of apples to use)
For the icing:
- 12 tablespoons soft butter
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cream, heavy cream, half and half or whole milk
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray two 8-inch round baking pans OR a 9x13-inch baking pan with baking spray. If using round cake pans and you want to serve the cake on a platter or plate, line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine soft butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir together until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt over the top of the butter mixture and stir well until all of the flour is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly and a bit shaggy.
- Add the apples and mix well. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes then stir until well combined. The apples will release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick, creamy batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with wet fingers or an angled metal spatula.
- Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes (for 9x13-inch pan) and 30-40 minutes (for the 2 8-inch cake pans) or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it. The temperature at the center of the cake will be about 205°F.
- If using at the round pans, you can wait 10 minutes then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Either way, allow the cake(s) to cool completely before icing.
For the icing:
- Heat 8 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the perimeter of pan 5-7 minutes. Whisk in cream and cook until a ring of bubbles reappears about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in vanilla.
- Allow mixture to cool in the pot for 15 minutes (it should be warm but not hot), then add 3 cups of the powdered sugar and, using a whisk, stir until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add more powdered sugar, if needed and whisk to make a thick but spreadable icing. Add remaining 4 tablespoons soft butter, and whisk again until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- If frosting both round cakes transfer icing to the center of the cakes and, working with an angled metal spatula or a knife, spread the icing outward, stopping at the edges and swirling the icing as desired. If frosting the 9x13-inch cake, transfer icing to the center and working with an angled metal spatula, spread the icing to the edges, swirling as desired. Work fairly quickly as the icing will harden once it reaches room temperature. If it hardens too much before you get a chance to spread it, simply warm it in the pot for 30 seconds to 1 minute over low heat.
- The cake will keep well at room temperature for 24 hours. It can be refrigerated for longer storage. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
- The frosting recipe is for two cake 8-inch round cake or one 9x13-inch cake. I often serve one cake and freeze the other. I just make half of the icing for the cake I'm serving and then I make fresh icing when I defrost the second cake
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, Scott & Chris
Have you got a Bakewell tart (English) recipe to share?
Thanks,
Leslie
Hi Leslie, I don't have a Bakewell tart at this time, but that's a wonderful idea for the future!
Hi Chris, I am just making the cakes for a dinner party tonight. There is something wrong with.the butter ratio . For the cake under tab Us it has 8tbl spoons butter and then going to metric tab has 118,29gr. But the icing has 12 tbl sp of butter which under metric has 88.72gr butter. Which the icing is 11/2 times the cake butter amount which should work out 11/2 times the cake amount in grams. Hope this makes sense. It is way out. Thanks, have googled and worked out for my cake the correct ratio and cooking in oven.
Hi Elaine, I am so sorry. I use my recipe plugin to do the metric conversions as I am not an expert at metric measurements and sometimes it messes up. I have put the whole recipe through a conversion app again and have looked over things carefully. It seems to be accurate now. Thanks for the heads up! I'm glad you took the time to consult our friend, Mr. Google. Hope you enjoyed the cake. Please feel free to let me know anytime things do not look right!
I have one more question for you about this recipe. (The grandlings and I can;t wait for our local orchard to start picking the Northern Spy apples for this cake, and I want to be ready!)!You suggest this cake could be baked in two 8-inch round pans. Is it possible you meant two 8-inch square pans (or 9-inch round pans)? I ask because we intend to halve the recipe and want to use the right pan. (I wouldn't know myself, by the way. But my clever daughter ran the ingredient list through some AI thing and asked what pan would be best for half the recipe, and they suggested the two pans I mentioned.) Thanks, Chris!
Hi John, you could use 2 8-inch square pans, if that is your preference. I did test this recipe in 8 and 9-inch round pans. If you make it in an 8-inch pan with 2-inch sides, it will be nice and tall. 2 9-inch pans will yield a lower cake, still nice - but I really like the presentation of a taller cake.
That you would know and to help prevent a sad mistake for someone: your ingredient list for the icing calls for "3-4 cups powdered sugar" under the "US Customary" tab. When I click the "Metric" tab, it gives "180 g powdered sugar". Obviously, this is not what you intended. Using the King Arthur ingredient Weight Chart, 3 to 4 cups of confectioner's sugar would work out to 345g to 460g. I do believe I've seen similar errors for the powdered sugar conversions for other recipes as well. I knew you'd want to know. And thanks for this delightful sounding recipe!
Thanks so much, John. My recipe conversion app is sometimes off and I hate that. I will correct this - I appreciate you bringing it to my attention and I will watch out in the future for the powdered sugar conversion.
I made the cake and it was very easy to make and it looks beautiful. We haven’t eaten it yet but I wanted to comment on the frosting. It’s also easy and delicious but REALLY SWEET so I believe you only need half the recipe. I’m looking forward to serving this to my company tonight. I’ll follow up later.
Hi Diane, hope you enjoy the cake! My family enjoys a thick layer of icing but everyone has their own taste in sweetness so feel free to cut the recipe in half.
This cake was SO good. Made it for my daughter’s birthday. I added some buttercream roses and apple slices to look like leaves. Everyone loved it. Yumm.
That's great, Jessica! Thanks for the review!
Delicious! The frosting is wonderful. I cut the frostingcrecipe in half and it was plenty for a 9×13 cake.
Thanks, Shannon!
I agree
I made this cake and it is delicious! Turned out just as promised and that icing is divine! Spoon licking worthy!🤭 I did freeze one layer and like others have mentioned, the cake itself could easily be a very tasty dessert all on its own! Thank you, Chris, for sharing!
Thanks for letting us know, Glinda!
I just thawed the 2nd cake out yesterday to serve as a last minute dessert for dinner. The cake was still fresh and very moist. I didn’t take the time to make the icing and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
That's great, Glinda!
Hi Chris, This cake sounds amazing. I was wondering if you think I could bake in two 9” pans and make a 2 layer cake? If so, I would appreciate any suggestions as far as baking time, etc. Thank you!
Hi Glinda, I think you could do that although it's a fairly dense cake.
Great tasting and was super easy. I did not make the icing it did not need anything else. I did substitute the 1 and 2/3 cup sugar to 1 cup sugar and 2/3 brown sugar.
Thanks, Clar!
I’m excited to make this for fall. I’m planning a tea style get together for Halloween and cutting these into small bites are going to be perfect.
Hope you enjoy it, M!
Just made this cake today and it tastes delicious and I haven't even made the frosting yet. A great breakfast cake w/o frosting but I will make the frosting tomorrow. I love the flavor of maple! Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks, Sheila!
This cake looks amazing! I want to try to make it. I find that cakes made with butter tend to be dry and usually I skip them and look for one made with oil. Is this cake moist? Thanks!
Hi Marie, this cake might change your mind, it's very moist!
My batter was not creamy but chunky. After 35 minutes in a round pan, the top didn’t look golden brown but pale. Thought I did everything correctly for halving the recipe since I was just doing one round layer. Reluctant to bring it on Thanksgiving…😢
Hi Annabel, I'm so sorry you had trouble with this cake. It's hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you.
Every oven is a little different so sometimes it takes longer for a cake to get done. It should be nice and golden when it's done. The best way to determine if a cake is done is to check the internal temperature which should be around 200-205˚F.
Perfection! Perfect combinations of flavor & texture. I made 2 8” cakes, kept one & gave the other to a friend who immediately called to ask for the recipe. I told her about your site & she’s also now obsessed! I have to also say we’re both quite envious of your cake stand collection, some of the prettiest I’ve ever seen!
Thank you, Kathy, for taking the time to share your results! I'm so happy you both enjoyed this cake. I have to admit I am a sucker for pretty dishes and cake stands!
Decided to try this recipe today after discovering we had about 5 lbs of apples in the fridge and another 3 lbs just purchased at farmers market. I'm glad I read through and learned that when the batter looks not quite right it IS right. Dusted one layer with powdered sugar for tonight and making frosting for second layer to give to neighbor. This is a wonderfully comforting cake. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Amy!
I I’m just about to make this cake after all the wonderful reviews and realized that I don’t have enough pink lady apples, will it be ok to mix in a Granny Smith?
Absolutely! They will be fine!
Can you use all Granny Smith apples?
Hi Annabel, you could use all GS apples although they take longer to soften so they may not meld as well as a softer apple would.z
Did you? I had the same problem. I had two red delicious, two fuji, one Granny Smith and I used all three types!
Hi Lorien, you can definitely you different apples. Although, red delicious aren't the best apples for baking. How did it turn out?
Will this recipe work with walnuts and raisins? If so, what would the amounts for each be? I can’t wait to make this cake! Thanks!
Hi Gail, this would be wonderful with walnuts and raisins. I would use a half cup of each.
We had so many apples on our tree I was looking for a new apple recipe. This cake was incredibly moist and the icing was so delicious I'm ashamed to admit I spread the leftover on toast in the morning! I shred the apples instead of dicing them as my kids are averse to "chunks" and I wasn't sure if they would cook in fully. It was a hit with the whole family and will definitely become a regular feature in our home 🙂
Lucky you with all those apples! Thanks for sharing your results, Lisa! I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake!
Love all your recipes Chris! I have an abundance of pears from our tree, do you think pears would work in this recipe?
Thanks, Julie! Yes, I think pears would be wonderful!
Thank you for this quintessential Apple Cake recipe. I made it yesterday in a 9 x 13 baking pan and copied your icing decorating technique and I am proud to say my cake looked just like yours in the picture. The cake tastes absolutely delicious and the icing tastes like soft maple fudge, which I love. I think the variety of apple will determine the thickness of the batter. I used Honeycrisp and although the batter was thick, it was easily spreadable. This recipe will definitely make it into my All Time Favourite Cake Recipes Binder.
Yay! So happy you had good success and enjoyed this cake, Josephine! I'm a sucker for maple fudge too, yum! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Which types of apples do I use? Looks so good.
Thank you!!
Hi Donna, if you look under "Cafe Tips" you'll see the best kind of apples to use.
Oh my gosh, this cake was not magical for me! I am not sure what I did wrong; I rechecked the ingredients and I measured correctly. After letting the apples sit for 5 minutes, the batter was still really thick. The magic you described did not seem to happen. The batter did not fill 2-8 inch pans; the dough was very thin. So, I put it all in one pan. I baked it for 40 minutes and it was still "jiggly" in the center. After 65 minutes, it was done. It tastes delicious, but the texture does not seem right. I didn't make the frosting because I didn't want to waste ingredients on a bad cake. All of your recipes are absolutely perfect, so I know the fault is on me. I am willing to give it another go.
Hi Tonya, so sorry this did not work for you. It's hard to say what could have gone wrong without having been there in the kitchen with you. I would try it again as it seems that something wasn't quite right.
Thanks for the recipe! Tried it a few weeks back for a party and it was a hit!
Thanks so much for sharing your review, Kirthi!
Used my Vidalia Onion chopper for the apple-chopping in this recipe. (So glad I purchased it!) Delicious cake with such yummy icing!
Thanks for sharing your results, Michelle. That Vidalia chopper is worth its weight in gold to me!
Just made this today and it is a delightful cake! We ate it without icing and it was delicious although I have frozen half and will put icing on that one for guests later this week. I followed the instructions as given and it was very easy to put together. Baked in a Breville oven. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much, Judy, for sharing your results! I'm super happy you enjoyed it! Hope your guests do too!
"Oh WOW...mmmmm...this is DELICIOUS! This is an A++. Dad's going to love THIS!", was my visiting college student's reply while still on her first bite. I had pulled the cake out of the freezer, so the cool apples against the warm icing was a delightful contrast. Will most certainly be on my "serve to guests" list! (DOGS love it too!....the 1st cake on the cooling rack didn't make it!)
Those darn dogs! I had a beautiful coffee cake (well covered) in the back end of my minivan one time, years ago. I quickly ran into a store on the way to a friend's house who was supposed to be the recipient of the cake. When I came out, there were only crumbs left. I did still visit my friend but all I had to show were the crumbs for my kind intentions!
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Michelle! You made me laugh!
This cake looks absolutely perfect! Those apples, and that frosting! Oh my goodness. You have a wonderful way with these magical cakes - a real stunner. Pinning 🙂
Thanks, Tricia! I do love easy, one-bowl cakes that taste delicious!
This is a delicious recipe, I made it in a 9 x 13 cake pan and as you stated from start to finish I was sure this cake would not work. I was checking the oven and sure enough is turned out and was a great success. Bravo,!! The only comment I would make is that the icing recipe is waaaaayyyy too much even for the large pan I used. The icing was the first for me using brown sugar and it was delicious, just way too much!!
As always your recipes and photography are amazing, keep up the great work.
Lori
I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake, Lori!
Regarding the icing, it is meant to be a thick, fudge-like icing but I know some people don't like a lot of icing. You could definitely cut the recipe in half next time.
I can't wait to try this cake! I enjoy baking with apples year round, so this will definitely happen soon. Looks perfect 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer, apples are always a winner for me, whether fresh or in a dessert!
Thanks, Rebecca! I always like when there are people looking out for me 🙂
I'd pick an apple dessert over chocolate every.single.time! So this easy apple cake is just calling my name!
Me too! Especially if it's a little warm and has a scoop of ice cream. Of course, a thick caramel icing is nothing to turn your nose up at either 🙂
Hi
Could this be cooked in a loaf tin and if so what size would you suggest please?
Loving all of your recipes
Thanks
Sarah
Thank you, Sarah! If I was making this in a loaf pan, I would use 2 medium-size pans (8.5x4.5). I can't say exactly how long to bake them though since I haven't tried it myself. Let us know if you try it!
I plan on making this recipe tomorrow did you peel apples, would it be possible to use oil instead of butter in the cake? It looks delicious!
Hi Marjorie, nope, you don't have to peel the apples. I haven't tried this with oil so I can't guarantee the results. I know that you would definitely want to use butter in the icing for good results.
Yum! Chris, do you think this batter would work in a bundt pan?
Hi Marty, I haven't tried this in a bundt pan so I don't want to give you advice without having tried it myself. I did read on the King Arthur website, however, that someone had made this cake in a bundt pan.
Thanks for asking these questions, Sue. I have clarified the recipe. Originally the icing ingredient amounts were for just one 8-inch cake (I often make two but freeze one, unfrosted for a later date and then make fresh icing before serving the second cake.). But after reading your questions, I realized that it was confusing since the recipe actually makes two 8-inch cakes or one 9x13. I have updated the recipe so the icing is now enough for either the 9x13 or the two 8-inch cakes.
Thanks so much, Chris!
Is the baking time the same for the 9x13 pan as for the two round cake pans? That seems counter-intuitive. Also, is the amount of frosting enough for a 9x13 pan or two round cakes? It seems from your photos that you are only showing one round cake layer. Asking because I am hoping to make this when I join friends for coffee next week. Thanks!
If you haven't gotten a reply yet, in the recipe it says bake time is 40-50 minutes for a 9x13 and 30-40 minutes for 2 8" round cake layers. It also says the icing recipe is for one 8" layer cake, double the recipe for a 9x13 cake or for 2 8" layers. I can't wait to make this!
The frosting recipe is enough for either size, and I might add, a generous amount. I frosted two 10” rounds and still had 3/4c. leftover, which I froze. We’ll see how it holds. It’s a great cake, and decadent frosting.
Thanks, Ginger! I appreciate you taking the time to share your results!