Baked Apple Cake Dutch Style (Printable)

Warm, comforting Dutch-style apple cake with tender spiced apples baked into a soft golden crumb. Perfect for cozy breakfasts.

# What You Need:

→ Apples

01 - 3 large apples such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 cup whole milk
13 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
14 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Topping

15 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
04 - In another large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
06 - Fold prepared apples into batter. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
07 - In a small bowl, mix topping sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter surface.
08 - Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm, optionally dusted with powdered sugar or topped with crème fraîche.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • No fussy flipping or timing required—just slide it in the oven and let the kitchen fill with warmth while you handle other things.
  • The apples soften into the batter creating this tender, almost pudding-like texture that tastes like fall in every spoonful.
02 -
  • Don't bake this straight from a cold kitchen—let your eggs and milk sit out for 15 minutes so they're closer to room temperature, which helps the batter mix more evenly and bake more uniformly.
  • The lemon juice on the apples isn't just flavor—it prevents browning, so if you prep ahead, this step is worth its weight in gold.
03 -
  • Slice your apples directly over the lemon juice so they're coated immediately—this prevents browning and saves you from having to hunt down oxidized pieces later.
  • If your apples are particularly large, slice them into half-moons instead of full rounds so they nestle into the batter and cook evenly.
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