A hearty, moist spiced Apple Loaf Cake Recipe studded with apples, oats, walnuts, and ruby-red cranberries.
This Apple Harvest Loaf Cake is comforting and uncomplicated. It’s the kind of loaf you can make after a long day: comforting, aromatic, and pleasingly rustic. The cake balances tender apple pieces and chewy dried fruit with crunchy toasted walnuts and a lightly spiced oat topping for texture and warmth.
Autumn inspired this loaf: the turning leaves, cooler air, and the abundance of apples at the market. Baking one of these is a small ritual—peeling and chopping apples, whisking batter, and letting the oven work its gentle magic. It’s a recipe that rewards patience; the cake improves if allowed to rest, letting the flavours meld overnight so each slice is deeply moist and fragrant.
This loaf is also adaptable. If you don’t have light muscovado sugar, soft dark brown sugar works well. Swap toasted wheat germ for almond meal, or use buttermilk in place of yogurt if that’s what you have on hand. Cranberries and golden raisins are interchangeable depending on your preference. The method stays the same: mix, fold in fruit and nuts, bake, and then rest.
I like to bake this in the evening so it can rest wrapped in foil overnight. The next morning the loaf is at its best—deeply moist and infused with spice—perfect with a smear of salted butter, honeyed almond butter, or simply plain. It’s an excellent companion to coffee, tea, or warm cider.
Here’s a concise overview of how this apple loaf comes together: prepare the oat-and-sugar topping first and set it aside. Whisk the dry ingredients for the batter—flour, sugar, toasted wheat germ, almond meal, spices, oats—then mix the wet ingredients separately (yogurt, milk, melted butter, and an egg). Combine wet and dry, fold in chopped apples, toasted walnuts, cranberries and raisins, transfer to a lined loaf pan, sprinkle with the oat topping, and bake until set and beginning to pull away from the pan sides.
How To Make Apple Loaf Cake Recipe
The batter is simple but rewarding. Once mixed, it’s best to cover the warm loaf with foil and let it rest for 8–12 hours. This step yields an especially moist texture and deeper flavor. If you’re short on time, allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then slice—still delicious, just less settled than the rested version.
When the cake is ready to serve, spread a little salted butter or almond butter on a slice and top with thin apple slices for freshness. The loaf makes a lovely breakfast or an easy, elegant treat for guests.
This recipe yields one 9×5-inch loaf. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and roughly 50–55 minutes to bake, with a total time around 1 hour 15 minutes, not counting the recommended resting period. The loaf is versatile and forgiving—substitute similar ingredients as needed and trust your judgement for personal adjustments.
Enjoy the warm spice and tender apple pieces in each slice. Whether you bake it to savor alone or to share with friends, this apple loaf cake is a cozy, seasonal favorite that celebrates autumn fruit and simple baking.
Other Great Recipes You’ll Love
- Alice Waters’ Apple Tart Recipe
- Carrot Cake Recipe
- Chaussons Aux Pommes
- Chocolate & Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe
- Yellow Birthday Cake Recipe
Apple Loaf Cake Recipe
This apple loaf cake is hearty and versatile. The batter is straightforward: mix dry and wet components separately, combine until just mixed, fold in fruit and nuts, and bake. Letting the baked loaf rest covered overnight improves texture and melds the flavors.
20 minutes
55 minutes
1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoon / 14g Rolled Oats
- 1 tablespoon / 14g Packed Light Muscovado Sugar (or soft dark brown sugar)
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch of Nutmeg
- Pinch of Fine Grain Sea Salt
For the Cake:
- 1 Cup / 128g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup (100g) Natural Cane Sugar / Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup / 50g Toasted Wheat Germ
- ½ cup / 40g Almond Meal
- ⅓ cup / 60g Packed Light Muscovado Sugar, sifted (or soft dark brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon / 7g Ground Cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons / 12g Baking Powder
- 1¼ teaspoons / 7g Fine Grain Sea Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ⅓ cup / 30g Rolled Oats
- ⅓ cup / 75g Greek Yogurt, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup / 75g Whole Milk, at room temperature
- 5 tablespoons / 70g Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups / 200g McIntosh Apples (about 2), cored & chopped into roughly 1cm pieces
- ½ cup / 35g Walnut Pieces, toasted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup / 30g Dried Cranberries
- ¼ cup / 30g Golden Raisins (Sultanas)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C / Gas Mark 4. Line the bottom of a 9×5-inch (23cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry cake ingredients: flour, cane sugar, toasted wheat germ, almond meal, sifted muscovado sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and oats. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, briefly whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, melted butter, and egg.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped apples, toasted walnuts, cranberries, and golden raisins until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, level the top, and evenly sprinkle the oat topping over the loaf.
- Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the top is set, begins to pull away from the sides, and a tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Once baked, cover the loaf pan tightly with aluminum foil and let the loaf rest for 8–12 hours for best texture. If short on time, cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with butter or almond butter and thin apple slices if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1 Slice
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 383
Total Fat: 29g
Saturated Fat: 15g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: 79mg
Sodium: 575mg
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 6g