This old-fashioned Apple Walnut Cake is simple and fuss-free, no mixer required, and made with all easy-to-find ingredients. Insanely moist, potently spiced, bursting with fresh apples, crunchy walnuts, and topped with a drizzle of cinnamon icing. This Apple Walnut Cake is a classic for a reason!
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This Apple Walnut Cake is a a relic from my Great-Grandma’s recipe box. Her recipe box is a cherished family heirloom. My Mom keeps it very protected and all the recipes together and intact.
It’s a small, classic tin recipe box. It’s ancient and dingy, and it is jammed with recipes front-to-back. The recipes are true family recipes, so it’s very meaningful that nearly every recipe in the box is a tried-and-true family favorite. There’s no “filler” recipes or one-and-dones. Each one has earned its spot!
But…. they’re not all current-day family favorites. Some of these are old-timers that were family staples, but haven’t been made in decades. I really want to work my way through them, and this Apple Walnut Cake is one of the first I’m testing.
I “borrowed” this recipe card without my Mom’s knowledge. And since she doesn’t usually read my blog, she won’t even know. I shall return it soon.
A lot of recipes don’t age well. Dave has a family recipe book, and while some of those are real gems, keepers for all time, there are some that haven’t stood the test of time in modern baking. Muffins would glue to pans, or cakes with sunken middles, or overuse of Crisco! We have better ingredients and tools now so we can get more predictable, consistent, tastier results.
It was fun to remake some of them though, and to uncover which are still good recipes at 60, 70, 80 years-old. Maybe older.
In the case of this Apple Walnut Cake from my side of the family, it stands up to modern baking, for sure. No, it doesn’t look pretty, but it tastes awesome, and that’s what counts most in my book!
This Apple Walnut Cake is a very old recipe, yes, but a classic for a reason. A delicious dessert, and a rare recipe that stands the test of time.
It’s insanely moist, first of all, because there is no shortage of fresh apples in this Apple Walnut Cake. The batter is chunky with apples! They are a huge component here. This is special: the apples are nearly macerated before they become part of the cake — soaking in a few cups of sugar so that their sweet juices release and marry.
Lots of cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg, chopped walnuts for crunch and lovely nuttiness, and this is an apple-cinnamon-nut-lovers’ dream.
What cake isn’t made better with a little icing?? Cinnamon icing adds an extra touch of sweetness, but it’s not overdone.
I will be the first to admit that apples in baked goods are not usually my cup of tea. They have to be done just right. I was drawn to this Apple Walnut Cake because I trusted that an older recipe would get this right, and it does.
I have a few other special recipes that I LOOOOOOVE the way apple was incorporated. Like this Apple Pie Coffee Cake. Layers of simple, homemade apple pie filling and layers of streusel in a moist coffee cake. So good.
This Streusel Apple Zucchini Bread is a fun blend of apple and zucchini, plus buttery, brown sugar streusel abounds here too. It’s a rare case where I love apple in a quick bread. It’s fabulous.
Other apple things that make the cut around here — I simply adore this Apple Pie Monkey Bread, this Apple Pie Ice Cream, and these Crock-Pot Cinnamon Apples (I also have a Fireball-spiked version).
When fall rolls around and I’m really cranking up both pumpkin and apple as ingredients, this Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake and this Apple Crisp Pumpkin Cheesecake top my list!
Apple Walnut Cake
Ingredients
For Apple Walnut Cake:
- 4 cups peeled, chopped apples about 3 medium apples, I used Gala
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For Cinnamon Icing:
- 2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
For Apple Walnut Cake:
- In a medium bowl, toss together chopped apples and granulated sugar; let stand.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add apple mixture and flour mixture alternately to the egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in walnuts.
- Spoon batter (it will be thick) into a greased 13x9-inch pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, rotating halfway, until top and edges are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cake will appear deep golden -- you may think that it's burning, but it's normal for this cake to brown! It's a result of caramelized sugar and much cinnamon.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare glaze.
For Cinnamon Icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Add additional powdered sugar, as needed, to achieve desired consistency. I like this to be thick so that it isn't runny, but still able to be drizzled.
- Drizzle over cake. Cut and serve.
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