I’m sharing my Jamie Oliver Apple Cake, a simple blend of soft cake, spiced apples and a buttery crumble that you can make with any apples you have on hand.

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I love a dessert that pretends to be fancy but is actually lazy, and Jamie Oliver Apple Cake is exactly that. I start imagining warm spiced apples folded into a soft cake topped with a buttery crumble, and my kitchen goes a bit crazy.

Using good unsalted butter and crisp apples makes all the difference, you can taste the fruit shining through not being buried. It feels like apple pie without the faff yet somehow more playful, like the dessert version of a Sunday trick.

You wont believe how simple it looks and how proud you feel serving it.

Ingredients

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Apples give fibre, natural sweetness and a bit of tartness, juicy and cosy
Butter adds rich mouthfeel, mainly fat and calories, makes cake really tender
Caster sugar brings quick sweetness and bulk; pure carbs, no fibre
Flour gives structure and carbs and helps rise with baking powder
Cinnamon gives warm spice, tiny antioxidants, smells amazing, not sweet itself
Brown or demerara sugar caramelises apples and adds molasses depth and sweetness
Oats add chewy texture, a bit fibre and nice nuttiness to the crumble
Eggs give protein, help bind the batter and create a light crumb
Vanilla lifts flavour, makes sweetness taste rounder, small amount goes far

Ingredient Quantities

225g unsalted butter, softened

225g caster sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

225g self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 medium apples about 600g, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tbsp lemon juice

50g soft brown sugar for the apples

2 tsp ground cinnamon

25g unsalted butter for frying the apples

100g plain flour for the crumble

75g cold unsalted butter, cubed for the crumble

75g demerara or light brown sugar for the crumble

1 tbsp rolled oats optional, for extra texture

2-3 tbsp milk, only if batter needs loosening

Icing sugar for dusting, optional but nice

How to Make this

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1. Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan) 350F Gas 4 and grease and line a 20-23cm round springform or loose-bottom tin.

2. Toss the 4 peeled, cored and sliced apples with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 50g soft brown sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Melt 25g unsalted butter in a frying pan, add the apples and cook on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until softened and glossy, then set aside to cool a bit.

3. Cream 225g softened unsalted butter with 225g caster sugar until pale and fluffy, use an electric mixer or a strong spoon if you like. Beat in the 3 beaten eggs a little at a time with 1 tsp vanilla extract so it doesn’t split.

4. Fold 225g sifted self-raising flour and 1 tsp baking powder into the mixture gently, scrape the bowl so everything’s mixed. If the batter seems too stiff, stir in 2-3 tbsp milk to loosen it a bit.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula, it’s fine if it’s a little messy.

6. Spread the cooled spiced apples over the batter, leaving some juice if you can for flavour but don’t drown it.

7. Make the crumble by rubbing 100g plain flour with 75g cold cubed unsalted butter until it looks like coarse crumbs, then stir in 75g demerara or light brown sugar and 1 tbsp rolled oats if using for extra texture.

8. Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples, press a few bits in so it sticks. You want chunky bits, not dust.

9. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes until the top is golden and crisp and a skewer into the cake part comes out mostly clean. If it browns too fast, cover loosely with foil.

10. Cool for about 15 minutes, remove from the tin and dust with icing sugar if you like. Serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream. Tip: use any apples you have, keep the crumble butter cold for better texture, and this keeps well for a day or two, reheat in a low oven before serving.

Equipment Needed

1. 20 to 23 cm round springform or loose-bottom cake tin, greased and lined
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl for the apples or crumble
3. Electric mixer, or a strong wooden spoon and a hand whisk if you don’t have one
4. Frying pan for softening the apples
5. Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
6. Sharp knife, vegetable peeler and a chopping board
7. Sieve for the flour and a rubber spatula for folding and leveling
8. Baking tray or cooling rack plus oven gloves for safe handling

FAQ

Q: What size tin and oven temp should I use and how long does it take?

A: Use a 20-23cm round loose-bottom or springform tin, greased and lined. Bake at 180C (160C fan) for about 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean. Ovens vary so check from 40 mins.

Q: Can I use different types of apples?

A: Yes. Firm, slightly tart apples work best – Granny Smith, Braeburn or Pink Lady are great. They hold their shape in the cake and balance the sweetness. You can mix varieties for more flavour.

Q: My cake turned out soggy or dense, what went wrong?

A: Soggy usually means too much apple juice. Make sure you fry the apple slices until some juice reduces like the recipe says, drain any excess, and don't overfill the tin. Dense cakes often come from overmixing the batter after adding the flour, or using cold eggs. Fold gently and use room temperature eggs.

Q: Can I make this dairy free or vegan?

A: Yes you can. Swap the butter for a good block vegan margarine, use plant milk if needed, and replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, rest 5 mins) or 60g applesauce per egg. Texture will be slightly different but still tasty.

Q: Can I make parts ahead or freeze the cake?

A: Absolutely. You can prepare the apple filling and crumble and keep separately in the fridge for 24 hours. The baked cake keeps in an airtight tin for 2-3 days. For longer storage freeze whole or sliced for up to a month, wrapped well, then thaw at room temp.

Q: Can I add nuts, oats or change the crumble?

A: Yep. Fold 50-75g chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter or scatter on top. The recipe already suggests 1 tbsp rolled oats in the crumble for extra texture, you can add more if you like. If you add nuts, keep an eye on baking time as it might change a few minutes.

Jamie Oliver Apple Pie Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter: swap for salted butter (use the same 225g, and skip any extra salt) or for solid coconut oil (225g, gives a mild coconut note and a similar crumb).
Caster sugar: replace with granulated sugar (pulse briefly in a blender to make it finer) or use 50-75g light brown sugar for a caramel, moister result but it will change the flavour a bit.
Self-raising flour: if you don’t have it use 225g plain/all-purpose flour plus 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt, or try whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier, slightly denser cake.
3 large eggs: for egg-free use 3 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 9 tbsp water (let sit 5 minutes) or 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or 3/4 cup natural yogurt; they’ll bind ok but the texture may be a touch different.

Pro Tips

1) Cool the cooked apples before you put them on the batter, and blot off extra juice with a paper towel. If the apples go on warm they make the batter sink and get soggy. You can also toss the slices in a tablespoon of plain flour or cornflour to soak up runaway juice, but dont overdo it or the apples will taste starchy.

2) Keep the crumble butter really cold. Use your fingertips or a fork and stop as soon as you have chunky bits not dust. If the kitchen is warm, pop the crumble in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes before baking so those chunks stay distinct and crisp.

3) Match your egg and butter temps. Room temperature eggs mixed into cold butter will make it split, so let them sit on the counter for a bit. If the mix does split, dont panic, add a spoonful of flour or a couple tablespoons of the dry ingredients and fold gently and it usually comes back together.

4) Watch the bake, not the clock. Test the cake part near the edge and under the apples with a skewer, and if the top browns too quick, loosely cover with foil. Let it rest in the tin for about 10 to 15 minutes so it firms up before you unmold, this makes slicing way easier.