four ingredient apple cake is almost too good to be true!

It’s apple season, and you’re going to want to make this four ingredient apple cake on the regular!

I love a “tiny recipe” that really works!

Longtime readers know that while I share plenty of recipes that require a bit of time and fuss, I also love those that are minimal. Whether it’s a two ingredient ice cream,  a three ingredient cookie, or a four ingredient cake, I appreciate instant gratification just like the next person!

what’s in four ingredient apple cake?

It’s fall so, apples, right? And when I saw this cake over at Food52 I was skeptical, to be sure. I mean, here’s the original ingredient list:

eggs
light brown sugar
white whole wheat flour
kosher salt
apples

And then I remembered my three ingredient sponge cake from earlier this year and felt much more optimistic.

how do you make this cake?

Again, like the sponge cake – or my Nutella brownies – no leavening agents (like baking powder or baking soda) means that all the rise comes from the beaten eggs. So you’ll beat the eggs, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl on high speed for a whopping 8 minutes. Fold in the flour, followed by the apples, pour into a pan and bake!

I couldn’t help tweaking the recipe a bit!

With just four ingredients this easy apple cake recipe felt pretty “low stakes”, allowing me to make some adjustments that I had in mind.

I wanted to make this cake gluten free!

To start, I knew that I didn’t want to use the suggested white whole wheat flour. I get the reason – it contributes to the golden brown color and more complex flavor than all purpose. But I couldn’t justify purchasing a bag just for this recipe. I knew that all purpose flour would work just fine, but what if I could make this cake gluten free? I had enough almond flour on hand to swap it in.

I didn’t have enough light brown sugar – and it was FINE.

I long ago stopped stressing over light versus dark brown sugar. If I have enough of what the recipe calls for I’ll use it, but I’ve used the two interchangeably enough over the years to know that for the most part, either will work. I had about 1/3 cup of light brown sugar and filled in the rest with dark.

I didn’t want to use the pan called for in the recipe!

The final tweak I made was the pan. The recipe calls for an 8 inch springform pan, which I do not own. MOST recipes using a springform require a 9 inch, and I imagine that’s the size that you have too. I DO have a few regular 8 inch cake pans but know that they’re not an item commonly found in the kitchen. I dusted off my algebra brain and calculated that the area of an 8 inch round cake pan is about 50 square inches – almost the same as that of a 9 x 5 loaf pan. I concluded that most bakers have a loaf pan on-hand so I used that instead.

how did it come out?

DELICIOUS. The almond flour made for a more delicate cake but added so much flavor, and complemented the apples and brown sugar perfectly. As the article indicated (and based on the number of apples called for I predicted), this recipe is more “apples with some cake, not cake with some apples”. But I think you’ll love it and it couldn’t have been easier!

frequently asked questions!

Let me know if you make it!

Four Ingredient Apple Cake

sherisilver

Dairy free, gluten free and just four ingredients!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 8

Calories 243 kcal

Equipment

• 9 x 5 loaf pan
• parchment paper
• stand mixer
• vegetable peeler
• apple corer
• rubber spatula
• cake tester
• wire rack

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• large pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 3 Granny Smith apples

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Place the eggs, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on low till the ingredients are combined, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 8 minutes.
• Peel and core the apples and cut into (approximate) 1/2" cubes - and don't discard those peels!
• Add the flour and fold in till almost completely combined. Add the apples and fold again. Transfer to your prepared pan and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours, or till a cake tester tests clean.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the cake, letting it cool completely. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or a simple dusting of confectioner's sugar.

Notes

1. Swap the almond flour for all purpose if you prefer.
2. You can bake this cake in an 8" round pan.
3. This is a slightly adapted version of the original recipe found on Food52.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 3gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 126IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg

Keywords almond flour, apples, cake, gluten free

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About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

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