This is a family recipe that has been passed down to me through a few generations.
This delicious apple olive oil cake comes out perfectly moist and sweet and reminds me of cooler weather and fall colors.
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What you will love about this apple olive oil cake recipe
I’m just going to say the quiet part out loud here… all of the other apple olive oil cake recipes out there are difficult and don’t look like they would taste good at all. Ok! I said it!
Now my recipe, on the other hand, is quite easy to make, has nothing weird or gross in it, and is a very basic recipe that is full of delicious flavor.
There are no raisins, no layering and no difficult steps to this recipe whatsoever!
As I stated, this is a tried and true recipe, and has been a family favorite for years!
This recipe contains all of the flavors of Fall and brings a comforting and warm feeling as you eat it. It is also topped with a delicious brown sugar frosting that is totally irresistible.
You are going to love this easy apple olive oil cake recipe that is completely from scratch!
Tips
For this recipe, you don’t want to use a very sweet or mushy apple. Any tart and crips apple works great for this recipe.
I tend to use granny smith apples whenever I am baking with apples, since they are always tart and crispy.
Ingredients
The ingredients for homemade apple olive oil cake are very basic and you will probably have almost everything on hand you will need.
I do recommend using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil when baking this cake.
Have you ever been to a specialty olive oil store? Let me tell you, it is quite the experience and I left there with my eyes completely opened to the world of high-quality olive oils!
If you ever get a chance, you should go to an olive oil store. The one I went to was in Truckee, California (Tahoe Oil and Spice) and I felt like I had never tasted real olive oil before.
Upon entering, the owner gave us small plastic cups and invited us to try out all sorts of olive oils that had been imported from all over the world.
Some of them were infused with savory and citrusy flavors, while other olive oils naturally tasted like heaven, just because of the soil that they grew in.
Who knew that drinking straight up olive oil could be so good! My 18-month-old daughter was also downing olive oil at an alarming rate, but I couldn’t blame her. It was so good!
Anyway, the main point here is that not all olive oils are the same, and since olive oil is one of the main ingredients in this recipe, I highly recommend upping your game and purchasing a high-end olive oil!
These are the ingredients for apple olive oil cake:
- Extra virgin olive oil (high quality or gourmet is best)
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Granny smith apples (or baking apple of choice)
- Finely chopped Walnuts (optional)
- Butter (salted)
- Brown sugar
- Milk
How to make apple olive oil cake from scratch
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the apples by washing them, peeling them and dicing them into small pieces.
In the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the eggs, sugar, olive oil and vanilla. Mix together until well combined.
Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together and slowly add it to the wet mixture on low speed. Mix it until just combined.
Fold in the chopped walnuts and the apples.
Generously butter a 9”x13” cake pan and pour the batter into it.
Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down for 30-45 minutes before frosting it.
Now for the frosting. This brown sugar glaze frosting is amazing. It complements this cake like no other and you are going to thank me later.
In a medium size saucepan, add the butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring it to a full rolling boil for 2 ½ minutes, stirring constantly so that it does not burn.
USE CAUTION!
Remove it from the heat and evenly pour all of the brown sugar frosting over the cake. Allow at least 10 minutes for the frosting to cool down and set up on the cake before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cake at room temperature or slightly warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. A hot cup of coffee delightfully accompanies this apple olive oil cake.
Storage
Put a lid on this cake once it is completely cooled and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Equipment
- Kitchen stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 9”x13” cake pan with deep sides
FAQ’s
Are olive oil cakes healthier?
In general, olive oil cakes are healthier than using other types of oils. Seed oils, vegetable oils and synthetic oils like Crisco are frowned upon in general since they are highly processed.
Olive oil is a natural oil that is not processed like vegetable and seed oils are.
Can you use regular olive oil in olive oil cake?
It is not recommended to use a light olive oil in olive oil cake, but rather you should use a high quality extra virgin olive oil for best results.
📖 Recipe
Apple Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- Kitchen stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 9”x13” cake pan with deep sides
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups apples peeled and diced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter 1 stick
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In the mixing bowl of a kitchen stand mixer add the olive oil, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until well combined.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and slowly mix it into the wet ingredients.
- With a spatula, fold in the diced apples and chopped walnuts.
- Butter a 9”x13” cake pan and pour the batter in.
- Place the cake in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes.
- In a medium size saucepan, bring the butter, brown sugar and milk to a rolling boil for a full 2 ½ minutes, carefully stirring it so that it doesn’t burn.
- Remove it from the heat source and evenly pour it over the top of the whole cake.
- Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
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