This apple loaf cake is easy to make, and ready in about an hour. Spiced with cinnamon, and finished with apple cider glaze, it tastes like fall!
This post was sponsored by Red Prince Apples. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First published January 29, 2020, and last updated September 28, 2020.
Spiced with warming cinnamon, the sweetness level of this apple loaf cake straddles the line between, well, a loaf and a cake! Incredibly moist thanks to grated Red Prince apples and rich buttermilk, the loaf cake is easy to make from scratch, ready in about an hour, and freezes beautifully.
Red Prince apples are a premium apple, first discovered in Europe in an orchard owned by the Princen brothers. In Canada, they’re grown in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Referred to as “Canada’s winter apple”, the apples are harvested in the fall, then preserved in cold storage until the New Year. Similar to cellaring a fine wine, preservation time allows sugars and acidity to develop fully inside the apples, until their release in January at peak flavour!
Ingredients
For The Apple Loaf Cake
- Whole wheat flour
- Sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- 1 egg
- Red Prince apples
For The Apple Cider Glaze
- Icing sugar (also called confectioner’s or powdered sugar)
- Apple cider
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven and grease a standard loaf tin with butter. Line the buttered tin with a parchment paper sling.
In a large bowl mix together the whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Using your hands, break the butter into small chunks and add it to the flour mixture.
Rub the butter pieces into the flour with your fingertips until the entire mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Whisk the egg and buttermilk together in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and use a fork to mix everything together. The apple loaf cake batter may feel quite stiff, and seem dry, but don’t worry because the grated Red Prince apples will add extra moisture.
Add the grated Red prince apples to the bowl and continue mixing until the apples are evenly distributed. I like to finish mixing the batter with my hands as the grated apples will sometimes clump together.
Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a butter knife or an offset spatula.
Top the apple loaf cake with three thin slices of Red prince apple. This step is optional, but makes for a very pretty loaf!
Place the apple loaf cake into the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
Remove the apple loaf cake from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift it out of the tin using the edges of the parchment paper sling as handles. Cool it completely before topping it with apple cider glaze.
To make the apple cider glaze, mix together the icing sugar and apple cider to your desired consistency. I like mine fairly thick, yet runny enough to drip slowly down the sides. Spoon the glaze over the cooled apple loaf cake, slice, and serve.
Notes & Tips
Leaving the apple skins on lend texture, colour, and fibre to the loaf, however, you can peel the apples if you like.
If you don’t want to make the loaf by hand, you can use a stand or hand mixer. If doing so, add the egg and buttermilk at the same time to mix.
After too many banana breads with under-baked, gummy middles, I now take an internal temperature of any loaf I bake. A reading of 200ºF to 205ºF (93ºC to 96ºC), taken from the middle of a loaf, has been consistent for doneness for me.
For tips on making perfect glaze, visit my post for Lavender Sugar Cookies With Earl Grey Glaze.
To freeze, be sure to cool the loaf cake completely. Condensation from any leftover heat will make the slices soggy in the middle, which will create large ice crystals. I like to slice my loaf cake, and store it in a large zip-top bag with the air squeezed out. You can also wrap individual slices gently but tightly with foil to grab quickly in the morning for lunches!
Substitutions
You can use all-purpose or light spelt flour in place of whole wheat if you prefer. Because whole wheat flour tends to suck up more moisture than all-purpose or spelt, you may need to add an extra couple of tablespoons, and up to ¼-cup (38 g), of flour if the loaf batter is quite wet.
Substitute brown sugar for half of the white sugar if you like.
Homemade chai spice, or homemade pumpkin spice are fun alternatives to cinnamon.
More Quick Bread Recipes
One Bowl Buckwheat Banana Bread One of our family’s favourite recipes you’d never guess it’s gluten-free.
Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Loaf With Maple Drizzle A simple and cozy treat.
Carrot Bread With Dates & Olive Oil A fruit-sweetened, vegan, and sugar-free whole grain quick bread flavoured with banana and ginger.
Be sure to check for step-by-step pics above!☝🏻Also, if you make this recipe and love it, please come back and give it a 5-star rating — it helps more people find the recipe!💗
Apple Loaf Cake With Apple Cider Glaze
Ingredients
For The Apple Loaf Cake
- 2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup (76 g) butter
- ¾ cup (190 ml) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (150 g) grated Red Prince apples skin on
For The Apple Cider Glaze
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and grease a standard metal loaf tin with butter. Line the buttered tin with a piece of parchment paper hanging over the sides of the tin like a sling.
- In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your hands to break the butter into small bits until the entire mixture is coarse and crumbly.
- Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl of flour and use a fork to mix everything together until well combined. The batter may feel stiff and dry but don't worry because the grated apples will add extra moisture.
- Add the grated apples to the bowl and continue mixing until the apples are evenly distributed. I like to finish mixing the batter with my hands because the grated apples sometimes clump together.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top of the loaf with a butter knife or offset spatula.
- Top the apple loaf cake with three thin slices of Red Prince apple. This step is optional, but makes for a pretty loaf.
- Place the loaf cake into the preheated oven and bake it for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides are starting to pull away from the tin.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift the loaf out of the tin using the edges of the parchment paper as handles. Cool the loaf completely before topping it with apple cider glaze or any other icing you like.
- To make the apple cider glaze—Sift the powdered sugar into a small-medium mixing bowl. Add the apple cider by the ½ teaspoon until you reach your desired consistency. I like glaze fairly thick, but still runny enough to drip slowly down the sides. Spoon the glaze over the cooled loaf before slicing and serving.
As always, your photos look fantastic. I’d happily sit down with a plate of this cake and a good cup of tea!
Thanks so much Matt!
I love everything apple cinnamon, and this loaf sounds delicious and looks fantastic. The cider glaze is the perfect finishing touch, too.
A few years ago I went up to Grey Bruce County to a Red Prince orchard and they are gorgeous apples to eat or cook with. This recipe looks perfect for this winter weather.
Beautiful photos, beautiful cake!! This sounds so delicious. I’d love a big slice right now with a cup of tea!! Well done!
Yum! This is delicious and the whole wheat flour adds a lovely richness. The grated apples add delicious natural sweetness and moisture. thanks!
Beautiful cake. Particularly excited to try the cider glaze. Great idea!