How can a year pass so quickly? I made today’s recipe more than a year ago and I am only now posting it. Wow. Time — while passing seemingly slowly — sometimes flies.
I’ll bet time has flown for my friend Lynn, who retired more than a year ago. She returned to her native Iowa, bought a lovely home, and has settled into her new life of leisure. At the time she moved back, she also sent me this recipe for the apple cake.
It’s now well into autumn and apple desserts have been second only to “pumpkin-spice-everything.” For those who want great apple flavor and a cake that is easy to make — and is equally at home on the breakfast, brunch, or dinner tables — this is the perfect recipe for you.
I miss Lynn. Her sense of humor is one of the best; I could count on her for a laugh even on a stressful day. I hope someday I will join her in retirement and perhaps even visit her in her new hometown along the upper Mississippi River.
~ David
Lynn’s Iowa Apple Cake
Click the icon below to print the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 1/2 cups peeled, chopped apples (any sweet-tart apple will work)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix together the yogurt, apple sauce, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just moist. Fold in the chopped apples with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- To make the crumb topping: in a separate small bowl, mix remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon with the brown sugar. Cut in the butter until it is crumbly.
- Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan (2 inches deep) and spread in half the batter. Sprinkle with half the crumb mixture, then top with remaining batter, and finish with remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool for 1 hour before cutting and serving.
- Serves 12-16.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
John / Kitchen Riffs
October 30, 2021 at 6:14 amThere is some gorgeous scenery all along the Mississippi river, and inland, too. Worth a trip. Parts of Iowa are gorgeous. And speaking of gorgeous, wow, what a great cake! Even though I indulge myself in the pumpkin-anything fun at this time of the year, apples really are the apple of my eye. This is a great looking one. Thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:10 pmThanks, John – I’ve seen lots of the lower Mississippi but the northern parts will be new to me! Glad you like the cakes,
Chef Mimi
October 30, 2021 at 6:37 amI bet this is good. Would this be good for breakfast? Or is it too sweet?
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:10 pmWell, as you know, “too sweet” is pretty personal… but i would definitely serve this for breakfast or brunch!
Connie
October 30, 2021 at 7:45 amThe side view showing the appealing “spongy” texture of that cake has made this a must try cake for me!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:11 pmThanks, Connie! I hope you enjoy it
Coco
October 30, 2021 at 8:50 amIt’s Apple Season! 🍎
I must taste this deliciousness.
xo
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:11 pmYou know, Colette, only recently have I really begin to appreciate “Apple season” – they are so readily available year round, but they do taste their absolute best now.
Jill Becker
October 30, 2021 at 11:01 amLooks delicious. Must try.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:12 pmI think you will like it!
Susan Esco Chandler
October 30, 2021 at 11:16 amSent this to Liz: she has an abundance of apples on Leafhopper Farm…🍎🍎🍎🍎🍏🍏🍏🍏!!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:12 pmI know – I so loved the ones she sent us… was it really two years ago?
Eha
October 30, 2021 at 3:17 pmI but rarely bake or indulge . . . but this autumnal gift from across the Pons would be gratefully received by more than one local friend . . . ! And yours truly has learned a little more about the States . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:13 pmYour neighbors will love you for this! I seems to have a lot of cinnamon, but it’s actually a very subtle part of the flavor.
sippitysup
October 30, 2021 at 6:39 pmFrom apples to mushrooms there’s plenty of bounties this time of year. Oh yeah. Pumpkin-spice too. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2021 at 8:13 pmMushrooms… spot on, Greg!
Gerlinde
October 31, 2021 at 4:48 amOne can never have too many recipes for apple cakes. Yours looks delicious. When I was at our family farm in Germany a couple of weeks ago I ate the most delicious apples right off the tree.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 3, 2021 at 6:43 amI completely agree, Gerlinde! I think the same way about both apple and almond cakes.
Jeff the Chef
October 31, 2021 at 12:32 pmI love that this cake has yogurt and applesauce! I haven’t made apple cake in quite some time. Thanks for the recipe, and as always, the stunning photos!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 3, 2021 at 6:45 amThanks, Jeff. I’m sure the yogurt is a substitution for sour cream, and the applesauce is there for added moistness… it all works!
Christina
November 1, 2021 at 11:35 pmIsn’t it crazy that a year can go by in what seems like a month? I’ve done this, too, David!
I love any cake with a crumb or streusel topping. This definitely looks like it just needs a cup of tea to go along with it! Or cocoa, in your case! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 3, 2021 at 6:45 amDefinitely good with tea or cocoa, Christina!
Ron
November 2, 2021 at 6:14 amDavid, Lynn’s cake would make any Swede smile. Apple cakes make regular appearances on our autumn fika tables. But, pumpkin spice just hasn’t gone main steam over this way. Perhaps, because there is no Starbucks around, which is fine by me. Eva did go into Starbucks withdrawal for the first year we lived here., but she got over it (we got a latte machine)…
Cocoa & Lavender
November 3, 2021 at 6:46 amI’m glad for you with the pumpkin spice hasn’t taken over Sweden! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin pie as much as the next person… But pretty soon will be having pumpkin spice flavored anesthesia!
Raymund
November 3, 2021 at 2:14 pmNever heard of this cake but certainly it sounds delicious and quite easy to prepare, will give this recipe a shot as they look perfect with a cup of tea
Cocoa & Lavender
November 5, 2021 at 6:25 amIt is pretty simple, Raymund, and would be great with a cup of tea!
Ronit Penso Tasty Eats
November 3, 2021 at 5:59 pmThe cake looks so tasty! Apple cakes are a favorite of mine, so it’s always great to have one more recipe.
p.s. I signed to get updates of your blog, but didn’t get any notifications so far. I’ll give it another try. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
November 5, 2021 at 6:26 amThanks, Ronit – let me look into the subscribers page and see what I can find.
Glad you like apple cakes – I can’t seem to get enough these days!
Valentina
November 3, 2021 at 8:24 pmI would definitely have this for breakfast & brunch. With a lovely latte. Heaven. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
November 5, 2021 at 6:27 amThe nice thing about this for a brunch, Valentina, is that it will serve quite a few people!
Valentina
November 12, 2021 at 9:54 pmPerfect!
2pots2cook
November 9, 2021 at 12:31 amWe both love moist sponge cakes. Every time of day ! Thank you for this one !
Cocoa & Lavender
November 9, 2021 at 6:51 amYou are most welcome, Davorka!
Inger
November 20, 2021 at 10:47 amThe cake is lovely. If you take a trip to Iowa you’ll have to detour over to Wisconsin for a visit!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 23, 2021 at 5:17 amThat would be a lot of fun, Inger! They are very far from one another.
John
November 20, 2021 at 1:26 pmIowa has now been added to my “want to visit” list when we eventually return to the US, whenever that may be! It sounds beautiful.
As I sit here on my bed tapping on my laptop, peering out the window at the rain drizzle and a thick mist envelop the bushland across the road, all I crave is this apple cake. I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, at it looks perfect for it!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 23, 2021 at 5:18 amParts of Iowa are incredibly beautiful, while others are quite flat and not as interesting. (Forgive me, Iowa peeps!) I will suggest that you make Tucson a priority above Iowa! 🙂