Classic Apple Dapple Cake

When Fredericton Tourism reached out to me to produce a recipe featuring local New Brunswick ingredients, I couldn't have been more excited to participate. I knew that my grandmother's Apple Dapple Cake would be the perfect recipe to showcase New Brunswick's local apples.

This is my favourite cake recipe of all time as I don't like icing. The most simple recipe that's nearly foolproof. It's fresh, sweet and perfectly balanced.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Instructions, FAQs and Other Tips
• Zero Waste Tips
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients and Substitutions

With only 12 ingredients, almost all of which being pantry staples, Apple Dapple Cake is the epitome of resourcefulness. Other than the apples, any of these ingredients can be found in my pantry at any given time in vast quantities. In times like these, it's nice to find a super budget friendly recipe that's always a crowd pleaser (and bonus that it takes almost no prep work).

Ingredients

The Cake

• 3 Large Eggs room temperature
• 1 ¼ cup Vegetable Oil (or light olive oil)
• 1 ¼ cup White Sugar, granulated
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (ideally pure)
• 360 g All-Purpose Flour, about 3 cups
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 ⅓ cup Walnuts, toasted
• 4 cups diced Granny Smith Apples (about 3 apples)

Optionally, you can add in coconut, dried fruit or other nuts / seeds but I'm a purist for this recipe. If you want a healthier cake, you can omit the caramel sauce but I think it's more than worth the calories.

Caramel Topping

• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 6 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
• ¼ cup Whole Milk (or cream)
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract (ideally pure)
• ¼ Orange, zested (optional)
• Salt, to taste (about a pinch)

Substitutions and Diet Modifications

Can this be made vegan? Yes! This article from Healthline talks about substitutions you can use for eggs. My preferred choice is ¼ cup of applesauce per egg. So for this recipe, you'd need ¾ cups of unsweetened applesauce. They also mention mashed bananas, a mix of vinegar and baking soda as well as some other resourceful choices.

Can this be made keto? I'd steer away from a recipe like this if you're following a keto diet. It would require substituting not only the flour and sugars, but finding a replacement for the apples. Where this cake is focused on apples, I'd skip that.

Does this cake need the caramel sauce? Nope! The cake is delicious even without the sauce but I do recommend it for an authentic taste (and it's so yummy!)

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Instructions, FAQs and Other Tips

Instructions

Apple Dapple Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Before starting the recipe, take your nuts of choice (walnuts or pecans) and dry roast them in a medium pan until they are slightly browned and smell toasty. Set aside to cool.
2. Take all your apples and peel, core and dice them into ½ - 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla and white sugar until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine all ingredients equally.
5. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix only until combined. Add in the cooled toasted nuts and diced apples and mix until combined. Place into a greased pan [Tube Pans or Bundt Pans work the best - but you can also use any cake pans. Keep in mind the baking time is for a pan with a hollow middle, so you may have to add an additional 5 or so minutes if you use another pan].
6. Bake the cake for 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees. 
7. Start the caramel sauce during the last 10 or so minutes of bake time.

Caramel Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until all the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes, until thickened slightly. Set aside.
2. Once the cake is out of the oven, pour the caramel mixture over the cake while still in the pan. Allow the cake to cool for 2-3 hours. Serve at room temperature.
3. *Note: If you're using a Bundt pan, the cake will be upside down when served. If using a tube pan, take a knife to the sides to loosen the cake and remove it. Turn it over so the caramel is on the top.

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FAQ:

How do I store this cake? I recommend leaving it covered on the counter. This cake is best served at room temperature, but some people like to heat it up and put ice cream on it. Not my thing - but feel free! It should stay good at room temperature for about 5 days - I doubt it will last that long, though.

Where does this cake come from? Why is it called Apple Dapple Cake? In the scope of my life, this recipe comes from my great-grandmother with Irish roots. There's a lot of debate where this recipe came from. The most common myths are that it's an old Amish recipe, it's based off of Southern cooking and even that it's a change on an old Jewish recipe. As for the name? It has apples in it and someone probably wanted it to sound catchy. There's little information about the roots of this recipe.

What kind of apples should I use? In a pinch you can use any kinds of apples, but I prefer always using Granny Smith. The tartness balances the sweetness of the recipe very well.

What equipment do I need? This recipe is so low maintenance that all you really need is a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a pot (for the caramel sauce) and an oven-proof dish. For a classic Apple Dapple Cake, you'll need a Bundt pan - but any baking dish will work. Keep in mind that the colour of your pans will affect the cooking time. I use a relatively dark Bundt pan. Adjust cooking times based on your oven and cooking tools.

Zero Waste Tips

What Sides Should I Have?

This cake doesn't need any sides or toppings, but if you really want some kind of flavour enhancement, I'd recommend ice cream over whipped cream. Truly neither is necessary though but I'd avoid any flavour that isn't plain vanilla.

If you want a fresher accompaniment or are vegan, you could serve it with a vegan coconut ice cream like the one from President's Choice.

Help, What Do I Do With...

Apple Peels? Of course you can always compost your apple peels and cores. Personally, I love the apple peel tea from Food 52! If you have a dehydrator, you can also make apple peel chips.

Leftover Cake? I'd be shocked if you couldn't eat this cake before it went bad, but if you live alone or can't get through it, Apple Dapple Cake can be frozen for up to 3 months! To eat, you can let it defrost overnight or nuke it quickly in the microwave!

If you like these zero waste tips, be sure to check out our other articles that feature some resourceful zero waste recipes.

Want more sweet recipes recipes? Try:

• Matcha Banana Bread
• Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
• Dalgona Matcha Latte
• Egg White Oats
• Subway Copycat White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

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