Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake

Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake is wonderfully moist and bursting with fresh apple flavor. Warm cinnamon weaves through every bite, making it as comforting as it is delicious. Baked in a sheet pan, it’s easy to prepare, serve, and share with a crowd. Whether for a casual family gathering or a festive fall celebration, it’s a recipe you’ll come back to again and again.

Love More Apple Cake Recpes? Try My Cinnamon Apple Cake or this Apple Crumble Cheesecake next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

With its rich apple flavor, soft texture, and warm cinnamon aroma that fills the whole house. It’s the kind of cake that disappears fast, with everyone reaching for just one more slice. Perfectly comforting and irresistibly delicious, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser every time you bake it.

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Ingredient List

For the Apple Topping:

• 1½ pounds Gala or Honeycrisp apples (about 4-5 medium apples)
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for dusting the pan)

For the Simple Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Why These Ingredients Work

Okay, so Gala apples don’t get mushy when you bake them – learned that the hard way after a few soggy disasters. Honeycrisp adds that sweet crunch we’re after. The brown sugar basically caramelizes with the apple juices and creates these pockets of pure heaven.

That orange juice? My mother-in-law still makes faces when I mention it. But I’m telling you – it makes everything taste more apple-y. Sounds crazy but it works. The oil keeps things moist way better than butter ever could.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Two mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Sharp knife for apples
• Measuring stuff

How To Make Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake

Heat your oven to 350°F.

Grease that 9×13 pan like your life depends on it, then dust with flour. I learned this lesson after scraping half a cake off the bottom of my pan.

Get those apples ready.

Peel and slice them thin – about as thick as a quarter. Toss with brown sugar and cinnamon. Let them sit while you do everything else.

Mix the dry stuff.

Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Whisk it around in a big bowl.
Mix the wet stuff.

Eggs, oil, orange juice, vanilla. Another bowl. Make sure everything’s blended.

Put it together.

Dump the wet into the dry. Fold it together but don’t go crazy – lumps are fine. Over-mixing makes tough cake and nobody wants that.

Assemble and bake.

Pour batter into your pan.Spread it around. Layer those sugary apples on top. Stick it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it springs back a little when you poke the center.

The icing.

While it’s still warm, mix powdered sugar with water until it’s drizzle-able. Pour over the whole thing.

You Must Know

Your eggs need to be room temp or this whole thing falls apart. I learned this after serving my family what basically amounted to apple-flavored rubber. If you’re like me and forget everything, just stick them in warm water for ten minutes.

Personal Secret: The orange juice thing? That came from a complete accident. I grabbed the wrong container one day and almost cried thinking I’d ruined everything. Turns out it was the best mistake I ever made in that kitchen.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Don’t peek at the cake until at least 25 minutes. I know it’s hard but trust me on this one. Opening the door makes things sink and nobody wants a sad, sunken cake.

Toss those apples in the sugar right when you slice them. Don’t let them sit around getting brown and gross.

If your oven runs hot like mine does, start checking at 28 minutes. Every oven’s different and mine likes to burn things when I’m not looking.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Sometimes I throw in some nutmeg with the cinnamon – just a pinch. Makes it taste more fall-ish.

Nuts are good too. Pecans or walnuts, whatever you’ve got. About half a cup mixed right into the batter.

My sister swears by cream cheese frosting instead of the simple icing. She’s not wrong but I’m lazy and the icing works just fine.

Make-Ahead Options

This cake actually gets better after sitting overnight. Something about the flavors getting to know each other. Cover it with foil and leave it on the counter.

You can freeze pieces too. Wrap them up good and they’ll keep for months. Just thaw and maybe warm them up a tiny bit in the microwave.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Don’t use Red Delicious apples. They turn to mush and taste like nothing. Stick with Gala or Honeycrisp.

That oil instead of butter thing – I know it seems weird but oil makes a more tender cake that stays good longer. Butter hardens up when it gets cold.

Your icing should be thick enough to coat a spoon but thin enough to pour. Add water bit by bit until it looks right.

Serving Suggestions

Best served warm with vanilla ice cream if you ask me. Coffee works too. I’ve eaten this for breakfast with coffee more times than I care to admit.

It’s perfect for potlucks because it travels well and feeds a bunch of people. Plus everyone always asks for the recipe.

How to Store Your Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake

Leave it covered on the counter for a few days. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, stick them in the fridge for up to a week.

For freezing, cut pieces first, wrap each one, then bag them up. They thaw fast and taste almost as good as fresh.

Allergy Information

No dairy in the cake itself, which is nice.

For gluten-free, try that 1-to-1 baking flour. Won’t be exactly the same but still good.

Eggs are trickier to replace but applesauce might work. Quarter cup per egg.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use applesauce instead of oil?

You can try but it won’t be as moist. If you do it, add extra orange juice.

Why did my cake fall in the middle?

Probably opened the oven too early or mixed the batter too much. Be patient and gentle.

Can I make two cakes?

Sure, double everything and use two pans. Might need a few extra minutes in the oven.

My apples made the cake soggy.

Next time don’t let them sit too long after you sugar them. Get that cake in the oven faster.

This recipe saved me during those crazy apple orchard days and it’ll save you too when you need something that tastes homemade but doesn’t require a culinary degree. My husband still talks about that first cake I made with his beat-up apples.

💬 Made this cake? Tell me how it turned out! Did you try any crazy variations?