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 You’ll need Are:
- Apples
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Pecans
For the brown sugar soaking sauce that goes on top of the Apple Dapple Cake you’ll need:
- Brown Sugar
- Milk
- Butter
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
As pictured, I always use Granny Smith apples due to how the tart flavor combines well with the sweetness of this dish. You can also use Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Jonathan or Jonagold, even Golden Delicious works. Let me know in the comments what apples you use for baking.
How to Make Apple Dapple Cake Step by Step

















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
Nutrition
This recipe featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!You might also enjoy this recipe: Mama’s Apple Spice Muffins
I found this recipe about 5 or 6 years ago at least. It was a hit the first time I made it (gathering of friends in the fall) and I have made it at least twice every year since then. It’s the perfect cake for serving with coffee or to even have as a dessert at Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law always requested this cake for her birthday in October as well. This is one of my favorite cakes to make.
Can I cook in individual small bread pan?
Has anybody tried making the Sauce in the microwave?
I have made this delicious cake and its the best! I did add a bag of caramel baking bits because of my ever aching sweet tooth and loved it that way!
Absolutely love the Apple Dapple Cake. Made it a few years ago for the first time & have made it more since then. Such a good moist cake!!
Aww, thank you so much for your lovely comment and rating. Warms my heart to hear it!
I added cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the batter. Also, I only had 3/4 cup of oil. So I added a 1/2 cup of applesauce. It is baking now and I am excited!
Oh I love applesauce, great substitution! I hope it was amazin’!
This may very well be the best cake I’ve ever eaten. I can’t stop eating it. Everyone who tried it is raving about it. I did make one small, but not insignificant change. Instead of just melting the butter, I browned the butter. It was a super buttery apple, toasted pecan, brown sugar masterpiece!