Apple Buttermilk Cake

The recipe, step by step

This apple buttermilk cake is the sort of straightforward bake I return to when I want something generous without making a great fuss. The crumb is soft and moist, the vanilla is gentle, and there are tender pieces of apple throughout. It works just as well for afternoon tea as it does for pudding, especially served slightly warm.

The combination of buttermilk and oil is what makes this cake so reliable. Buttermilk adds a mild tang and helps create a tender crumb, while the neutral oil keeps the sponge beautifully soft.

I particularly like that the fruit feels properly part of the cake rather than simply sitting on top. There are 400 g of prepared apples folded through the batter, so every slice has a lovely balance of fruit and sponge.

For more apple baking, try my Perfect Homemade Apple Pie or Apple Rose Tartlets. Both internal links are live.

Recipe Highlights

• Ease: Easy, with no creaming of butter and sugar.
• Taste: Gently spiced with cinnamon and vanilla, with plenty of fresh apple.
• Texture: Soft, moist and fine-crumbed with tender pieces of apple throughout.
• Serving: Delicious warm or cold, finished with a light dusting of icing sugar.
• Quantity: 12 servings.
• Tin: 23 cm / 9-inch springform tin.
• Preparation: 20 minutes.
• Baking: 65–70 minutes.
• Total: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Buttermilk Cake

This is a very forgiving style of cake.

Rather than beating butter and sugar together, the oil, eggs, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla are mixed until emulsified before the flour is added. That makes the batter quick to prepare and keeps the method uncomplicated.

The 400 g of apples also means you get fruit in almost every bite rather than just a decorative layer on the surface.

Meanwhile, cinnamon and vanilla give the cake a warm, familiar flavour without overpowering the apples.

It also keeps well, making it a particularly useful cake when you want to bake something a day or two before serving.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Plain flour: Use 200 g plain or all-purpose flour. WPRM also identifies this as BL55.
• Baking powder: Use 1 teaspoon baking powder to help give the cake its rise.
• Fine sea salt: Use ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. It balances the sweetness and helps the apple, vanilla and cinnamon flavours stand out.
• Bicarbonate of soda: Use ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda / baking soda. It works particularly well here alongside the acidity of the buttermilk.
• Neutral oil: Use 150 ml neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable or sunflower oil.
• Eggs: Use 3 medium eggs, 150 g total.
• Buttermilk: Use 150 ml buttermilk. There is also a homemade substitute in the Variations section below.
• Caster sugar: Use 140 g caster sugar.
• Vanilla: Use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla paste.
• Ground cinnamon: Use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• Apples: Use 400 g apples, weighed after peeling and coring, approximately four apples. Cut them into pieces roughly 1–2 cm in size.

Nigel recommends

Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla bean paste works beautifully in this apple cake, giving the sponge a rich, rounded vanilla flavour that complements the apples and cinnamon without overpowering them.

Ingredient

Nielsen Massey

Vanilla Bean Paste

Rich vanilla bean paste with a concentrated vanilla flavour and visible vanilla seeds, ideal for cakes, biscuits, custards, creams and glazes.

Why I recommend it → Shop at Amazon UK

Some retailer links may be affiliate links. Recommendations remain editorially independent.

How to Make Apple Buttermilk Cake

Prepare the Cake

1. Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4.

2. Prepare the tin: Line a 23 cm / 9-inch springform tin with baking or parchment paper.

Make the Batter

3. Combine the dry ingredients: Sift the 200 g flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt into a medium mixing bowl, then set aside.

4. Mix the wet ingredients: Place the 150 ml oil, 3 eggs, 150 ml buttermilk, 140 g caster sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix for 2–3 minutes to emulsify the ingredients.

5. Add the flour: Once the wet mixture is thoroughly combined and has increased in volume, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Add the Apples

6. Prepare the apples: Peel and core the apples, then cut them into pieces approximately 1–2 cm in size. You need 400 g prepared apple.

7. Finish the batter: Add the apples to the cake batter and fold them through until evenly distributed.

8. Fill the tin: Pour the batter into the prepared springform tin and level the surface.

Bake

9. Bake the cake: Place the cake on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 65–70 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

10. Cool in the tin: Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes after baking.

11. Cool further: Carefully remove the cake from the tin and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.

12. Serve: Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar if using.

Variations

Homemade Buttermilk Substitute

If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1½ teaspoons white vinegar or rice vinegar to 150 ml milk.

Stir together and leave it to stand for 15 minutes before using it in the recipe. This is also the substitution given in the existing recipe notes.

Use Milk Instead of Buttermilk

The existing recipe allows you to replace the buttermilk with whole milk or a milk alternative such as almond milk.

When doing this, add 1 extra teaspoon baking powder and remove the bicarbonate of soda completely.

Make a Pear Cake

Pears also work as an alternative to apples.

Choose fruit that is ripe enough to have good flavour but still firm enough to cut into pieces and fold through the batter.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Weigh the Apples After Peeling and Coring

The recipe requires 400 g prepared apples. Weighing them after removing the peel and cores keeps the fruit-to-batter ratio consistent.

Cut the Apples Evenly

Aim for pieces approximately 1–2 cm in size.

Keeping them reasonably uniform helps them soften at a similar rate while the cake bakes.

Don’t Overmix

Once the flour has been added, mix only until the ingredients are combined. Overworking a cake batter after adding flour can make the finished crumb heavier.

Give It Time to Emulsify

Mix the oil, eggs, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla for 2–3 minutes. The mixture should become well combined and increase somewhat in volume before you add the flour.

Start Checking at 65 Minutes

This is a deep, fruit-filled cake, so allow it plenty of time to bake through. Begin checking at 65 minutes, but leave it for up to the full 70 minutes when necessary.

Check the Centre

The top should spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Let It Rest Before Removing the Tin

Leave the baked cake in its springform tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. This gives the crumb a little time to settle first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Apples Are Best for Apple Buttermilk Cake?

Choose apples that retain some structure as they bake. A sharper apple gives a lovely contrast to the sweet sponge, while a sweeter eating apple produces a milder result. You can also combine varieties.

Can I Make the Cake Without Buttermilk?

Yes. Mix 150 ml milk with 1½ teaspoons white vinegar or rice vinegar, then leave it for 15 minutes before using.

Can I Simply Use Milk Instead?

Yes, but the existing recipe changes the raising agents as well. Use milk and add 1 extra teaspoon baking powder, while leaving out the ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Why Is My Cake Taking So Long to Bake?

It is a fairly deep 23 cm cake containing 400 g apple, and the tested baking time is 65–70 minutes. Keep it on the middle shelf and test the centre before removing it from the oven.

Tools You’ll Need

• 23 cm / 9-inch springform tin
• Baking or parchment paper
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Whisk or electric mixer
• Silicone spatula
• Peeler
• Sharp knife
• Cooling rack

Storage and Freezing

Storing

Keep the apple buttermilk cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The use of oil helps the crumb remain pleasantly soft during storage. The existing recipe also specifies an airtight container for storage.

Freezing

Wrap the whole cake or individual slices well and place them in a freezer-safe airtight container.

Freeze for up to 2–3 months.

Defrosting

Leave the cake to thaw at room temperature while still wrapped so the surface does not dry unnecessarily as it defrosts.

Nutrition

Serving: One cake slice.

Calories: 244.98 kcal · 12% DV
Total Fat: 12.92 g · 18% DV
Carbohydrates: 29.18 g · 11% DV
Sugars: 15.13 g · 17% DV
Protein: 3.6 g · 7% DV
Sodium: 139.67 mg · 7% DV
Fibre: 0.95 g · 3% DV

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands and serving size used.

A recipe worth keeping

Save this recipe for another day

Pin it to one of your boards and keep it close for the next time you are ready to cook or bake.

Save to Pinterest

Made it?

Share it from your kitchen

Save the recipe or share it with someone who would enjoy making it too.

Facebook Pinterest Email