Lillian’s Apple Cake is a simple Danish apple and cinnamon cake topped with almonds. With a crispy outer and moist interior this cake has been a favourite of mine since childhood.
Background to Lillian’s Apple Cake
I don’t know who Lillian was but my mother has been baking this yummy Danish Lilian’s Apple Cake for as long as I can remember.
Fresh apple slices and cinnamon are complemented by a divine chopped almond topping which gets toasted while baking.
My family loves this old-fashioned apple and cinnamon cake. It’s great served with a cup of tea or as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream.
This is the best apple cake I’ve ever had and it’s so easy to make!
How Long Will Lillian’s Apple Cake Keep For?
Lillian’s Apple Cake can be kept for 3 days in a cake tin or airtight container.
Can You Freeze Apple Cake?
Yes, once cool you can freeze Lillian’s Apple Cake. However, I wouldn’t advise doing this as you’ll lose the lovely crumbly exterior texture.
More Apple Bakes
Once you’ve made Lillian’s Apple Cake here are some more apple recipes you should also try!
- Blackberry & Apple Cake
- Blackberry & Apple Loaf
- Apple & Blueberry Tarte Tatin
- Apple & Marzipan Dumplings
- Apple Kale Cake with Apple Icing
- Apple & Hazelnut Vacherin
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Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Lillian’s Apple Cake
Equipment
- 1 apple corer optional
- 1 Wooden chopping board
- 1 small kitchen knife
- 1 Digital scale
- 1 sieve
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium size bowl (for sieving the flour)
- 1 Electric whisk (or cake mixer)
- 1 21 cm loose-bottomed cake tin
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 150 g / 6oz plain flour
- 150 g / 6oz softened butter or margarine
- 75 g / 3oz soft brown sugar (Muscovado)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 sweet dessert apples eg Coxes (don't peel) cored, quartered and cut into slim slivers
- 25 g / 1oz almonds chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, 390°F, Gas 6.
- Butter and flour a 21cm loose bottomed baking tin then sprinkle on the chopped almonds.
- Mix the butter or margarine well with the sugar in a large bowl with an electric whisk (or cake mixer) until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. (Don’t worry if the mix splits).
- Sift the flour and baking powder together and gradually add to the mixture.
- Finally fold in the apple slivers and cinnamon.
- Tip mix into the prepared baking tin, firming the mixture into the edge.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35 minutes or until centre springs back to the touch.
- Allow the cake to sit in the tin for a couple of minutes. Then remove the outer rim, turn cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully before serving.
Jan Rutledge
I’d love to make this cake Camilla but just want to check on the oven temperature. I presume it’s a conventional oven and not fan. I usually bake my cakes on 160 fan so this seems very hot. I need your advice please.
Camilla
Hi Jan, I’ve updated the oven temps to cover all ovens. It is 200C conventional and 180C fan. The cake has a lovely caramelised sugar and toasted almond crispy layer to the outside and moist interior from the apples so hence the higher temperature. Do let me know how you get on.
Jan Rutledge
Hi Camilla I made this cake yesterday, used pecans and Stork. It turned out brilliantly. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for your help and a big thank you to Lilian.
Camilla
Awesome Jan, so glad you like the cake. I really should get on a reshoot it:-)
Jan Rutledge
One more question Camilla. Should there be sugar with the nuts in the bottom of the tin? I wouldn’t say mine was crispy, just lovely and moist.
Camilla
Hi Jan, no, I think I used the wrong word, I really shouldn’t work with brain fog while I have a virus. Crispy is like a cookie, this cake has a toasted almond topping and crumbly around the edges. I will rewrite this entire post and reshoot at some point. My daughter made the cake for my birthday so I grabbed a picture of it and added to the post but hers turned out different to when I’ve made it but I think she didn’t let it cool on the wire rack so it was softer.
Lisa
Can I leave out the almonds as I don’t like them?
Camilla
Yes, or change to a nut you do like:-)
naleśniki
Love this cake. The flavour is yummy, smells so good!
Camilla
Thank you, glad you like it-)
Paul Wilson
Plenty of apples atm.
Camilla
Yes, my favourite cake of all time:-)
ashleigh allan
This sounds delicious!
Ursula Hunt
This cake tastes delicious and keeps well
Camilla
Yes it’s so good, glad you enjoyed it:-)
William Gould
Wow – it looks and sounds fab! One of my favourites!
Ann Robinson
Another great looking dish
Bev
Sounds scrummy!
Ursula Hunt
I love apple cake, thank you for the recipe
Maya Russell
Never know when to use dessert or cooking apples!
Camilla
Well cooking apples need a lot of sugar and can turn to mush and dessert apples are best for things like French Tarts or cakes where you want the apple to keep its shape and look good and remain firm.
Helen Allan
This looks divine. Apple and cinnamon is always a winner in our house. Can’t wait to try this,
Maya Russell
I have some lovely cooking apples which need using up and I’ve been looking for an easy apple cake recipe. Many thanks.
Camilla
Ooh you need dessert apples for this cake, cookers would be too sour.
Paul Wilson
When I’ve tried to make apple cake it always seems to be excessively soggy.
Camilla
Are you soaking the apples in water?
Paul Wilson
Is that something I should do or should avoid doing?
Camilla
If you mean making the cake then 100% yes, a favourite of mine!
Paul Wilson
Should I avoid soaking the apples in water? Presumably that’s not the same as washing them beforehand?
Camilla
No, definitely no soaking of apples!
Lisa Williams
delicious you cant beat a good apple and cinnamon hit when it gets colder 🙂
Heather Haigh
I made this using rice flour and ground almonds for the flour, as I am gluten intolerant, and it was really lovely.
Camilla
Great, glad you enjoyed it:-)
Tracy Nixon
This is my dad’s favourite pud served wwarm with either cream or custard! As it is his birthday over the weekend I am going to follow you recipe and present him with Apple pie! I think he would prefer that to a birthday cake!
Ceri Sell
Looks yum! Might make this with the kids this afternoon 🙂