A full printable recipe is available at the bottom of this post. Thank you!
Mama has been making this old fashioned apple dapple cake for as long as I can remember. It’s always signaled the arrival of apple season for us!
Don’t you just love the taste of brown sugar? I mean, all on its own, I just love brown sugar. Whenever I am baking with it, I can’t help but to get a pinch out for myself. Lucky is the day when I find a few precious lumps within the bag!
The wonderful thing about Mama’s Apple Dapple Cake (and I do mean WONDERFUL) is that the resulting flavor is a perfect blend of fresh apples and buttery brown sugar. With the special brown sugar soaking sauce poured over the cake and allowed to soak in before removing the cake from the pan, it is by far the moistest cake I’ve ever baked. As if the flavor (and smell!) were not enough, the slices are gorgeous, too. Thick slices showcase bits of apple and the slightly granular texture around the edges of the tender crust brought on by the brown sugar. If you’ve ever wanted to win someone over through their stomach, THIS cake is a home run.
Ingredients
- 3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups raw apples peeled and chopped fine
Sauce
- 1 cup packed brown sugar for sauce
- 1/4 cup milk for sauce
- 3/4 cup butter 1 -1/2 sticks (for sauce)
Instructions
- Spray pan liberally with cooking spray and set aside. Mix oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, soda. Add to first mixture. Fold in pecans and apples. Bake in tube or bundt pan* at 350 for 1 hour.
- For the sauce, Place sauce ingredients into a small saucepot over medium high heat. Stir constantly and bring it to a gentle boil. After it begins gently boiling, continue to stir and allow to cook for about three minutes. Pour over hot cake while still in the pan. Alllow cake to cool completely before removing from pan.
Notes
This recipe featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!You might also enjoy this recipe: Mama’s Apple Spice Muffins
Yum 
Holy apple cake that looks GOOD! I’m so excited about all the apple recipes this week. My husband isn’t big on desserts unless it’s got apples in it so he’s going to have a happy tummy. Adding this cake to my list of “must make”.
Has this recipe been shared? German apple cake?
This Is One Of The Best Cakes Ever, Its So Delicious & So Moist * I Make This A Few Times A Year.
I am so glad you like it Judy!!!
This cake is good, moist. I did add 1 tsp cinnamon. I like cinnamon with anything apple. Love the sauce but since my husband is diabetic I did not pour it over the cake. I did save it to reheat for slices later. It did reheat well in the microwave
I am so glad you liked it Dianne, and thanks for sharing the tip about the sauce!
I also have a recipe for fresh apple cake that is almost the same thing..Keep it covered snd the long it last the better it gets..IF you manage to keep it that long.
Wrapped properly it freezes well also..One of my favorite cakes!! It makes wonderful gifts!! Anyone would be happy to receive one for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Your apple cake looks DELICIOUS! It will soon be apple season in the mountains and we will drive to Julian to buy some! Check out my German apple cake I posted this morning on my blog: http://winefoodandphotographs.blogspot.com/
I LOVE your blog! I just found it tonight and I’m adding it to my favorites!
Your cake looks delicious Christy! Especially with the buttery sugary sauce all over it. I will have to make it, but I’ll probably omit the pecans just because I’m not a fan of nuts overall.
And you have a beautiful KitchenAid mixer! I wish I had one, but at $800, I’m not too sure…. 🙁
I plan on making this for my son’s birthday party! Should the cake be stored at room temperature, or in the fridge?
We store it at room temp. If it is going to be more than three days I’d put it in the fridge. Happy Birthday!
I just made this cake and it is now cooling.
The caramel sauce is delicious. I tasted it!!
Can’t wait to try the cake..
Pretty easyto make with simple ingredients.
Awesome cake! I gotta make it for the dadster now. Thanks for posting my recipe and my blog link, that was way cool of you. I think I have everything I need to make that cake..’cept for the cake pan..sniff..
My dear departed mama’s bundt pan should be around here somewhere.. If I find it, it shouldn’t take more than 3 or 4 rounds in the dishwasher to get the dust off..
April: Thank you! I promise you won’t be disappointed. Oh lord how I love this cake. I think I gained a few pounds just thinking about it, but it is very much worth it!!!
Cheryl: Welcome to Southern Plate!! It is wonderful to have you here! Folks, I went to have a gander at that German apple cake she mentioned and WOWEEEE!. Yup, I’m in for a BIG slice of that!!!
Su: Hey! That was actually my mother’s Kitchenaid mixer but I have its twin! I got mine for my thirtieth birthday. It was a HUGE surprise to me. My grandmothers and parents all went in on it. I was beyond surprised and thrilled! Both of ours are as red as can be! Next to my slow cooker, it is my favorite kitchen appliance!
Hey Bill! I know you will love this cake, I just know it! If you end up buying a pan, I would go for a bundt just because they are less hassle and you’ll find more uses for them than a tube pan (can you tell I don’t really like tube pans?). I have two bundt pans and my favorite is my Wilton brand one. They sell them at Wal Mart and it is a nice heavy pan compared to my other bundt. The Wilton bakes cakes evenly and the finish on the pan itself is excellent. Of course, NordicWare makes amazing pans, too.
Hope you find your Mama’s! Let me know how this turns out! I am just enjoying the dickens out of your blog!
Christy
That cake looks amazing! You talking about brown sugar reminded me of my own dear children. Zaylee will open the pantry, pull down the container of brown sugar and open the lid, and then she and Thomas will just dig in and help themselves to huge handfuls of brown sugar! At least, they did until my genius husband thought to start storing it on the top shelf. Why didn’t I think of that…
And those featured recipes! Wow – the doctored-up apple pie and the apple cream cheese cobbler – they both look so good! I cna’t wait to get my hands on a bumper crop of apples. Yummmm!!!
In batter ingredients is it 1 teaspoon baking soda or should that be 1 teaspoon baking powder?
That cake looks delish!! Thanks for all the great recipes!
I decided to make the coca cola chicken today. I got the regular kraft sauce. I had a half bottle of Country Bob’s sauce left over from the pork chops I made the other day so I dumped that in too. I’m sure it will add to the taste without too much of a change. I’m gonna go ahead and make the coca cola cake too since I had to buy the pack of cokes.
Danged if I didn’t just go to Walmart and forgot the bundt pan. What can I say, I’m a guy, we don’t need no stinkin list or directions…sigh..
I just love this site! Everything sounds (and taste like home).
Apple cake is my Mother’s favorite. She is 85 now and this recipe reminds me so much of her cake.
I am going to save this recipe and make the cake for her.
Thanks for the recipe and your entrecard ad today.
Have a great day.
Pam
Stephanie: How precious! I can imagine your children clamoring for the brown sugar! when I was little, I used to open the fridge and take the lid off the margarine and dip one pinky in it! Mama said there were always tiny finger marks in her margarine!
I really want to try out those apple recipes from Beverly and Bill, too!
Betsy: Thank you so much for reading Southern Plate! I really am so grateful to everyone. It just thrills me to death to have readers!
Bill: Bless your heart! Oh well, the bundt pan will be a treat when you do get it. Maybe you can make a special trip!
I always make Coke cake when I make that chicken for the same reason you are doing it! I don’t normally have coke in the house so while I do might as well!
Pam: I have so enjoyed reading your blog. It makes me long for a farm!! I actually used to have a pet goat as a child, honest! His name was Punjab and we used to tie him up to our wagon and make him pull us. Punjab got mean after a while…
I am honored that you’d make this cake for your mother! Please do let me know how it turns out. If you get a chance, read my story on the yellow cake with the old fashioned peanut butter icing. Hearing that about your mother made me think of my great Aunt Red.
The story is here, if you have time!!
https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/yellow-cake-with-old-fashioned-peanut.html
Thank you!!
Christy
Oh yes! This looks yummy!
This whole grounding thing sucks! I have a whole bunch of apples that are not going to get consumed..and this would have been perfect!!!!
The cake looks amazing Christy. Especially the brown sugar glaze. I so wish i could pick some apples that would be so much fun.
Somebody put a bullet in my brain please. I attempted to make the Coca Cola cake.. one problem.. I had everything but the cake mix..I had cake flour however. Simple fix, right? Not fer me..
Ok, I pondered,, what do most cake mixes have you add.. eggs, milk, oil? Eggs and milk are in there already.. I’ll just add oil. 4 tablespoons in fact.
I sifted it and stuck it in with all the rest and I tasted.. YEEGADS! Oh yeah.. sugar might be nice.. so I add a cup of sugar too.
Well.. it was on its way to baking perfection..so I thought.
I only had large marshmallows so I cut them up.. apparently NOT small enough though.. there were large craters left in the cake. Cool..I thought..holes for the icing to pool up in.. if I had paid attention on how to make the icing that is.
I dumped the powdered sugar in with the butter and chocolate before it boiled.. that IS a no no. It did not thicken.
Anyway.. long story somewhat shortened.. I have a GREAT recipe for Coca Cola bread with marshmallows and a chocolate drizzle.
Good news however.. even though it had The consistency of a soft bread.. the taste was great. I may try to duplicate it in my bread maker.
Oh Bill, Oh Bill, Oh Bill!!
First of all: Bless your heart!!! I know it is so disappointing when things don’t turn out!
Secondly: my email goes straight to my telephone when I am out so next time this comes up and you have to make a substitution, shoot me an email and I can help you!!!
You know, I was trying to teach a bachelor in England once how to make Taco soup. The recipe called for dry ranch dressing mix. This is a great mix, basically herbs and spices and great little flavors with a little thickening agent mixed in. He couldn’t find that, so he just grabbed a bottle of ranch dressing (which is an ENTIRELY different creature altogether when it comes to cooking) and poured the entire thing is.
I shudder thinking about that! He said “it was quite……different.”
lol
I imagine it was!!!
Bill, I really really really really really don’t think you should try this in your bread machine. I really really really really worry about what would happen if you did.
How about I send you a recipe for a GREAT Italian bread that you make in your bread machine that actually has minced garlic, cheese, and Italian herbs baked right in it instead?
Bill, I’m so glad you read Southern Plate!!! I just love having you here!
Christy
Great cake. My boss Used to make it for the office 30 years ago and we loved it. I haven’t had it since. So glad to find this recipe online I did a few substitution as though. I put in a 1/2 a cup of buttermilk a teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg And for the glaze I used a couple of drops of candy rum flavoring.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This looks delicious!! Can’t wait to smell it baking. What kind of apples…Granny Smith?
Just found your site today….love it!! Especially all the great pics! TFS!
Hi Mary! We’ve used all kinds of apples in this with great success! I’ve even used golden delicious! Its entirely up to you.
Welcome to Southern Plate! Its so great to have you here!
Christy
If I use the Bundy pan, how does the brown sugar sauce get in the bottom/top? Also how do you remove the cake from the tube pan and how long to cool before removing? Thanks, maggie
I remember my mom baking Apple Dapple cake when I was a kid many moons ago. Not sure if this is the same recipe but most likely as we are all southerners. Anyway since we have had a wealth of apples from our tree, I baked one today to take to our church women’s fellowship this evening. They loved it! One young woman said it was the best cake she had ever had. And everyone was telling anyone who hadn’t had a piece that they just had to try it. My husband and son were lucky that they left them a little to try when I got home!
Pam, thank you so much for leaving this comment! I am thrilled it went over so well for you! There just isn’t anything like being praised for something you’ve baked!! Thank you so much!!!!
Christy
Ooo, la la! Lovely 🙂
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OMG, I am not from the South, but Man oh Man this recipe was amazing. I made this cake last night and I am going to bring it into the office tomorrow for coffee morning, let hope that its so good that I get a payrise!! I am passing this recipe on to EVERYONE that I know.
Hey Howtome! thank you for hosting such a great carnival!
Anonymous, I’m so THRILLED!!! It’s so exciting when you find a recipe like that and I am so happy I could bring one to you that you like so much!!!!!!!
If you don’t get the payraise right away…threaten not to bring one again!!!!! LOL
Thank you so much for reading Southern Plate!!!!!!!!!
Christy
I made this apple dapple cake for my family. I did it yesterday, and we ate it today. It was soooo hard to sit there and look at it for so long without being able to cut into it until this afternoon – but so worth the wait! This was such a fantastic cake! It got rave reviews, everyone loved it. So rich and moist and absolutely wonderful. As my husband Jeff said when he tasted it – “Southern Plate strikes again!” Thanks for all these wonderful recipes – ever one that we’ve tried turns out great!
Hi there! Just checkin’ out your blog for the first time…. Can you make that cake in a regular cake pan?.. I’ve not yet invested in a bundt pan.
Added ya to my reader also.
Jen
workinggreenmom.blogspot.com
Stephanie Hey!! OOOOH I AM SO GLAD You MADE THIS!!! There are just some recipes that I almost want to force people to try – for their own good! LOL you tell Jeff I owe him for such shining endorsements!!! Thank you SO MUCH for all of y our kindness and support!!!
Jen Hey!! Welcome to Southern Plate!! You absolutely can make this in a regular pan. I usually use a bundt pan. Personally, I don’t care for tube pans but my mother uses hers often.
Thank you for adding me!! You have a great blog!! I can’t wait to try that bread!
Christy 🙂
I give this 5 stars for sure. I made this tonight for my husband and he loved it as well as I. Thank you for sharing this.❤️❤️
I know this is an old post but, I made this cake a hundered plus times at the bakery I worked at! I never got the recipe, and now I have it! Thank you thank you! I can’t tell you how many of these things sold at christmas time! It is that good!!!!! 🙂
Made this tonight for dessert and it was awesome! My mom had a fit over it and went back for 2nds to “Make sure it didn’t get any better in the last 15 minutes”. Who does she think she’s foolin?
I made a couple of small changes: used 1.5C sugar, applesauce in place of oil and substituted 1C white whole wheat flour. Wow Christy, it will be something I make OFTEN. That topping is to die for!
Great googamoose! I’ll be working that recipe up for sure! Appreciate the pictorials for those of us with 3 left thumbs.
By the by, I was vote #109 for you! Good Luck!
What an amazing cake. I baked one for my husband to take to work for a pot luck in his maintenance department. WOW were they ever impressed!!! Of course I had to bake one for home as well (just to make sure it turned out okay). I’ll tell you what…It didn’t even last to get totally cooled. Thank you so much for not only the fantastic recipes, but the human touch you all your recipes. Katey from Michigan
I LOVE this cake so much, that I’ve made it three times in 2 weeks!!!!I made one this morning to take to my Mom’s (Happy Birthday Mom)Thanks so much for a Really good apple cake recipe.
Hello, this cake looks absolutely delicious & I’m hoping to try it out very soon. Can this be made in a normal cake pan? I don’t have a bundt or tube pan, but would love to try it.
Sure can! I’d use a 9×13, 3 quart. Hope you like it!
Still bake for 1 hour? Do you check with toothpick, or just figure it’s done?
You are going to need to play with that Mary, I am not sure what the bake time will be since I have never made it in that type of pan but I would start checking around 35-40 minutes.
This was a fun cake to make; of course with hubby chopping my apples and pecans for me It was also one of the best cakes I’ve ever made and tasted! Beautiful as well!
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it Sheila!!
I recently made this apple dapple cake for a event I had at church, and I tell you it was a wonderful treat for all. Some even ask for the recipe. Wow!! This cake is to die for, my husband loved it and I do too. I plan to make it for my family gathering at thanksgiving. Thanks for such a great tasting and delicious applecake. Bobbie B.