Una's Amazing Apple Cake
Dessert

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake

Una’s amazing apple cake recipe comes from Nathan’s grandmother. This is something everyone in his family thinks of when they think of Una. My mother in-law has it printed and framed in her kitchen. Whenever I see that, I can’t help but smile. Nathan has made it before, and it is simply amazing.

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I am planning to make this for Nathan at thanksgiving this year as well. It is funny that we were talking about food for thanksgiving as we were walking through the grocery store recently. Nathan beat me to saying that we needed to make it. This was my nerd moment in the sense that I love when we come up with the exact same idea. Great minds really do think alike!

Family & Tradition

This recipe is really simple and easy. The simplicity of it is what makes it perfect. Many times simplicity equals brilliance. Not a lot of effort that goes into making this. The batter is on the thicker side. It always seems like there is something wrong with it after it is all mixed together. I was very skeptical the first time we made this, but it turned out to be perfect. Now it is a new holiday tradition for us, given that we have made it two years in a row.

Una’s apple cake is one of those things that make me think about the holidays. Because they mean family. We may not see them for all the holidays we want to, But recipes passed down help those we love live on through them. Think about your own holidays. What is your favorite thing you remember from childhood that you now make, and have passed on to your kids? That is exactly what this recipe means to my husband and his family.

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake Ingredients

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large apples (I used Granny Smith) chopped

1 teaspoon salt

⅔ cup raisins

1 teaspoon nutmeg

⅔ cup nuts (I used sliced almonds)

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake Directions

Beat the eggs and sugar together in a stand mixer.

Add in the oil and vanilla, mix.

In a separate bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients and slowly add into the mixing bowl.

Add in the apples, raisins, and nuts. Mix again until combined.

This makes a very stiff or thick batter. To a normal baker, this does not seem like it is mixed together or ready to bake at all. Rest assured, that is ok. It is supposed to look like this. Believe me when I say, it totally threw me off the first time I made it too.

The batter for Una’s Amazing Apple Cake. It is ready to be baked!

Bake 40-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake Notes

Do not spread the batter over an inch to an inch and a half thick. Because this batter rises into a cake, almost the same way that brownies do. That is what it actually looks like when it comes out of the oven.

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake

Once it is out of the oven, let it cool so it doesn’t crumble and make a mess. Serve it with a glass of milk, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or warm on its own. It is so amazing no matter how it is served.

Una’s Amazing Apple Cake

Why I Love This Recipe

We all have a certain food or recipe that makes us think of specific people. Whenever I think of this recipe, I think of Una. I also think about the family in general. In talking with a family remember right before Thanksgiving, we were sharing recipes.

Una’s apple cake was included in that, and making sure everybody had what we wanted. We are carrying on traditions from previous generations. That is their legacy that has been left behind. Food brings people together. 

Discussion

Have you tried Una’s Amazing Apple Cake? What is your favorite holiday tradition from your childhood that you still make today? Tell me about it in the comments! Check out my other dessert recipes!

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39 Comments

  • Scott J DeNicola

    The first thing I thought of when seeing those mixing blades was I sure hope someone got to lick those. So glad to see it happened. 🙂 What a great recipe and I love that it’s framed in the kitchen. I’m an apple so I know this will be a home run! Perfect for Thanksgiving for me or right now.

  • Despite Pain

    Looks delicious. I can almost smell it. Cinnamon and apples go so well together. I’m reading other comments and thinking that I am glad I’m not the only one who loved raw cake batter. Thanks for sharing such a special recipe.

  • Mayuri Patel

    A good traditional apple cake is my all time favorite. It’s such a lovely gesture to have framed the recipe. I’m hoping one day my kids may find at least one recipe from the numerous on my blog worth framing.

  • Savannah

    Yum! This looks so delicious. I love that it also has a special wave of nostalgia and connection to family for you. Can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing!

  • Ashlee

    I’m very curious about trying this apple cake. Una knew her stuff! I love old recipes because they do help to remind you of the person and your connection with them as you make the food or relive the experience. For me it’s my Dad’s jampuffs.

  • Swagata

    It looks delicious! I just loved the idea of priniting and framing it in your kitchen. Such a sweet ideas. Thease family recipes such a beautiful way to remember and value people across generations.

  • Kayleigh

    We tried it yesterday, was yummy! I don’t think I sifted the flour enough though, as the batter was too dry. So I’ll keep that in mind for next time. It was a great way to use apples from our tree! I also used Thrive Life freeze dried cranberries instead of raisins – so yummy, and makes it more festive if you were to use this recipe over the holidays. The cranberries are a seasonal item that will come back this fall – you should snag some and try it when they come out again!

  • Julia

    Hi Erica,

    You are absolutely right, the traditions we carry in the families and the food from our childhood always feel and taste the best. I moved to the US from another country almost 30 years ago and still shop weekly at the grocery store that sells products from my homeland. We also have traditional recipes for the holiday table.

    Una’s amazing apple cake does sound amazing!

    We used to bake a lot back in my country. The busy American life slowed my family down on baking at home, but the apple pie from my childhood is still on the menu because it’s the easiest pie to make and yet it’s delicious. It’s called “Sharlotka” (Charlotte), but the second name for it is “Lenivka”, which means “lazy pie” because it’s so easy to make.

    Thank you for the recipe. I should try making it someday. I love our traditional food, but I also like to taste new goodies.

    Best,

    ~ Julia

  • Kelly Martin

    I haven’t had apple cake for years! This one sounds really nice and easy to make. I like your suggestion of pairing it with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

  • Britt K

    It sounds amazing, I’ll definitely have to give it a try! Thank you for the heads up about the batter seeming like it’s too thick or something’s wrong, that will save me from some unnecessary worrying!

  • Aryanne Padilha

    YES, LICK IT! haha I love doing that and this time it was really asking for it. Don’t you love when two people are in such synchronicity and think the same ideas at the same time?! The recipe is easy, I should try to make it. Looks delicious!!

  • Alexandra Christensen

    This really looks yummy, though, I have never heard of a recipe that took a whole cup of oil. I’m wondering if it would change the texture too much to replace at least half the oil with butter. Probably it would. I’m really not a baker so I wouldn’t know. That’s why I depend so much on these online recipes!

    Also, thanks for including the part about how textured the mix will be. Otherwise, I would have thought I had done something wrong.

    I can’t wait to try this!

  • LuLu B - Calabrisella Mia

    I love apple desserts: apple pies, cakes, crumble! This looks so delicious and I love that the family recipe is framed! I think passing down childhood recipes is so special. We have a lot of food traditions that have been taught to the new generation – I’m the one in my family that enjoys learning the recipes of my grandparents and great grandparents and hope to pass it on to the next generation! Thanks for sharing this family recipe! 🙂

  • Lene Andersen

    My family also has a go-to apple cake that was created by my father’s cousin’s daughter (therefore called Annette’s apple cake). It involves cinnamon and apples, with the crust of something — you know, I’m not sure. I’ll need to ask my mother to give me the recipe, as she has been the person to make this until now. Best of all, it tends to be part of any afternoon family gathering, so we don’t have to wait until the holidays to eat it!

  • Stephanie S

    I love recipes that are passed down, and shared. It really is something special. This recipe sounds wonderful, and I am sure your husband enjoys when you bake this for him. I’ve always loved apple cake, and this recipe really does sound simple. I think my girls would love this cake. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with all of us.

  • Melanie williams

    Yum, yum, yum yes please! If I had to choose any kind of cake it would be apple or banana, so this is deffo my kind of thing. Makes me feel hungry just looking and reading your article x

  • Kat

    This looks absolutely delicious, and having a family recipe like this is so lovely. For my family, it’s Christmas cookies, which we bake from scratch every December. They definitely make me think of my mum, and all the Christmases past that we spent, her baking and me tasting the delicious dough!

  • Lyosha

    Looks simple but absolutely exquisite for a taste. One of my favorite recipes from your blog. I am happy you reminded me about it, I was just thinking of cake for lunch today.

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