I am so excited to hear what you think of this deliciously moist Apple Cake with almonds and maple!  It’s one of my favorite apple desserts of all time!

Apple cake slice with maple icing drizzling down the side

This post contains affiliate links. I originally shared this Apple Almond Cake recipe here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes on October 11th, 2016. It also appears in my cookbook, Maple 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup {Quirk Books, 2015.}

Why We Love This Healthy Apple Almond Cake

This Apple Almond cake is moist and full of apple, nuts, maple and all the warm spices of fall! It is a wonderful, not-too-fancy dessert to serve for a fall celebration or even as a snack cake.

We love using apples in our cooking. From adding them to Sausage and Apple Sheet Pan Dinner with Kale to using them to make low sugar upside down muffins for a healthy snack.

They are a favorite at this time of year. We think they deserve a little more attention and that pumpkin can sometimes steal the show. It’s okay to bake and cook with pumpkin too. But apples are awesome. Check out the apple recipe I’ve shared this fall!

an apple cake on a cake stand

I know I am always telling you that this or that recipe is the best, but this Almond Apple cake you guys. It is so so so good. And I am not joshing.

It’s from my cookbook and I have made it dozens of times. At least! The texture, moisture, flavor, cinnamon, maple, glaze, yummy, fallness in your mouth will make you drop to your knees in a metaphorical pouf of colored leaves. It is fall in a dessert. Period.

a slice of apple cake and a cake on a cake stand with apples in front

There is something about the combo of ingredients, the apples, and the maple, that makes this cake so moist.  The cake becomes more moist as it sits. It may be better on day two even. Food Nerd Alert: Maple Syrup is hygroscopic, which means it attracts and holds moisture. In other words: That makes this cake uber moist!

Note: I also used maple to sweeten these delectable Morning Glory Muffins which are another fall baking project to add to your list!

How to Make Apple Almond Cake

Prep Before Baking

When you’re baking it’s a good idea to get in the habit of prepping your pan, by greasing it etc and preheating your oven too. This way, once the wet and dry mixes are combined and the leavener is activated you can get the cake into the oven asap without waiting for these steps. For this recipe you’ll need a 9-inch spring-form pan. 

Making the Batter with Almonds

This batter has ground almonds in it. Not only does this add a nutritious healthy benefit, I love what they do to the texture of the cake. I like to use whole almonds instead of almond flour because it gives the cake a better coarser more rustic texture. To do so, place the whole almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. Then just process until the almonds are finely ground. Then to save a bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients to the processor and pulse them to combine. 

Combine the Maple with the Wet Ingredients 

Beat the wet ingredients in a large bowl. The eggs and maple syrup are mixed first. Then gradually beat in butter. Since I keep maple syrup in the fridge it is cold, and if you try to add the butter in without whisking it will clump up.

Which Apples to Use for Apple Cake

For  the apples I like to use a golden apples since they yield the best texture. But if you don’t have them you can use red apples, such as honey crisp or cortland. If you use Macintosh apples they will soften quite a bit! You can read more about apple varieties and get more apple recipes here.

Stir the Batter Together Just Before Baking

Once the apples are peeled and diced then stir the almond mixture into the maple mixture by hand so you don’t overdevelop the gluten in the flour. Then Stir in apples. You don’t want to be peeling and dicing the apples when the batter is mixed because of the above mentioned activation of the leavener. So wait until the apples are prepped before you mix the wet and dry mix.

How To Know When Apple Cake is Done

Bake the batter in the prepared pan. You’ll know it’s done when the cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

When it is done, cool on a wire rack completely.

Icing for this Healthy Apple Cake 

To make the Maple Cinnamon Glaze: Stir the confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, vinegar and cinnamon in a small bowl. I know it sounds strange to use vinegar, but it cuts the sweetness of the confectioners sugar and balances it. You’ll love it! Trust me! 

How to Store Maple Apple Cake

  1. This almond apple cake is fine left at room temperature for up to three days. I like to keep it on a cake stand covered with a dome.
  2. You can also poke toothpicks into it and wrap it completely with plastic wrap. The toothpicks will keep the wrap from sticking to the icing! 

More Apple Recipes To Make This Fall

Apple Cake with almond and maple syrup with a cinnamon maple icing on top!

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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apple cake slice

Apple Almond Cake Recipe


  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x

Description

There is a whole world out there of autumnal baking goodness beyond pumpkin. Like this Maple Apple Almond Cake. It’s so moist and delicious. And the cinnamon glaze takes it over the top. It’s basically Fall in a dessert!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Cake

  • 1 cup whole raw unsalted almonds
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 2 large gold apples, peeled and diced

 

Glaze


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray.
  2. Place almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. Process until the almonds are finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds. Add all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine.
  3. Beat eggs and 1 cup maple syrup in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in butter.
  4. Stir the almond mixture into the maple mixture by hand. Stir in apples. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 44 to 48 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely.
  5. Stir confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, vinegar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Run a knife along the edges of the cake. Remove sides from the spring-form pan and spread the glaze over the cake.

Notes

To Make Ahead: A lot of baked goods, especially those with whole grains, slowly get more and more stale and less and less palatable as time goes by. But in the case of this cake, it is possibly more and more moist and delicious. It is special enough to serve for a holiday table or humble enough to enjoy with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 423
  • Sugar: 45 g
  • Sodium: 259 mg
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated Fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 6 g

Keywords: dessert,cake,apple,apple cake,maple syrup,almonds,healthy apple cake