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    Home > Recipes > Cakes & Cupcakes

    Apple Cake Recipe with Cinnamon Butter

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 09/29/16 · Updated: 12/31/17 · This post may contain affiliate links

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    This Apple Cake is inspired by the traditional German yeasted apple sheet cake my Grandmother used to make when I was little. She always made a big sheet of yeast cake for family gatherings. One-half of the sheet topped with streusel and the other half with apples. I loved this cake growing up!

    It’s probably my favorite kind of German apple cake even if it takes a bit more time to make than my German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake or my Covered German Apple Cake. So if you’re not the biggest fan of baking with yeast than you could try one of these cakes instead! All three are delicious!

    So today I want to share my version of my grandmother’s cake which is perfect for chilly fall days! My yeasted apple cake has a flavorful homemade cinnamon butter under the fresh apple slices and is brushed with a Mediterranean-inspired honey and pine nuts topping when it comes out of the oven. This is what my fall dreams are made of!

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    Pine nuts are one of my favorite ingredient in salads or in quiches like here in my Spinach Quiche with Cheese and Pine Nuts but they also make a tasty topping for sweet treats – a great alternative to walnuts or almonds!

    The topping on this Apple Sheet Cake tastes like heaven! The combination of different flavors and the sweet cinnamon butter under the apples which infuses the dough makes a star out of this “normal” apple cake recipe.

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    The bottom of this cake is light and fluffy, so be prepared for a soft and sticky dough, it’s worth it! The dough needs to be rolled out quite thin about 0.2 – 0.4 inches high because it will rise in the oven. I find it easier to spread the dough out with my hands than to use a rolling pin.

    This apple cake is especially good when it’s still warm!

    Happy Baking!

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

    A baking sheet with apple cake with cinnamon butter topped with pine nuts on a black cooling rack. A cake server is lifting out a piece of the cake.
    Servings: 12

    Apple Cake Recipe with Cinnamon Butter

    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.
    Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: German
    Calories: 222kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    5 from 3 votes
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    For the dough:

    • 2 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast
    • 1/2 cup milk, lukewarm, 120ml
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240g
    • 3 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
    • 1 egg, large
    • 1 pinch of salt

    For the cinnamon butter:

    • 1/2 stick butter, 55g, room temperature
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tbsp sugar

    For the apples:

    • 5 medium apples
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice

    For the topping:

    • 2 tbsp pine nuts
    • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)
    • 1 tbsp honey
    • 1 tbsp butter
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    Instructions

    • Pour the lukewarm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm (90°F) milk. Cover and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
    • On low speed, add the sugar, flour, butter, egg and a pinch of salt and knead until a soft dough forms about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for one more minute. Sprinkle the dough with a little bit more flour if it's too sticky.
    • Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and let the dough rest at a warm place for 40 minutes or until about doubled in size.
    • Make the cinnamon butter: Mix the soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon until fluffy with a handheld mixer or a fork.
    • Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and slice the apples (1/2 inch thick). Mix with lemon juice.
    • Grease a 9x13-inch baking sheet. With floured hands spread the dough evenly about 0.2 to 0.4 inch high.
    • Spread the cinnamon butter on top of the dough, then arrange the apples on the dough like you see in my photos.
    • Cover the cake with a clean towel and let it rise for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
    • Bake the apple cake for 25-30 minutes.
    • While the cake bakes make the topping: In a small, dry frying pan, toast pine nuts until they are golden and give off a light fragrance. Add honey, butter and the chopped rosemary (optional), lightly heat the mixture, then turn off the heat. Spoon this mixture evenly over the cake whilst it is still hot.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
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    This Apple Cake Recipe is perfect for fall! Yeast dough is brushed with cinnamon butter, topped with fresh apple slices and glazed with honey and pine nuts.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says

      January 25, 2016 at 7:40 pm

      5 stars
      What a gorgeous cake! Pinning to my apple desserts board, I love how you arranged the apples on top :) Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    2. Michelle says

      January 24, 2016 at 10:14 pm

      Your photos are gorgeous! Never would have thought to use pine nuts in a dessert

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 24, 2016 at 10:15 pm

        Thank you, Michelle!

        Reply
    3. Levan says

      January 22, 2016 at 8:04 am

      5 stars
      A slice of this butter cake is a slice of heaven! Love your photos and the recipe is spot on! :)

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 22, 2016 at 2:58 pm

        Thank you, Levan!

        Reply
    4. Claudia | Gourmet Project says

      January 19, 2016 at 6:33 pm

      5 stars
      I love pine nuts everywhere. I also put them in salads and desserts. And don’t forget healthy breakfast bowls!

      Reply
    5. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

      January 18, 2016 at 3:36 pm

      What a gorgeous cake!!! I never think to use pine nuts in dessert, but I can just imagine how tasty they are here.

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 18, 2016 at 3:38 pm

        Thank you, Brandon! Yo have to try pine nuts in combination with something sweet, it’s delicious.

        Reply
    6. Bella B (xoxoBella) says

      January 17, 2016 at 5:39 pm

      This looks absolutely amazing!

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 22, 2016 at 2:57 pm

        Thanks, Bella!

        Reply
    7. Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says

      January 14, 2016 at 10:26 pm

      What a beautiful dinner! Those apples are gorgeous and the touch of rosemary is really unique!

      Reply
    8. Amber | Quite Good Food says

      January 15, 2016 at 2:35 am

      I LOVE the idea of honey, rosemary, apple and pine nuts all together – I can just imagine how well the flavours work together. Beautiful!

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 18, 2016 at 3:39 pm

        Thank you, Amber!

        Reply
    9. Michele Hall says

      January 15, 2016 at 2:10 am

      I guess I should sign up for your emails because there is NEVER anything that you share I don’t want to make. THis apple butter cake is going on the list too…. Wow, so beautiful!

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 22, 2016 at 2:56 pm

        Thank you so much, Michele! That makes me really happy to hear :-)

        Reply
    10. Sophia @Veggies Don't Bite says

      January 15, 2016 at 1:26 am

      I love all those flavors! Pine nuts and rosemary? YUM!

      Reply
    11. The Food Hunter says

      January 14, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      THe flavor combination sounds amazing.

      Reply
      • Julia says

        January 22, 2016 at 2:55 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply

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    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

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