Irresistible Apple Fritter Cake

Apple Fritter Cake is a fluffy, buttery cake layered with tart apple chunks, warm cinnamon, and sugar, then baked until golden perfection. A sweet glaze drizzled over the top seeps into every bite, making it moist, pretty, and completely irresistible. It’s the kind of cozy fall dessert that feels like it came straight from a bakery, but made right at home.

Love More Apple cake Recipes? Try My Apple Cinnamon Sheet Cake or this Apple Crumble Cheesecake next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is wonderfully easy and brings together the best flavors of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and rich buttery cake. As it bakes, the apples turn soft and spiced while the brown sugar melts into gooey caramel-like ribbons. A simple glaze drizzled on top soaks into every slice, making it perfectly moist, sweet, and just like a bakery-style apple fritter—without the extra fuss.

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Ingredient List

For the Cake Batter:

• ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

For the Apple Filling:

• 2 cups peeled and large-diced Granny Smith apples (about 2 medium)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons water

For the Brown Sugar Layer:

• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Substitution Notes: No Greek yogurt? Sour cream works perfectly! I actually prefer sour cream when I have it. For apples, stick with something tart like Granny Smith or your cake might end up too sweet.

Why These Ingredients Work

The applesauce keeps everything super moist without making it heavy. I learned this trick from my grandmother who always said “fruit keeps cake young.” That Greek yogurt gives you bakery-style texture – light but rich.

Granny Smith apples won’t turn to mush when you bake them, and they’re tart enough to balance all the sugar. The cornstarch thickens up the apple mixture so you get those perfect gooey pockets instead of wet spots. And that brown sugar layer? It melts down and creates these gorgeous caramel ribbons through the whole cake.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Electric mixer (hand or stand mixer)
• Medium saucepan
• Two mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Apple peeler/corer (or a good knife)
• Butter knife for poking holes

How To Make Apple Fritter Cake

Step 1: Prep Your Apple Filling

Toss your diced apples with sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Cook for about 6 minutes on medium heat, stirring now and then. The apples get soft and everything thickens up. Let it cool completely.

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. This goes between your cake layers.

Step 2: Make the Cake Batter

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease your 9×13 pan really well.

Beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla and eggs. Beat until mixed.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in another bowl. Add dry stuff and yogurt to the butter mixture, alternating back and forth. Start with flour, end with flour. Mix just enough to combine – lumpy batter is fine.

Step 3: Assembly Magic

Spread half the batter in your pan. It’ll be thick. Add the cooled apple mixture on top, then sprinkle most of the brown sugar mix over the apples.

Dollop remaining batter on top and spread gently. Sprinkle leftover brown sugar mix on top.

Step 4: Bake to Perfection

Bake 35-40 minutes until center doesn’t jiggle when you shake the pan. Toothpick should come out mostly clean.

Step 5: The Glaze Game-Changer

Right when it comes out, poke holes everywhere with a butter knife. Don’t be gentle – you want lots of holes.

Whisk powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the hot cake immediately. Wait 20 minutes before cutting if you can manage it.

You Must Know

Get your butter and eggs to room temp first. Cold stuff makes lumpy batter and nobody wants that mess.

Personal Secret: I make the apple filling the night before and stick it in the fridge. Cold filling won’t melt your batter when you layer it.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Poke lots of holes in the hot cake. This step makes or breaks the whole thing.
• Stop mixing as soon as you can’t see dry flour. Overmixed = tough cake.
• Taste your apples first. If they’re super tart, add more sugar to the filling.
• Your glaze should coat a spoon but still pour easy. Add milk bit by bit if it’s too thick.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

My daughter loves when I add caramel sauce to the apple filling – just 2 tablespoons. Sometimes I throw in chopped pecans with the apples. For holidays I add nutmeg and a tiny bit of cardamom to the batter. You could swap the vanilla glaze for maple if you’re feeling fancy.

Make-Ahead Options

This cake gets better sitting overnight. Make it completely, cover tight, and leave on the counter for 2 days max. The flavors get deeper and everything stays moist.

You can freeze the whole thing without glaze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then make fresh glaze.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

This recipe only works in a 9×13 pan. Different sizes mess up the timing and texture. Cut your apples chunky – about half inch pieces. Too small and they disappear, too big and they won’t cook right.

If you live way up high (over 3,000 feet), use less baking powder and add a couple extra tablespoons of flour.

Serving Suggestions

We eat this warm with vanilla ice cream most of the time. Sometimes I drizzle extra caramel on top or dust it with cinnamon sugar. Goes perfect with coffee in the morning or hot cider when it’s cold outside. My mom likes whipped cream and toasted pecans on hers.

Sending warm hugs and full bellies from my kitchen to yours!

How to Store Your Apple Fritter Cake

Cover and leave on the counter for 3 days. In the fridge it keeps a week but let it warm up before eating.

To freeze: wrap slices individually and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw 30 minutes before eating.

Heat slices in the microwave for 15 seconds if you want that warm cake feeling again.

Allergy Information

Has wheat, eggs, and dairy. For dairy-free use vegan butter, coconut yogurt, and plant milk in the glaze. Gluten-free flour works but changes the texture some.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use different apples?

Sure, but stick with firm ones. Honeycrisp or Braeburn work good. Avoid Red Delicious – they get mushy.

My glaze is wrong – help!

Too thick? Add milk drop by drop. Too thin? More powdered sugar. Should pour but not be watery.

Can I use a bundt pan?

Maybe, but you’d have to change how you layer everything and bake longer. I’ve never tried it.

Why poke holes?

Hot cake + holes = glaze soaks deep down. Skip this and you just have frosting sitting on top.

How do I know it’s done?

Center shouldn’t wiggle when you shake the pan. Toothpick comes out with a few wet crumbs.

💬 Made this cake? Tell me how it went in the comments! I love hearing about your kitchen wins!