This tasty apple and pecan nut loaf will make a great addition to your afternoon tea table and is also ideal for popping into a lunchbox. It's packed with fresh apples and crunchy pecan nuts, with a hint of mixed spice for extra flavour.
This apple and pecan nut loaf has to be one of the easiest cakes to make. Even the recipe is easy to remember! It's based on the 4 : 5 : 6 ratio - 4 ounces of butter, 5 ounces of sugar and 6 ounces of flour. There are also 2 eggs and a little milk in the mix, but even with that, it is a very easy recipe to remember!
Not only is this recipe easy to remember, the cake is quick to make too. It only takes 15 minutes to mix then it's into the oven until it turns a beautiful golden brown.
I love how light yet moist the texture of the cake is. It's packed with grated apples along with chopped pecan nuts to provide a delightful crunch. For extra flavour I've added a teaspoon of mixed spice which is a blend of cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ground ginger and cloves.
Once cool, the cake can be cut into slices. The moist texture ensures the slices form perfectly without crumbling, making this cake ideal to pack in a lunch box for a midday treat. It's also great to enjoy for your elevenses or mid-afternoon cup of tea.
I didn't drizzle this cake with frosting, because I think it has enough flavour served plain. However, there's nothing to stop you from combining half a tub of cream cheese with half a cup of icing sugar and a few drops of lemon essence and spreading that over the top.
If you enjoy this recipe you may also enjoy my banana walnut bread or pear and banana loaf
Jump to:
Ingredients
This recipe will make one 4" x 8" qpple and pecan loaf
- Apples - I used Granny Smith apples, but it doesn't really matter what variety of apple you use. The apples should be peeled and coarsely grated.
- Pecan nuts - if you prefer you can substitute these with walnuts. They should be coarsely chopped.
- Flour - I used self-raising flour. If you don't have self-raising flour you can substitute with all-purpose flour and add one teaspoon of baking powder for each cup (140 grams) of flour.
- Sugar - use caster sugar if possible as it dissolves more easily into the cake mixture. You can substitute it with granulated sugar.
- Butter - it doesn't matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter. I prefer baking with butter because I think it provides a superior taste, but you could substitute with yellow baking margarine such as Stork. Whether you use butter or margarine, make sure it is at room temperature for easier mixing.
- Eggs - I use large eggs which weigh roughly 2 ounces each.
- Milk - this recipe calls for less milk than a normal cake as the grated apples will provide some moisture content.
- Mixed spice - this is a blend of spices, normally cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. You could substitute with a similar amount of allspice.
- Salt (not pictured) - if you use unsalted butter I would recommend adding a little salt to the mixture.
**You can find the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Step 2: Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking powder (if using), mixed spice and milk and mix gently until just combined.
Step 4: Stir in the chopped pecan nuts.
Step 5: Add the grated apples.
Step 6: Stir gently until just combined. The consistency should be that of a thick cake batter.
Step 7: Transfer the mixture to a greased baking tin. You could use a paper liner instead of greasing the tin.
Step 8: Bake in a preheated oven (160C / 320F) for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out cleanly.
Allow to cool, then remove from the baking pan and peel away the paper. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your apple and pecan loaf turns out perfectly:
- When creaming the sugar and butter together, have the butter at room temperature so that it mixes easily into the sugar.
- If possible use caster sugar so that the sugar dissolves more easily.
- If you don't have an electric hand mixer, you can use a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease! Beat until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture.
- When mixing in the milk and flour, stir only enough to incorporate the flour - don't over mix or beat at this stage or you will knock all the air out.
- Likewise when mixing in the pecan nuts and the grated apples. Stir them in gently.
- When baking do not open the oven door until at least 10 minutes before the end of the baking time or you run the risk of the cake sinking in the middle.
- Test that the cake is fully cooked by inserting a wooden toothpick or skewer into the thickest part of the cake. If the cake is cooked the toothpick will come out with no batter clinging to it. If there is still batter on the toothpick, bake the cake for a further 5 minutes and test again.
- Once cooked, the top of the cake should be golden brown and feel firm to the touch.
- If you find the cake is browning too quickly cover the pan loosely with a sheet of tin foil.
Equipment
To make this apple and pecan nut cake you will need a large mixing bowl.
I like to use an electric hand mixer for mixing, but you could use a wooden spoon instead.
To grate the apple you will need a cheese grater and for chopping the pecans you will need a sharp knife and a chopping board.
Finally, you will need a loaf tin approximately 4-inches x 8-inches in size, or 10 cm x 20 cm. You can use a slightly larger pan, but the cake will be shallower and may require less time in the oven.
Storage
Store the cake in an air-tight tin in the kitchen. You can also store it wrapped in a layer of tin foil.
The cake will remain fresh for up to 3 days. If you want it to stay fresh for longer, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Ensure the cake is completely cooled before storing to prevent condensation which may make the cake soggy.
The cake freezes well. Wrap it in parchment paper and a layer of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 4 months. Allow it to defrost on the counter before slicing and serving.
FAQ
Yes, you can make a simple glaze with icing sugar (or confectioner's sugar) mixed with milk or apple juice to a thick runny consistency and drizzle that over the cake.
For a more indulgent topping, mix cream cheese and icing sugar and spread that on top.
The grated apples provide a moist consistency, however you could substitute the milk with apple sauce for an even more moist cake.
Save for later
If you would like to make this apple and pecan loaf cake why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Why not visit my cake, biscuit and dessert recipes page for other baking recipes? Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Apple and pecan nut loaf
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer OR
- Wooden spoon
- Cheese grater
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Loaf tin 4" x 8" or 10cm x 20cm
Ingredients
- 4 ounces / 115 grams butter room temperature
- 5 ounces / 140 grams caster sugar (10 tablespoons)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 ounces / 170 grams self-raising flour (1¼ cups)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice substitute with allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt optional and to taste
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder only if using plain flour
- ½ cup / 120 ml milk
- ¾ cup / 90 grams pecan nuts coarsely chopped
- 2 large apples peeled and grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.4 ounces / 115 grams butter, 5 ounces / 140 grams caster sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.2 large eggs
- Add the flour, baking powder (if using), mixed spice and milk and mix gently until just combined.6 ounces / 170 grams self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ cup / 120 ml milk
- Stir in the chopped pecan nuts.¾ cup / 90 grams pecan nuts
- Add the grated apples and stir gently until just combined. The consistency should be that of a thick cake batter.2 large apples
- Transfer the mixture to a greased baking tin. You could use a paper liner instead of greasing the tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven (160C / 320F) for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out cleanly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then remove from the baking pan and peel away the paper. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- When creaming the sugar and butter together, have the butter at room temperature so that it mixes easily into the sugar.
- If possible use caster sugar so that the sugar dissolves more easily. You can substitute with granulated sugar.
- If you don't have an electric hand mixer, you can use a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease! Beat until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture.
- When mixing in the milk and flour, stir only enough to incorporate the flour - don't over mix or beat at this stage or you will knock all the air out.
- Likewise when mixing in the pecan nuts and the grated apples. Stir them in gently.
- When baking do not open the oven door until at least 10 minutes before the end of the baking time or you run the risk of the cake sinking in the middle.
- Test that the cake is fully cooked by inserting a wooden toothpick or skewer into the thickest part of the cake. If the cake is cooked the toothpick will come out with no batter clinging to it. If there is still batter on the toothpick, bake the cake for a further 5 minutes and test again.
- Once cooked, the top of the cake should be golden brown and feel firm to the touch.
- If you find the cake is browning too quickly cover the pan loosely with a sheet of tin foil.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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VJ
This cake has a super moist texture!