I realize how confusing this must sound. Is it a pie? Is it a cake? Make up your mind, RecipeGirl! It was tough for me to decide, really. In this recipe, a cake batter is poured in and around the apples to hold it all together in the consistency of a cake, but there are so many apples involved that it can officially pass for a pie too. So here you go: Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake
The recipe is one that I spotted while reading through one of the newest cookbooks I have on my shelf: Monday Morning Cooking Club.
Here’s a description from Amazon:
In 2006, a group of Jewish women began meeting every Monday morning. They cooked, ate, drank endless cups of tea and – often heatedly – discussed the merits of different recipes. After just a few weekly meetings, the Monday Morning Cooking Club was born. Five years and hundreds of dishes later, six members of the sisterhood handpicked their favourite recipes to go into their book – the result is a generous, rich and inspiring cookbook featuring the best, most treasured recipes from a culturally diverse community. Each recipe begins with a short story of the cook and their history of the dish, and these stories, interwoven with amazing recipes, take the reader on a heartwarming and delicious journey through a community who finds a deep connection through food and the memory of generations that have gone before.
It’s a rather interesting cookbook indeed. The authors are from Australia, so it’s fascinating to read the stories that go along with the recipes. Some of the recipes have some out-of-the-ordinary ingredients, so it’s not one that I’d cook from every day… but it’s a great one to buy if you’re a cookbook collector. Other recipes I’m eager to try: (there are actually a LOT): Plumb Cake, Souffle Pancakes, Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding, Custard Chiffon Cake, Israeli Couscous Soup, South African Cheesecake, Morroccan Fish, Chicken and Barley Soup, Chicken Paprikash, and Challah From Heaven. There are a lot of neat things included in the book that you don’t typically see here in America. It’s a great way to get exposed to some new food.
How to make an Apple Pie Cake:
You need a springform pan (like the kind you make cheesecake with). Apple slices are scattered around the bottom…
… and they’re piled and piled until you almost reach the top.
The apples get a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.
A cake batter is poured on top of the cinnamon apples.
Let the cake batter drizzle down and around the apples, and give the pan a few taps on the counter to settle it all in there.
The batter gets a generous sprinkling of cinnamon- sugar too.
A quick peek into the inside of the pie- cake and you can see my dilemma. It sure looks like a cake, but it’s so full of apples that it can pass for a pie too! I loved this recipe. It’s really different than any apple pies or cakes I have made before, and it was a major hit with my taste testers. Interestingly enough, the author of this recipe refers to this as her husband’s “favorite cake” in the introduction to the recipe, but she named the recipe “Cinnamon and Apple Pie.” Clearly, everyone is confused!
Here are a few more apple cake recipes you might enjoy:
- Chopped Apple Cake with Sticky Toffee Topping
- Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
- Cinnamon Apple Cake
- Apple Topped Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Cake
Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake
Recipe Details
Ingredients
PIE- CAKE:
- 6 to 8 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups superfine white sugar (see NOTES below)
- 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
TOPPING:
- 1 1/4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and then spray again.
- Layer the apple slices in the pan until they come about 2/3 of the way up the side. (I went a little higher than that and it worked out fine). Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the apples.
- Prepare the batter by beating the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil, applesauce and vanilla and beat well, then stir in the flour. Pour the batter on top of the apples, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar on top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to allow the batter to sink down and around the apples.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool *completely* in the pan. If you try to remove the cake from the pan while it is still warm, it will tend to break apart. I refrigerated my cake before slicing, and that worked out well. Serve slices with ice cream (warm individual slices in the microwave, if desired).
Notes
- You want "caster sugar" for this recipe: It is a finer grind than table sugar, but not as fine as powdered. Look for "Baker's Sugar" at the store, or simply put regular white sugar in your food processor and give it a few whirls to create superfine sugar.
That’s a huge stack of apples. LOVE!!
What a great recipe! I love it! Best of all, it looks delicious!
Pie and cake all in one? It’s like not having to choose which dessert to have!
I’m sure this cake must be really moist! it looks really good!
This time of the year is when I crave apple cakes 🙂 thank you for sharing!
I’ve been craving apple pie lately, this one looks like a winner!
How would this turn out if I don’t have a Springform Pan. would a tube pan work?
You definitely need a springform pan for this recipe.
Jewish women living in Australia who wrote a cookbook by way of their coffee club. That alone makes me want to get the book! Recipes like that are you know time-tested and passed down over the years and always hits. I love off the beaten path books like this. As you said, the stories alone are worth it! And this cake …wow!! As you said, could double as pie. Love the cake batter poured OVER all those apples. Amazing! Pinned!
This recipe is tempting that I want to make it right away… looks so good! thanks for sharing
That looks heavenly with all those apples in there! Pumpkin can wait a little while longer for me, there are too many delicious apple recipes to try!
Absolutely in love with this — gorgeous!! I am a huge fan of both apple pie and apple cake, so I love that I don’t have to choose 🙂
This is such a unique idea!! Loooove it!
I love this idea! So clever!
This looks seriously delicious Lori! And you know how head over heels in love with apples I am 🙂
May I use a cake mix (spice cake) instead of making the suggested batter?
that’s an interesting question- I have no idea! It would be fun to try that though.
Thanks so much for highlighting this recipe and cookbook! This is totally my type of cake…I mean, pie. Whatever, it all looks delicious! 🙂
So chock full of apples, I love it. Definitely bookmarking this recipe to make SOON!
I think I’ll need to ponder the cake/pie question over 3 slices or so of this beauty. Thanks for sharing this cookbook with us too!
Absolutely love this! That cinnamon sugar topping looks so good!
Now look what you did!?! I have to try my hand at this with my gluten-free bent!! Dang….. Just looking at this makes my mouth water!!!
I love the step-by-step pictures, it really helps! I love this recipe too…. it’s motivating me to go apple picking! 🙂
Where can I purchase the cookbook this came from – it sounds fascinating and since I have a lot of similar cookbooks I inherited from my Mom it would be a great addition to my “collection”.
That looks incredible! And super easy!
Wow, this is just so awesome! It is one giant pie that is actually easier than pie with crust and possibly even better! So cool and I must try it!! The top of this guy looks so good. All the cinnamon sugar! Mmm!
OH MY HEAVENS!!! This looks fabulous and super easy!!!
Cake, pie, whatever, this looks amazing! Usually desserts are too light on the apple filling for my liking and this looks like the perfect amount!
Oh my gosh! Your apple pie cake looks amazing! I would love a HUGE piece with my morning coffee! Awesome recipe! I have to try this one out!!!
Ok so I follow you on Facebook but I have a question or comment. It says in the topping for the sugar says “tablespoon” but I noticed there’s two areas that need the cinnamon sugar topping am I reading it right or did you mean “cups” for the sugar part? Cause I know tablespoon wouldn’t be able to cover a spring form pan. Just clarifying this ingredient.
That’s correct. The topping just goes on top.