Healthy Cinnamon Apple Cake

 
A while ago, my friend attended a conference in sunny San Diego, and I tagged along to visit my grandparents. Since the conference’s sessions ran all day and late into the night, leaving almost no room in his schedule to socialize or explore, we arrived a day early to do a few touristy things (my friend had never been to the area before!) and spend some quality time with my grandparents.  

Because my family used to come down to visit at least once a year, I let my friend decide what we would do. His eyes lit up when my grandparents and I mentioned the zoo, so we drove over to walk around the park, take pictures of the exotic animals, and collect a few souvenirs. We love those penny-press machines that flatten and stamp a picture onto coins, and there were lot of image choices all around the zoo!

Seeing as I’m slightly directionally-challenged, my friend took charge of the map and led us all around the enclosures. We started with the bears at the front of the park, worked our way up past the pandas and bald eagles and zebras until we reached the polar bears (the #1 animals my friend wanted to see!), then back around to the lions (holy moly, those cats are massive!) and elephants, and finally back around to the empty penguin exhibit (my favorite animals… I was sad they were gone!).
 

 
Before we started our safari-like trek, we failed to realize one thing… The zoo is shaped like a massive bowl! It dips really far down in the center with corresponding smaller hills around the outer rim as well, so our legs worked much harder than we anticipated in the hot afternoon sun marching up and down and all around the park. By the time we left, we thought a relaxing evening at home sounded perfect!

So we all could spend most of the night lounging on the comfy sofas and chairs in the living room catching up on life and chatting about the day, my grandparents kindly picked up groceries from the store down the street to cook an easy, laid-back dinner with minimal prep. Grandma tossed chicken, steak, and mixed veggie kebabs on her indoor grill before heating creamy mashed potatoes and cinnamon apple slices to serve on the side.

Other than in pies, crumbles, and cobblers for dessert, I had never seen warm cinnamon apples served at the table for dinner. Maybe I’m just behind the times, but that serving bowl emptied faster than the other side dishes or entrée platter because everyone reached for seconds. Grandpa may have even snuck a third serving later!
 

 
That sweet side dish actually served as the inspiration for this healthy cinnamon apple cake! Full of the same warm spices as my favorite zucchini bread, every bite tastes cozy and comforting. It even looks impressive enough for a special occasion…

But it’s incredibly easy to make!
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY CINNAMON APPLE CAKE

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make this healthy apple cake! I’m assuming you already have common baking staples like baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt… So we’ll focus on the more interesting and important ingredients right now!

Flour. This recipe starts with white whole wheat flour. I know it sounds a little confusing, but it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour! Instead, this flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. White wheat has a lighter taste and texture (but the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour!), making it perfect for baked goods like cakes and pastries.

Hint: Many grocery stores have started stocking white whole wheat flour on the baking aisles, but whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute if you can’t find it.

Tip: If you’d like to make this healthy apple cake gluten-free, then check the Notes section of the recipe! I included my top recommendations there.

Spices. I’m obsessed with cinnamon and nutmeg right now. They pair perfectly with apples and provide that irresistible warm, cozy backdrop reminiscent of fall. Although the cinnamon flavor is more prominent, the nutmeg still adds an important richness, so don’t skip it!
 

 
Greek yogurt. This entire cake only contains 1 tablespoon of butter, so the rest of its tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking: Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it adds a little protein boost too. I include it in many of my recipes, from cupcakes and muffins to cheesecake and even frosting!

Sweetener. Instead of granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your healthy apple cake with pure maple syrup. It’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees and only includes one ingredient: maple syrup! It’s often sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this).

Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup! Those contain other ingredients, so they often behave differently in baking recipes. This is especially true of sugar-free syrup. It’s typically water-based, and that generally makes cakes collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.

Apples. It’s pretty hard to make a fresh apple cake without them! I love using Fuji apples because they’re naturally sweet and have a wonderful texture that’s great for baking recipes. As you can see in my photos, I left their skin on (partially because I’m lazy!), but you can easily peel your apples, if you’d prefer!
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CINNAMON APPLE CAKE

Let’s briefly go over how to make the best apple cake! This recipe is simple and straightforward to whip up, but I also have some tips to share with you.

Thinly slice the apples. For the pretty fruit topping, I cut Fuji apples into slices between ⅛” and ¼” thick. You want the slices to be thin so that they soften while baking and are easier to cut through. Thicker slices would stay crunchy, even after baking, and would be much harder to slice through when carving pieces of cake to serve! To ensure that doesn’t happen, you’ll also pop the apple slices into the microwave for a tiny bit to soften them slightly before arranging.

Arrange the apple slices. They don’t have to be perfect! Just start laying them on top of the batter in a circular shape. I started with the outside ring first before moving on to the inside, and I gently pressed each slice into the batter to ensure it stuck. Then place the pan in the oven and set your timer!
 

 
Cool completely. Yes, fully. Completely. All the way to room temperature. Do not cut into this cake too early! The cake’s structure hasn’t fully set until it reaches room temperature, so for the best soft, moist, and tender texture, promise me that you’ll wait (however impatiently that may be!) until it’s completely cool.

Use the right knife. Here’s my trick for cutting pretty slices of this cake: use a serrated bread knife. The serrated knife cuts through the apple slices better than a standard chef’s knife, so the fruit won’t end up sliding off onto neighboring pieces of cake as much.
 

 
Now grab a fork… And dig in! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy cinnamon apple cake!

Healthy Cinnamon Apple Cake

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 10 slices

This tender cake is full of cozy spices, and the beautiful sliced apples adorning the top give it a sophisticated look. But don’t be fooled — it’s still really easy to make! Leftovers will stay fresh for at least 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

5 from 16 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (210g) thinly sliced Fuji apple, between ⅛” to ¼” thick (about 1 large)
• 1 ¾ cups (210g) white whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
• 6 tbsp (90mL) nonfat milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9”-round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the apple slices in a microwave-safe bowl, and cover the top with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute 45 seconds. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern, beginning with the outer rim before finishing with the interior, and gently press each into the batter. (See the photos in the blog post above.) Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes. Place the cake pan onto a wire rack, and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture, instead of yielding a really moist and tender texture.

 

IMPORTANT PAN NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: If you do not have a springform pan, use a 9”-round cake pan instead, and line the inside with foil before coating with cooking spray. After letting the cake cool for 10 minutes, carefully lift the cake out of the pan by holding onto the foil, and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

 

SERVING TIP: For best results, slice the cake with a sharp serrated knife. (It cuts through the apple slices better than a standard chef’s knife.)

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. If using regular whole wheat flour, the cake may have a subtle "wheat-y" flavor and slightly denser texture.

 

SPICES NOTES: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It’s stronger, richer, and sweeter than the regular kind commonly found at grocery stores. I buy it online here (it's really affordable!), and it’s basically the only kind I use in my baking recipes now. The nutmeg provides a gentle background warmth and richness. It’s very subtle, but it makes this cake taste cozier!

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Do not substitute sugar-free maple syrup! It’ll make the cake collapse while cooling and turn out overly dense.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1½ teaspoons of xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should also work, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for at least three days (if not longer!).

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, nut-free}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Apple Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡  Apple Pound Cake
♡  Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
♡  Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Classic Carrot Cake
♡  Simple Orange Cake
♡  Simple Raspberry Lemon Cake
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cake recipes and healthy apple-flavored recipes!