Apple-Pie Cake

1582 Ratings
  • 5 243
  • 4 365
  • 3 593
  • 2 300
  • 1 81

This hybrid dessert is an irresistible cross between apple pie and a fruit crisp. It's easy to make—all you need are six ingredients and you probably already have most of them on hand: butter, light-brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Most importantly, you'll need five pounds of tart apples such as Granny Smiths. The apples are sliced and layered with a crumb mixture similar to that used for a fruit crisp. We suggest using a springform pan to accommodate the tall layers.

Everyday Food, January/February 2003

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

prep:
45 mins
total:
2 hrs
Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using an electric mixer or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until the mixture forms pea-size pieces. Press 2/3 of the mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.

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  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples, cut into thin slices, and place in a bowl. Pour off any accumulated liquid. Toss apple slices with remaining teaspoon cinnamon and lemon juice, and put them in the prepared pan, pressing down gently as you pack them in (they will mound above the edge of the pan). Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top.

  • Put the pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and let the cake cool in the pan to set. Serve at room temperature.

Cook's Notes

To dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, put some sugar in a standard sieve, hold it over the cake, and tap the edge lightly.

Cook's Notes

A springform pan works best for this recipe. All you have to do is release the sides to remove the cake from the pan. Or use a 9-inch round baking pan, with sides at least 3 inches high.

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Reviews (38)

1582 Ratings
  • 5 243
  • 4 365
  • 3 593
  • 2 300
  • 1 81
Martha Stewart Member
10/18/2020
I love to 'experiment' in the kitchen when cooking and baking so, I put a little twist on this. First, I used a spice cake mix. I also partially cooked the apples to reduce some of the moisture so the base wasn't soggy. Of course, I mixed the apples with a bit of cornstarch to help thicken any juices. Then, instead of just cinnamon, I used a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a more 'intense Fall flavor'. If you want to take it a little over the top, serve with a scoop of caramel praline or toffee caramel ice cream. Enjoy and have fun!
Martha Stewart Member
10/26/2019
Made this pi cake today and it fabulous! So much better tan a regular apply pie! Tastes scrumptious!
Martha Stewart Member
05/08/2018
I have been making this recipe since the first issue of Everyday Food arrived in my mailbox! It is a family favorite and aside from sometimes adding a little more apple pie spices or cloves-we have found it to be great and versatile.! You could make this without a springform pan and just use a cake pan and cut pieces out (but the presentation wouldn't be as nice). Love this!!!
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Martha Stewart Member
10/04/2017
I followed the recipe. It came out perfect, Delicious!
Martha Stewart Member
04/08/2017
I followed the recipe exactly. I loved this cake and it was a huge hit with my family. I loved that it wasn't made with very much sugar and you really got to enjoy the taste of the apples. I followed the cooking time exactly as well and it turned out perfect.
Martha Stewart Member
11/21/2016
To start, I added more cinnamon, some cloves and nutmeg as the cinnamon as called for would have made this very bland. I have baked it an extra 10 minutes. It doesn't specify what the texture of the apples should be, should they be cooking, or still hard? I used Haralson apples. I am waiting for it to cool and see what happens with the crust. I also used Bob's 1x1 gluten free flour.
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Martha Stewart Member
04/21/2016
Reading all of these comments I am wondering if it might be possible to make this using canned prepared apple pie filling. Anyone have a comment or suggestion as to how much or how it might affect the recipe?
Martha Stewart Member
01/07/2016
This recipe is a dud. Not only did it have one flavor note (cinnamon) the recipe calls for 5 lbs of apples. There is no added sugar or zest so the apples were bland and acidic - not apple pie-like. When I prepared it using 3.5 lbs of apples it was heaping over the pan. Luckily I put parchment around the sides. I don't know how you could contain that many apples. Also, because the apples were put in raw the bottom crust was a mushy mess. It was impossible to cut a clean piece.
Martha Stewart Member
11/16/2015
SO AWESOME, easy and one of the BEST Apple _anything_ ever made (and I've made MANY pies, betty's, buckles, etc.) The best thing, there is no added sugar to the apples, hence making the apple you choose very important - Choose a dry, sweeter variety...I used Wolf River Apples still on the tree in November in Maine, organic. I also modified it by chopping up a nice dark chocolate bar mixed with apples, and added a handfull of oats to the topping portion of the crust mixture with more cinnamon.
Martha Stewart Member
10/20/2014
The cake was really easy to make! A quick recipe for an every day use. Simple and good...but I have to admit, I did put some maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and teaspoon of corn starch to the already cut apples...it is also very easy to make this cake a vegan and healthy choice. I replaced the butter for a good margarine, used raw cane sugar and whole wheat flour! Delicious! And the recipe works as well as the original...my son loves this apple cake!
Martha Stewart Member
11/29/2013
Easy to make and pretty presentation, but I didn't like it. I used only 7 apples of various varieties and it was fine. If I made this again I'd put some sugar in the apples and more cinnamon. I'd also use less sugar and less butter in the crumble dough. Way too buttery, I think. Not sure though if I will be making this recipe again.
Martha Stewart Member
11/02/2013
Not sure what I did wrong but this turned out very badly, the "cake" part of it just became a thick paste like mush. While the apples were flavorful the mushy cake substance made it less appetizing. I followed the instructions as given, perhaps it was baking it on a foil lined tray that didn't allow a crust to form? I opted to try turning it into a crumble..still in the oven..we'll see!
Martha Stewart Member
09/15/2013
Turns out perfect with a little changes. Adde sugar to the apples, had to make a bit extra crumbles for the top Use a 10 inch mold and 12 Smith apples. Very easy and delicious.
Martha Stewart Member
02/10/2013
Made this last night. Just ate some leftovers this morning. Really easy & delicious and looks good! A few edits: I used only 7 apples, I added a tad more lemon juice and tossed some sugar with the apple-cinnamon-lemon mix. Came out well. I would make it again with these modifications. Happy Cooking!
Martha Stewart Member
10/12/2012
So easy and simple delicious!!
Martha Stewart Member
01/30/2012
I've made this recipe twice and both times it was great! I used Northern Spy apples and confess i did add some cinnamon and sugar to them. Now it is January and I can't find Spys to use, so I'll give Grannys a try.
Martha Stewart Member
11/12/2011
I don't want to give up on this recipe because it's a good option to making pie. But the comments are valid. Tring this for a second time. This time, I tried using Pink Lady apples and tossed them with some sugar making sure to drain the extra liquid after mixing the juice, sugar and cinnamon well with the apples. Also, I increased the crust recipe by 1/4 so I had enough to make the bottom thicker and a little extra for the topping (I ran out the first time).
Martha Stewart Member
11/09/2011
Terrible!!! Wasted money and time! Apples are too tart with no added sugar and came out mushy! Will never try to do it again.
Martha Stewart Member
11/07/2011
Tasty overall, but others' comments are valid: bottom crust was pretty soft, Granny Smiths would be too tart, recipe calls for too many apples. Simple recipes great, but I'd opt for another recipe in the future. Juices from apples sink and cause mushy crust because the flour in the topping doesn't mix with the apples. The texture of the crust where it wasn't mushy, wasn't the best. Suggestions: toss apples with some extra flour, maybe some sugar too, add oats to crust, try cooking apples first.
Martha Stewart Member
11/06/2011
Kaygi, it says to use 2/3 of the crumble mixture for the base, thus the remaining 1/3 is for the topping.
Martha Stewart Member
10/16/2011
Recipe does not tell you to put aside someof the crumb mixture for the top. Baking it now, smells good, but will let you know the results.
Martha Stewart Member
10/02/2011
Made this today it was awesome, I will try it with less butter next time and see if I get the same results.
Martha Stewart Member
09/29/2011
I made this last night, I bought a bag of Mac's at the Farmers Market and it was easy and yummy. A tarter apple would have even been better, skip the powered sugar and go right to the ice cream...just perfect.
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2011
I have made this recipe many times over, since it first appeared. I have always been delighted with the results and so have my family and friends. Always get asked for the recipe. Turns out perfect each and every time!!
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2011
going to try this asap...have one tip for baking apples and not getting too mushy.....mix apples with tapioca.....absorbs alot of the moisture....
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2011
I have made this for years, never any leftovers
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2011
gonna try this recipe - it sounds good!
Martha Stewart Member
09/25/2011
This was a really fun cake/crisp to make! So easy and such simple ingredients. It got rave reviews from the hubs. I also did not use all the apples...I'd say I used 9 or 10. I don't know how the topping would have stayed on if there were any more apples! It was already falling off the sides. Some of my crust was mushy too, but not too bad. Overall flavor was great. I wonder if I didn't bake it long enough? I only had it in there an hour because it was golden brown on top. Any thoughts?
Martha Stewart Member
10/31/2010
DELICIOUS! DELICIOUS! DELICIOUS! This is the BEST apple dessert ever. You can make this 100% organic, simple to make, flawless instructions. It has a fresh, lightly sweet and tart flavor, wonderful texture.
Martha Stewart Member
10/27/2010
My roommate made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I'm not sure how other peoples' crust turned out soggy...ours was perfect. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream. This is a perfect dessert for fall. Or any time, actually...
Martha Stewart Member
10/24/2010
I made this last night. The flavors were great but the crust was really wet and gummy, not cake like at all. I would recommend someone try reworking this recipe to find away to remove all the excess moisture. Not sure if I'll make it again.
Martha Stewart Member
10/15/2010
I replaced butter by olive oil since we do not use much butter but the result was great anyway. We loved the caramelised sugar and the cinnamon taste.
Martha Stewart Member
10/05/2010
What a waste of time and energy put into this baking disaster. First of all, with two sticks of butter, the crust came out soggy, liquid came out from the sides and bottom, the apples were supremely tart and I ended up throwing the entire thing out in the trash after we took a bite out of it. Whoever created this winner needs to revamp it because it is no good. I will stick to apple pie next time. I am a longtime baker and cook and this was my first mistake.
Martha Stewart Member
09/24/2010
I had extra apples left over as well - I think 9 pounds would have been better. This is a new family favorite, and will definitely have vanilla ice cream to serve with it next time!
Martha Stewart Member
09/19/2010
I did half the recipe in a smaller pan, so I had a thin layer on the bottom, like a normal pie crust and it was perfect, wasn't soggy at all, it was almost like a chewy toffee cookie, then a layer of apple that i fried in butter, browsugar, lemonjuice and cinamon (maybe 1 T of each) I had to make a bit extra crumbles for the top tho.. have only one word for this cake.. YUM! serve warm with vanilla ice cream
Martha Stewart Member
09/19/2010
This tasted delicious, but the crust was very soggy on bottom. I also had a hard time fitting 5 pounds of apples into the pan. Good recipe, but next time I might use 3 to 4 pounds of apples.
Martha Stewart Member
03/05/2008
One of my favorite recipes! Turns out great every time!
Martha Stewart Member
01/28/2008
This is absolutely delicious! I have made a few times, and it got rave reviews! It is a great dessert to bring to Thanksgiving supper.
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