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A sliced apple tea cake on a wire rack, with one slice on a blue and white patterned plate with a fork on the side.
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5 / 3 votes

Apple Tea Cake

This apple tea cake is made with layers of apples and cinnamon encased in sweet cake and topped with a tart lemon drizzle. We're happily indulging at any time of the day.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time3 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Calories: 373

Ingredients

For the spiced apple cake

  • 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 4 to 6 ounces (1 small or 1/2 large) sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp, unpeeled, cored, halved lengthwise, and very thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch | 3 mm), preferably on a mandoline
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the spiced apple tea cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177°C). Adjust a rack to the middle position. Line a 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (22-by-11-cm) loaf pan with parchment paper so there is some overhanging all sides.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and sugar on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until pale, very fluffy, and, in the final moments, mousse-like, 8 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use a hand-held mixer and a large bowl.)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  • Gradually add the eggs and egg yolk to the batter, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Switch to your stand mixer’s paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add half the buttermilk and briefly mix until combined. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, then the last of the flour mixture. Mix just until smooth—do not overmix.
  • Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared bread pan and smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Top the batter with half the apples, overlapping the slices if necessary. Sprinkle the apples with half the cinnamon. Repeat with an additional third of the batter and the remaining apples. Top with the remaining batter and smooth with a spatula.
  • Bake until the cake is golden brown, starting to pull away from the edges of the pan, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 65 minutes.

Prepare the glaze

  • In a medium bowl, stir the lemon juice into the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. If the glaze seems exceptionally thick, add more lemon juice, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes in the pan. While the cake is still warm, poke the top all over with a toothpick inserted all the way. Slowly pour half the glaze on the cake and spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Let sit for 10 minutes to soak up the glaze, then use the parchment overhang to remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack, 45 to 60 minutes more.
  • When the cake is completely cool, drizzle generously with the remaining glaze, letting it run down the sides. Let the glaze dry before serving, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 346mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g