You’ll love this delicious apple cake loaf that is soft and moist. This easy and yummy apple bread is flavored with warm Fall spices, perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or anytime you want to eat a delicious treat. No mixer needed!
Today I am sharing my moist apple loaf recipe. It is deliciously spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. I believe you’ll love this apple loaf cake that contains no butter; I use olive oil just like I do in my carrot cake loaf recipe.
The hardest part is waiting for this loaf to cool completely in the pan so you can slice it properly. This waiting step is important as this bread is pretty soft and moist.
The ingredients you’ll need
- Apples: I prefer delicious Gala apples because of the sweetness. ½ cup sugar (105 grams) is enough to make this apple bread sweet. I prefer using a combination of shredded apples and chopped apples. In total, I use 3 small apples-not very small. I grate 2 apples and chop the other one. Grated apples add moisture and chopped apple pieces are nice while eating.
- Lemon juice: I add it to the chopped apples, it adds a nice flavor and also keeps the chopped apples turning brown.
- All-purpose flour: gives structure
- Baking powder: works as a leavener
- Cinnamon-cloves-nutmeg: These spices give a beautiful Fall-Winter feeling, perfect with apples. If you don’t have cloves and nutmeg, it will still taste good with only cinnamon but if you have those other spices, I suggest you use them.
- Salt-It brings the flavors out but if you don’t use salt, that’s fine. It is optional.
- Vanilla– Vanilla extract enriches the flavor.
- Granulated Sugar– ½ cup of sugar is enough to make this apple cake loaf sweet due to delicious and sweet Gala apples. You can even use 1-2 tablespoons less sugar if you want slightly sweet.
- Eggs-give structure
- Olive oil-gives moisture
- Walnuts-This quick apple bread is rich with walnuts but if you don’t have walnuts don’t worry; your bread will still be delicious.
How to make apple loaf – step by step
First, I start with apples so they leave their juice while I am working on other steps.
I peel and core 2 apples, cut them in half, grate them into a bowl and set aside. Then I cut 1 peeled and cored apple into almost ⅕ inch (0.5 cm) pieces. I add lemon juice and set aside the bowl.
Next, I place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt (optional) in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. I set aside the bowl.
Later, I place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and stir with a whisk until just combined. I add the olive oil and vanilla extract and stir until just combined as well.
Then I add the grated apples and stir with a whisk. I add the flour in 2 batches. First I stir with a whisk and then continue with a spoon/spatula as it is easier to combine the mixture after all is added.
Please check the recipe card for how to measure flour. You shouldn’t use less than the recipe states as the flour gives structure to this loaf.
Once the flour is mixed, I fold the chopped apples and then mix in the walnuts.
I bake for 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle totally comes out clean without any moist crumbs.
After I remove from the oven, I keep it in the pan until it totally cools. Once cooled, I cut into slices.
It is important to let it cool completely so you can cut proper slices.
I hope you enjoy this easy yet delicious apple loaf recipe!
Frequently asked questions
You can keep totally cooled apple cake loaf in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 7 days in the fridge.
First, you can cover the cooled loaf well with a plastic film and then with aluminum foil. Or you can place it in a freezer bag-taking all the air inside after you cover with plastic film. I always prefer slicing and then freezing so the slices thaw quickly when I want to eat.
Other apple recipes you may enjoy!
Quick bread/loaf cake/muffin recipes you may enjoy!
I love hearing from you! If you try this recipe or my other recipes please leave a comment and give a star rating!
Apple Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- 3 small apples (preferably Gala 1 and ½ cup shredded apples and ¾ cup chopped apples)*
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 210 g (1 and ½ cup) all-purpose flour, dip and sweep
- 2 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (optional)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 105 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 75 g (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 g (½ cup) walnuts, roughly cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(177°C). Grease 8 ½ * 4 ½ inch (21,5*10,5cm) loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, about 2 inches(5 cm) of overhang on each side. If you like, you can grease and flour the dish instead of parchment paper.
- Peel and core the apples. Grate 2 of the apples and place in a bowl, set a side. Chop 1 apple into almost ⅕ inch (0.5cm) thick pieces and mix in the lemon juice. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the walnuts into small pieces, set aside.
- Place the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder (and salt if using) into a medium bowl and mix. Set aside.
- Put the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and mix with a whisk until just combined.
- Mix in the olive oil and vanilla extract, stir with a whisk until just combined.
- Add the shredded apples (If there is too much excess liquid leave it out before adding into the mixture) and stir with a whisk.
- Mix in the flour mixture in 2 batches. You can use a whisk in the beginning but it is easier to continue with a spoon/spatula in the end to mix easily.
- Add the chopped apples ( if there is liquid, leave it out before adding into the mixture) and stir with a spoon/spatula. Mix in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. The mixture is not thin but not too thick. You can spoon the mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out completely clean that is inserted in the center. After you remove the pan from the oven, leave in the pan until it completely cools, almost 1 and ½ hour before cutting into slices. You shouldn't skip this step so you can cut the slices properly.
Stefanie
Id like to know at what temperature should the loaf ? 350 pre heating and then?
Thank you!!!
Meymi
Hi Stefanie, You’ll bake at the same temperature. Enjoy!
Nancy
How many eggs?? I don’t see them on the ingredient list — what else is missing?
Meymi
Hi Nancy, You can find the exact quantities in the recipe card, at the end of my post. Enjoy!
megan
hi i dont know whether my comment earlier was posted but i’d like to know why my loaf is almost too moist(?) should i have strain the water out of the apples? my loaf also didn’t leaven properly. do you know the cause of this? the taste was overall good👍
Meymi
Hi Megan, I am glad you liked the taste. I assume you made the toothpick test and baked it properly. I wonder if you used grams or cups when you measured flour. If you used cups, you should have used the dip and sweep method as I mentioned in the recipe card which is equal to 210 grams. If you used the spoon and sweep method, you probably used 180 grams of flour. This may be the reason. If it didn’t rise properly, maybe your baking powder was old. I hope this helps.
Debbie Deyell
I went exactly like the recipe and my bread didn’t raise. I’ve been baking breads for ever.
Meymi
Hi Debbie, The only reason I can think of is your baking powder may have expired. (I assume you didn’t open the oven door too early while it is baking.)
I hope this helps.
kjb
Would I leave the temp the same and cut the bake time down if I were to split this into four mini loaf pans?
Meymi
Yes, you should keep the temperature the same but bake for a shorter time!
Uzma khan
Can I use butter instead of olive oil
Meymi
Hi Uzma, You can use butter but you should use 95 grams (1/3 cup plus 1 and 1/2 tablespoons).
Abi
Hello
Just to tell you that 1/5inch is 0.5cm or 5mm and not 5cm. 5cm is nearly 2inches.
Meymi
Hi Abi, Of course! I wrote 0.5cm in the post but I realized 0 is missing in the recipe card. Corrected! Thank you so much!
Marlene
I needed an apple cake in loaf form because it’s easier to mail to my grandkids for Rosh Hashanah. This worked perfectly. I did leave out the cloves and nutmeg and added 1/3 of the recipe for the streusel topping from your apple pie bars. Yum! Must admit I cut off a piece before mailing so I could taste it…I liked the combo of shredded and chopped apples.
Meymi
Hi Marlene, The addition of streusel topping sounds delicious. Thank you so much for your comment and feedback!
Teresa
Made this recipe exactly as it reads and it was perfect! At first I left the “juice” out when I added the shredded apples, but then realized I could use a little, and it’s delicious!! Not to mention how good my house smells. This is a keeper for sure. Thanks for sharing @PastryandBeyond
Meymi
Hi Teresa, I’m so glad you loved this recipe so much! Thank you for your comment!
Deb
Can a double batch be made without changing the consistency of the bread? I’m curious, as some breads should not be doubled.
Meymi
Hi Deb, You can make a double batch. Enjoy!
Wendy Hall
Can I use canned apples instead of fresh apples ?
Meymi
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tried but one of my readers shared that she used canned apples and it turned out great.
Katrina
Gorgeous recipe that I made and featured and shared on my YouTube channel! https://youtu.be/z4ndRmsP0Ng?si=dIBc4ihJXSrWTv72
Meymi
Hi Katrina, Thank you so much for sharing your lovely video (it is extra lovely with your son). Yes, this cake is definitely so good with a cup of tea!
Fei
Delicious cake that wasn’t too sweet and let the flavours come through. I used 2.5 grated small/medium sized apples and a small carrot with the juice squeezed out, and 1.5 apples for the cubed ones. Walnuts were a great addition too. Thank you!
Meymi
Hi Fei, I’m thrilled to hear you loved this recipe so much! Thank you for your feedback!
Melanie
Delicious and really healthy apple cake! With apples making up much of the batter and olive oil used made this a really yummy and healthy cake for my guests. We all enjoyed it and I will definitely make this again!
Meymi
Hi Melanie, I’m thrilled to hear you and your guests enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for your comment!
Jeane
I was nervous because my battery was very thick. I cut my apples very fine but did not grate them. It took about 65 minutes to bake testing every 5 minutes. It does rises just not very high which is fine. The consistency is wonderful but I feel I will need to add way more spice to punch up the flavor.
Janice Humphreys
Super delicious and very moist. I followed the directions as written and it turned out beautifully. Thank you for a great recipe.
Meymi
Hi Janice, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for your comment!