Baked Apple Cake Dutch Style (Printable)

Tender spiced apples in a soft golden cake, inspired by Dutch flavors for a cozy breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Apples

01 - 3 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

→ Dry Ingredients

03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 cup whole milk
13 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
14 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Topping

15 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
04 - In another large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold prepared apples into batter. Pour mixture into greased baking dish and spread evenly.
07 - In a small bowl, mix topping sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
08 - Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
09 - Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with powdered sugar dusting or crème fraîche.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No flipping required—just pour, top, and let the oven handle the work while you sip something warm.
  • It tastes equally at home on a Sunday brunch table or wrapped in foil for tomorrow's breakfast.
  • The spices make your whole kitchen smell like a bakery without any fancy technique or special ingredients.
02 -
  • Do not skip cooling the melted butter before mixing it with eggs—even warm butter will create tiny scrambled bits that you'll notice in the texture.
  • The cake rises gently and won't dome or overflow; if your oven runs hot, cover the top loosely with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
03 -
  • Slice your apples right before adding them to the batter so they don't have time to oxidize and brown, which looks less appealing in the finished cake.
  • If you like it less sweet, reduce the sugar by two tablespoons and add an extra quarter teaspoon of cinnamon—the spices fill in what you're missing.
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