Swedish Apple Pie Cake has a thick layer of juicy spiced apples under a buttery cake topping ~ part pie, part cake, and the easiest apple dessert ever!
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Swedish apple pie cake has that easy homey quality I look for in a great dessert ~ this one isn’t glamorous, but it wowed us all. This is going on my regular fall dessert rotation for family and company both.
➡ Swedish Apple Cake lands somewhere between two classic Swedish apple desserts: äppelkaka, or apple cake, and äppelpaj, or apple pie.
➡ It has the fruit-heavy feel of a pie, with sliced apples filling the bottom of the dish, but instead of pastry or crumble, they’re topped with a tender buttery cake batter. The result is part pie, part cake, and very much its own delicious thing.
âž¡ It’s absolutely perfect the next day, just leave it loosely covered on the counter.
How to make a Swedish apple pie cake
This pie cake is not complicated, so don’t overthink it.
- Peel and thinly slice apples. Toss with sugar, spices, and a splash of lemon juice (to prevent browning) and place in your pie plate.
- Whisk together the simple wet ingredients, then fold in the dry to make a thick, spreadable cake batter.
- Spread the batter over the apples.
- Bake until the top is nicely browned and the apples are sizzling in their juices.
- Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
A few things to keep in mind
Slice the peeled apples on the thin side so they have a chance to cook through and get nice and juicy.
Honeycrisp apples work well in this cake: they have a tender texture and balanced sweet-tart flavor.
Remember the apples will shrink, so feel free to mound them up a bit in your pie plate.
My spice blend in this recipe is a good one ~ I combine apple pie spice with cardamom and it’s soft and unique without being too cinnamon-forward.
The pie plate is important ~ you want that wide shallow shape so that the apples and the cake batter bake through. If you have a 10″ cake pan that will work too, as will a 10″ cast iron skillet.
This takes a while to bake through so the apples get juicy and the cake is done through. Lay a loose piece of foil over the cake if it seems to be browning too quickly at the end of baking.
The Scandi baking influence
American home baking owes a lot to Scandinavia, especially here in the Midwest. If you love a simple butter cake, a cardamom bun, a crumbly cookie, or anything almond-forward with coffee, you’re already baking in that tradition. I think it informs my baking style here, too, and this Swedish classic fits right in with the rest of my desserts.
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Swedish Apple Pie Cake
Equipment
- 10" pie plate
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 3 large or 4-5 medium Honeycrisp apples**, peeled and thinly sliced, Slice enough apples to fill your pie plate.
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- a splash of lemon juice
For the batter:
- 1/2 cup melted salted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk***
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup (135 g) AP flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl toss the 3 large or 4-5 medium Honeycrisp apples**, peeled and thinly sliced with 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp apple pie spice, 1/2 tsp cardamom, and a splash of lemon juice. Turn them into your pie plate and flatten out evenly. There's no need to fuss with arranging them super neatly.
- Using the same bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup melted salted butter, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk***, and 1 tsp vanilla together.
- Toss the 1 cup (135 g) AP flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp baking powder together to combine. Add to the wet ingredients and fold together until no dry flour is left. You should have a thick but spreadable batter.
- Dollop the batter over the apples and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the top is golden, the apples are bubbling at the edges, and the center of the cake topping is set.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream on the side.
- The cake does well on the counter overnight. Skip the airtight plastic and cover with a loose layer of foil instead. For longer storage, refrigerate and bring to room temperature or warm gently before serving
Notes
Nutrition
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