Apple Yogurt Cake
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This simple apple yogurt cake is packed with sweet apples, creamy yogurt, and hints of lemon. It’s wonderfully moist, tender, and delicious. The perfect way to celebrate the autumn apple season!
Published on October 2019 /Updated on September 2024
I’m sharing this incredible apple yogurt cake again just in time for the weekend, as it’s my favorite fall treat. It’s one of the best apple cake recipes I’ve ever made, and I keep baking it on repeat now that the glorious apples are in season.
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I love that it is packed with apples and yogurt rather than tons of butter or sugar. It’s so moist that I can devour two slices in a row without even realizing it. It’s ridiculously good!
The recipe is easy to follow and fairly quick (apart from the slicing). Ready?
The batter is simple: yogurt, sugar, eggs, some vegetable oil, and the classic dry ingredients, four apples, and a touch of cinnamon, which makes everything so comforting and fall-like.
The next step is to combine dry and wet ingredients, scrape the batter into a cake pan, top with sliced apples, and bake!
You’ll love this freshly baked apple cake; it’s simple yet amazingly delicious. Let me state the obvious: it tastes a million times better than box cake mixes and sugar-packed cakes.
Let’s make this apple yogurt cake now; it is the perfect weekend fall treat everyone will enjoy!
List of the ingredients
- Apples
- All-purpose flour
- Full-fat plain yogurt
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Lemon
- Cinnamon & vanilla extract
- Baking powder + salt
How to make apple yogurt cake
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Peel and cut the apples into 1/2—or 1/4-inch slices, then mix with lemon juice and cinnamon.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until pale, then add the wet ingredients. To make the batter airy, I recommend using a stand mixer or an electric beater. Alternatively, a hand whisk will work, too.
- Add the flour mixed with salt and baking powder, and combine.
- Using a spatula, stir in part of the apples.
- Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan, top with the remaining apple slices, and bake!
- Optional: Use a pastry brush to brush the cake with warm apricot or lemon jam. This little touch adds shine and color, keeping your apple yogurt cake moist for longer. I’m obsessed with this sweet coating and use it for my yogurt cake and fruit cake, too – I LOVE it!
RECIPE NOTES
Apple yogurt cake ingredients
Sugar + eggs: You can use caster or fine sugar, but regular or light brown sugar also works well.
Apples: Sweet, seasonal apples like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp are great for baking. Remember that not-so-fresh and slightly wrinkled apples are perfectly fine as their natural sugars concentrate, making them softer and sweeter.
Yogurt: For the best result, I recommend using full-fat plain yogurt at room temperature. This gives the cake a lovely tangy flavor and a tender crumb. Vanilla or honey-flavored yogurt is great, too. This simple cake recipe also works with low-fat yogurt, although it’s not my favorite option.
Vegetable oil: It’s easy to use and excellent for keeping the crumbs moist—any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, works.
Flour + baking powder: All-purpose, self-raising, or sponge flour gives great results. You can also use a mix of plain flour and whole wheat flour.
Extract: Vanilla extract is a must; it adds so much flavor.
Lemon + cinnamon: This delicious combination adds flavor to the apple slices.
Glaze: Apricot or lemon jam adds a touch of sweetness and a lovely shine to this cake. It’s optional, but it is highly recommended.
Storage Tips
It keeps well and moist for up to 4 days at room temperature and is stored in an airtight container. It’s also freezable: wrap the cake or slices in plastic wrap (clingfilm), store in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and let it come to room temperature before serving.
More fruity desserts you’ll love!
- Apple fritters
- Orange cake
- Strawberry bread
- Fruit cake
- Coconut bread
- Chocolate beetroot cake
- Strawberry ricotta cake
- Apple ice cream
Let me know if you make this delicious apple yogurt cake! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Apple Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 4 Large apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp (125 grams) sugar
- ¾ cup (190 grams) full-fat yogurt, at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (75 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons apricot or lemon jam, to glaze (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 355°F/180°C and place a rack in the middle position. Next, line the bottom of a spring-form cake pan (diameter 21cm/8.5 inches or 23 cm/9 inches) with parchment paper. You can also generously grease the sides and bottom of the pan with butter and flour, shaking out excess flour. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/2—or 1/4-inch slices. Add them to a medium bowl with the lemon juice and cinnamon, and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric beater, beat the eggs and sugar for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed, and gradually add the vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract. The batter should be smooth. Next, add the flour, using a spatula to scrape the flour from the side of the bowl. Mix just until combined; a few lumps are fine, so be careful not to overmix.
- Finally, add about ⅓ of the sliced apples to the mixing bowl (you can add them sliced or diced) and fold them into the batter using a spatula.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, level the surface with the back of a spoon, and top with the remaining apple slices.
- Bake for 30 minutes without opening the door during baking. After 30 minutes, insert a toothpick or cake tester into the batter in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, keep baking for 3 minutes and check again.
- When the cake is ready, transfer it immediately to a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Next, remove it gently from the pan, transfer it to a serving plate, and brush it with warm apricot or lemon jam for a nice, glossy finish. It's delicious on its own, and even better with some vanilla ice cream on the side. Enjoy!
I just made this cake yesterday and it turned out wonderful, although I didn’t quite follow directions. I placed the cut apples in a bowl of water with a Tbsp of lemon juice (no cinnamon). I fine diced the 8 apples that I was going to add to the batter (because I wanted bits of apple throughout) and I added them to the flour mixture before adding the liquid ingredients. I used 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice in the batter instead of cinnamon because I didn’t have any. I use 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2 by mistake (and it was a good sweetness). I also used full fat Greek yogurt because that is what I had. I topped the cake with cinnamon sugar (again, no plain cinnamon). I used Macoun apples and they seemed perfect. I used a 9-inch springform pan to make serving easier. The biggest change was I baked it for 70-80 minutes (I lost track after checking it every 5-10 minutes). I got rave reviews and it seems healthy enough to eat at breakfast today!
That sounds fabulous and I’m craving a slice for my breakfast too! : ) thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback! X
I absolutely LOVED this cake. Turned out amazing, I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing. Are the nutritional values per 100g, or for the whole cake, or for a slice?
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Maria!
The nutritional values are per serving, but if you cut the cake into 8 generous slices (I would say pretty large), feel free to cut it into 10 if you wish.
Cheers : )
Hi. I followed the recipe exactly and it was a great success… a light, moist and healthy cake. But I agree with others that the flavour here is very subtle. I would not want more cinnamon but next time I would more grated lemon.
I’m so pleased, Vicky! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback.
I love the lemon zest! x
I used King Arthur gluten-free 1 to 1 flour and added nutmeg and cloves. I substituted melted butter for oil. But I think the quantities are off. First, FOUR apples? I used three, organic so they weren’t that big, and I still had lots left over. The batter was so dry and sticky I added in a splash of milk and then cooked it for about an hour. It barely rose, and since the top is covered in apples I don’t see how it could be expected to do more. Possibly layering apples and alternating with dough might be better although almost impossible with this sticky texture. It’s ok, rather like eating a big gluey pancake, although my husband, who is easily pleased, loves it.
Hi! In the recipe I don’t mention substitutions like butter instead of vegetable oil or gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
I’m sorry, but if you’ve made your own changes and adjustments, you can’t complain about the actual recipe.
Have a nice weekend x
Good lord Janet, why so nasty? Based on your bitter personality though I do agree that your husband is easily pleased.
I thought I had left out some fluid in the recipe as the “batter” was thick like bread dough. The recipe was easy to follow. I would prefer a bit more flavor in the cake, loved the apple topping. Even my picky 4 y.o. Grandson liked it. I did cook for an additional 10 minutes, as my testing at 35 minutes showed very underdone. Took it out at 45 and then 50 minutes, as the apples were getting overdone / crisp. Used Costco nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Will try the Chobani full fat yogurt next time. New stove/oven, temp is spot on.
Thank you for your feedback, I’m very pleased to hear it turned out well! : )
Looks lovely, but still raw after extending the bake time. Bottom and sides cooked, top half still raw. What is cooked is very blah. Went back over the ingredients, thought maybe I missed something. Very dense!! Only thing I can think of is maybe I over mixed?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear it was partially raw, I’m trying to understand why. Apple cakes can be tricky sometimes, especially if they’re thick and packed with apples.
I don’t think we should blame the fact that you over mixed the batter, but a few other things can affect the result instead: 1) If the size of the pan is small, the batter is too dense and takes longer to cook in the middle. 2) If the measurement of the ingredients is not precise (that happens with cups), we end up with more or less flour than the recipe calls for. 3) If the we open the oven door often, the temperature drops and never gets right.
But thanks so much for your feedback, I’m going to test the recipe soon to share more tips for a perfect result. x
I had the same problem, the cake came out extremely dense and was more like the texture of a heavy bread than cake. I also had problems with the cooking time, after almost 1 hour the centre was still slightly undercooked. I used honey instead of granulated sugar so perhaps that caused the dense texture and cooking difficulties? The yoghurt I used was a full fat greek yoghurt so less liquid like. I was thinking that could have resulted in the dough being so dense and sticky too? I was excited to try a cake with yoghurt so I was quite disappointed at the result – could be my own baking techniques though!
Hi Lexi, the recipe calls for sugar and plain yogurt.
I don’t recommend swapping sugar for honey in a cake recipe, especially if the recipe calls for apples or other fruit that add moisture to the batter. I know that many people do it, but I’m never happy with the final texture. If you’d like to try a simple yogurt cake, you might give a go at my popular yogurt cake on the website, very easy to make and foolproof (but pls, use the ingredients listed in the recipe card ; ). Cheers x
Thanks for posting the measurements in grams, (even if they don’t scale up when you scale up the rest of the recipe). It makes it accessible for Europe too.
You’re very welcome! : )
I just made this cake for the second time with some adjustments. My fussy son liked it and I appreciate the orientation toward “healthier”. The first time I followed the recipe pretty closely. It took at least 10 minutes more than the 35-40 minutes to be fully baked. The apples on top were pretty crunchy. The cinnamon adds up to 3/4 teaspoon per my calculation: 1/4 on apples, 1/4 in cake, 1/4 on top (?). The second time I microwaved the apples for a minute to give them a jump on the cooking. I put a bit more of the apples into the actual cake. I sprinkled the top with sugar and cinnamon. I haven’t tried it yet but it seems to have cooked better and I’m sure will be tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, Mary! I’m pleased to hear you’re making this cake for the second time, I’m sure it will turn out great with your adjustments.
Cheers x
Do I really need yogurt? What’s an alternative?
Hi Lauren, sour cream works just fine if you don’t have yogurt.
Have a lovely weekend. x
It was so tasty! Everyone at home just loved it. There was a very thin layer right below the apples which din bake well I guess it’s because I did not press the apples well. But we still loved it and within a few min the entire cake was over : )
I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you for sharing your feedback! I think the thin layer was just wet, and I’m glad everyone loved it.
Have a lovely weekend. x
Beautiful, wonderful, delicious!! Just got done making this, used white spelt as all we had. Had no jam so sprinkled some brown sugar on the top.
It was delicious and looks beautiful too, I almost didn’t want to cut it! Everyone loves it, 3 year old, even my hard to please MIL went back for seconds.
Thank you for the recipe! Will be printing it out for safe keeping : )
HI Sarah, I’m so pleased to hear it turned out delicious and everyone loved it! Thanks a million for sharing your lovely feedback. x
Just made this cake for myself and some friends. It was amazing although did take a while to cook ( think i made it a bit too dense). Didn’t want the apple to burn so i covered it with foil for a bit at the end which helped cook the inside. topped it with ginger and feijoa jam and it was delicious. Also added a full teaspoon of cinnamon which was really yum. Definitely making this again.
I’m so pleased to hear it turned out delicious, Teagan! Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback.
Cheers, K.
Hi. I made this cake the first time per the recipe but added a few blueberries. It was wonderful! My mom, husband ,
, sister and brother in law loved it. The only real difference was that I used Monk fruit sweetener in place of sugar. I just made it again for a friend that had surgery and I used more blueberries this time. I also added the glaze with sugar free apricot preserves and made an extra cake fir us! I have not tried it yet but o expect it to be even better with the glaze! Thanks for sharing
I’m so pleased to hear that, Karen! Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback, apples and blueberries sound delicious.
Cheers x
I’ll be honest. I am sure this is healthier than most cakes, but man it did not taste good. The whole wheat flour was a bit overpowering. I am a huge apple junky and I am not sure I can eat this one. It looked unbelievable but just didn’t deliver..
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like, Sean. The whole wheat flour is definitely tastier than all-purpose flour, and it’s not for everyone. Thanks for your feedback. x
Hi. I made this recently and it came out perfectly. Mine was more rustic looking but it was delicious.I’ll definitely make this again.
Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback, Arlene! I’m so pleased it came out perfectly. x
I used coconut instead of all purpose flour and it was a big mistake. If you’re reading this note you can’t substitute coconut flour on a 1:1 ratio for all-purpose flour.
Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback and tips for other readers, hope you can give the recipe another try! 💛
As a none baker !!! I NEED all measurements as i have no clue how much to use, am i missing seeing measurements somewhere !?
Lorraine, the measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.x