• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • By Category
    • All Recipes
    • Bread and scones
    • Cakes, cookies and desserts
    • Curry Recipes
    • How to …..
    • Main Meals
    • Picnics and Barbeques
    • Sauces, dips and marinades
    • Savoury Treats
    • Sides and salads
    • Collections
  • By Ingredient
    • Beef
    • Cheese
    • Chicken
    • Fish and Seafood
    • Lamb
    • Mushrooms
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Recipes using vegetables
  • By Cuisine
    • British
    • South African
    • Asian inspired
    • Italian inspired
    • German inspired
  • The Calculator
  • Free stuff
  • Meet Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
Home » Cakes, Cookies and Desserts » Easy all in one apple cake tray bake – made with oil

Easy all in one apple cake tray bake – made with oil

Author: VJ Published : February 2020 Modified : May 2021 / 18 people have commented

Recipe Video
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Yummly
  • Twitter
  • Whatsapp

This all-in-one apple cake tray bake is the best apple cake recipe I have ever tried. As it bakes, the juice from the apples combines with the cake batter to form a delicious custardy inside. Combine this with cinnamon and plump juicy sultanas and you have the best apple cake ever!

A slice of apple cake tray bake with a fork.

**As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.**

Table Of Contents
  1. Easy apple cake tray bake
  2. What you need to make an all in one apple cake
  3. How to make an all in one apple cake
  4. What do I serve with apple cake
  5. Can I freeze apple cake?
  6. You may also like these other easy home bakes….
  7. Pin for later
  8. Recipe – Apple Cake tray bake
  9. Easy Apple Cake tray bake

Easy apple cake tray bake

What can I say about this easy apple cake tray bake? I could tell you that it is deliciously moist apple cake, with a creamy custardy filling, packed with apples, cinnamon and sultanas. Or I could tell you that it is such an easy to make apple cake that even a child could bake it. I could even tell you that it does double-duty, and you could serve it either as a cake or as a dessert.

But I’m not going to tell you any of those things. What I am going to tell you is that I have been making this easy apple cake tray bake for years, and I can safely say it has never failed once. I call it my one cup apple cake because you basically just need one cup of everything. It’s moist, it’s custardy and best of all it’s delicious.

It’s one of those recipes that everyone should have up their sleeve for when they need a quick cake in a hurry. Like for those times when hubby says ‘Did I tell you my mother is coming round or tea this afternoon?’ or when child number 2 says just before bedtime ‘But Mummy, I told you last week I needed a cake for school tomorrow‘. If you add this easy apple cake recipe to your repetoire you’ll never need to panic again.

The magic ingredient is a can of sliced apples. As long as you remember to keep this on your regular grocery list, you will be able to whip up this easy apple cake in 5 minutes and then relax while it bakes.

Closeup of the apple cake in a baking dish.

What you need to make an all in one apple cake

You can get the complete set of instructions and ingredients to make this apple cake from the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

You need 6 main ingredients. And they are so easy to remember. With the exception of the oil, you need one measure of each ingredient.

  • Sliced apples – 1 x 385g can. Don’t buy apple puree – that won’t work at all. You need nice firm apple slices.
  • Self-raising flour – 1 cup. Using self-raising flour means you don’t have to use baking powder. Of course, if you don’t have self-raising flour you just add 1 teaspoon baking powder for each cup of plain flour.
  • Sugar– 1 cup. You can use either granulated or caster sugar.
  • 1 large egg
  • Milk – 1 cup. Either full-fat or semi-skimmed is fine.
  • Oil – this apple cake is made with oil rather than butter, and this is the only exception to the 1 cup rule. You will need 25ml of sunflower oil. I have a Jaegermeister shot glass which is marked off at 25ml so I just use one of those 🙂
  • Cinnamon sugar -1 tablespoon. You could cheat and add a little more if you prefer a sweeter cake. You can make your own cinnamon sugar by mixing 1 cup of white sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon spice. Store it indefinitely in a screw-top jar in your cupboard. Cinnamon sugar is great for sprinkling on crepes or pancakes too.
  • Sultanas – 1 handful. You just need enough to sprinkle over the apples. If you don’t like sultanas you can leave them out.
A slice of apple cake on a plate with a fork.

How to make an all in one apple cake

Note – The batter for this cake is quite thin – much thinner than a normal cake mixture. Don’t worry if it seems too thin. As it sets around the apples it forms a custard-like filling which is moist and creamy – not a dry cake crumb in sight!

  • Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F
  • Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with a little butter. I sometimes forget this step and my cake has never stuck. To be honest I think the oil in the batter prevents the cake from sticking to the dish, but better safe than sorry!
  • The dish should be deep enough to hold both the apples and the batter.
Two images showing a dish of apple slices, and the dish of apple slices covered with cinnamon sugar and sultanas.
  • Open the tin of apples and arrange them in a layer on the bottom of the baking dish. You will find the apples float up during baking and distribute themselves throughout the cake.
  • Sprinkle the apples with a small handful of sultanas and then sprinkle with a tablespoon of cinnamon sugar

Mix the batter

4 images showing steps for mixing the apple cake batter.
  • I told you this was the easiest cake recipe ever. All you have to do is sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then add the sugar, egg, oil and milk. Whisk until there are no lumps, and that’s it. The batter is ready!
  • The batter will be very runny and much thinner than a normal cake batter. Don’t worry – this is perfectly normal.
  • Pour the batter over the apples in the baking dish.

Bake

Overhead shot of the baked apple cake.
  • Place the cake into the pre-heated oven (190C / 375F) and leave it for 40 minutes.
  • The cake will be cooked when it is firm to the touch. It should not jiggle when you press the middle of the cake with your finger. If it does jiggle, just leave the cake in the over for another few minutes, but keep your eye on it so it does not burn.
  • The surface of the cake should be nicely browned, with pieces of apple showing through.
  • When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and if your baking dish has a lid, cover with the lid. If you don’t have a lid on your dish, cover with a piece of tinfoil until the cake is cooled. This will help to make the top of the cake nice and gooey.

What do I serve with apple cake

This apple cake is so moist and tasty that it doesn’t really need anything with it. A single slice of this is perfect served as a tasty tea-time snack. The taste and texture remind me of a creamy Danish pastry.

If you want to make a dessert out of it, you could serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, or drizzle it with custard.

Can I freeze apple cake?

To be honest, I have never tried to freeze it. However, I have frozen cooked apples successfully before, so I don’t think there will be a problem.

If you want to freeze it, let it cool completely then remove it from the baking dish by sliding a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Place a large plate over the dish and invert it. The cake should drop down onto the plate.

Wrap the cake a layer of tin-foil and then wrap in cling-film and place in the freezer. It should keep for up to six months.

When you are ready to use it, remove the packaging and pop it back into the baking dish to defrost. Once defrosted you can either eat it cold (maybe served with a dollop of ice cream), or pop it into a hot oven for a few minutes to warm it. You can also warm it in the microwave.

You may also like these other easy home bakes….

  • Black Forest Trifle – a delicious chocolate dessert with black cherries and flavoured with cherry brandy
  • Citrus cheesecake with Greek Yoghurt – another quick and easy creamy dessert flavoured with oranges, lemons and limes.
  • Easy coconut pie – mixed in one dish, but separates into three distinct layers as it bakes.
  • Chelsea buns (or cinnamon rolls)

Or if these don’t appeal, why not browse all my dessert recipes or take a look this post for my 9 favourite dessert recipes.

If you’d like to be notified of any new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter. As a thank-you gift, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

Pin for later

Why not pin this recipe for apple cake to your pinterest board so you can make it later. Just click the image below.

Recipe – Apple Cake tray bake

A slice of apple cake on a plate with a fork.

Easy Apple Cake tray bake

This all-in-one apple cake tray bake is the best apple cake recipe I have ever tried. As it bakes, the juice from the apples combines with the cake batter to form a delicious custardy inside. Combine this with cinnamon and plump juicy sultanas and you have the best apple cake ever!
Recipe by: Veronica
Baking
Any
Calories 250
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 9 squares (sliced)
Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
Prevent your screen from going dark
4.70 from 10 votes

(Click the stars to rate this recipe)

Equipment

  • 8" x 8" Baking dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula or hand mixer
  • Measuring cups or kitchen scales

Ingredients

  • 14 ounce (385g) Can sliced apples
  • 1 cup self-raising flour 140g / 250ml
  • 1 cup sugar 200g / 250ml
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons (25 ml) sunflower oil
  • 1 cup milk 1/2 pint /250 ml
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar
  • 1 small handful sultanas

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F
  • Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with a little butter
  • Arrange the apples in a layer in the baking dish
  • Sprinkle with the sultanas and cinnamon sugar
  • Sift 1 cup flour into a mixing bowl and then add 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and 25ml oil
  • Add 1 cup milk
  • Whisk or mix with a spatula to remove combine all the ingredients and remove any lumps.
  • Pour the batter over the apples
  • Place the cake in the oven and bake for 40 minutes
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool covered with a lid or a sheet of tinfoil

Notes

You can leave the sultanas out if you don’t like them.
The cake batter is very runny and much thinner than a normal cake batter.  Don’t worry – it’s supposed to be!  It will set into a lovely custardy texture as it bakes.
The cake will be cooked when it is firm to the touch, and it should not ‘jiggle’ when pressed with your finger.  If it does jiggle, leave it in the oven for a few minutes longer until it is firm.
Nutritional information is based on cutting the cake into 9 equal squares.

Nutrition

Calories – 250kcal | Carbohydrates – 52.2g | Protein – 3.6g | Fat – 4g | Saturated Fat – 0.8g | Cholesterol – 21mg | Sodium – 22mg | Potassium – 154mg | Fiber – 2.8g | Sugar – 34.4g | Calcium – 40mg | Iron – 1mg

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.

Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I’d love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I’d love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you’d like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you. And don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

If you’d like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

This recipe has been shared with #CookBlogShare

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Yummly
  • Twitter
  • Whatsapp

Filed Under: All Recipes, Cakes, Cookies and Desserts

About VJ

In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

Previous Post: « How to make Scotch Eggs – it’s easier than you think
Next Post: Homemade Chelsea buns (Cinnamon Buns) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary

    5 August 2022 at 1:25 am

    Does one add the whole contents of the tinned apples – syrup included? I’ve just found your recipe and would love to make it, as I have a tin of apple slices in the cupboard.
    Looking forward to your reply.
    I live in Northern Ireland.

    Reply
    • VJ

      5 August 2022 at 6:57 am

      Hi Mary- there shouldn’t be a lot of syrup in a tin of apple slices (not like the amount you get in a tin of peaches for example). There is an image in the post showing the apples in a baking dish, and as you will see there is very little liquid. If there is a lot of liquid (ie syrup) in your tin of apples, then I would say ‘Yes, do drain it’. Excess liquid will make the batter too thin and the cake will not set. I normally buy apples in tins marked ‘apple slices’ or ‘pie apples’. Hope this helps.
      VJ x

      Reply
  2. Elena

    27 March 2021 at 5:03 am

    Can I use fresh 🍏? If so how many? Thanks

    Reply
    • VJ

      27 March 2021 at 6:22 am

      To be honest, I’ve never made this recipe with anything other than canned apples, and I’m not sure that fresh apples would cook through in the required cooking time.
      However, if you’d like to try then you will need the equivalent amount of freshly sliced apples, which would be about 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
      If you do make it with fresh apples I’d love to know how it turns out.
      Hope this helps.
      VJ x

      Reply
    • Elena

      27 March 2021 at 10:07 am

      I did go ahead with 3 fresh green apples. Like you suspected, the apple slices were not as soft as we would like them to be. I will try the recipe again with canned apples. Thanks for your prompt reply to my question.

      Reply
      • VJ

        27 March 2021 at 10:46 am

        Thank you for letting me know. Please do try it with canned apples – I’m sure you will love it 🙂

        Reply
  3. Kas

    28 September 2020 at 11:44 am

    I forgot the egg and it doesn’t want to set at all…. I’m so going to try this recipe again!

    Reply
    • VJ

      28 September 2020 at 4:23 pm

      Oh dear – please try it again with the egg this time. I promise you it will set 🙂

      Reply
  4. HoneyJsy

    23 May 2020 at 7:12 pm

    I’ve tried out the recipe! Tastes amazing, but my apples stayed stuck to the bottom. Any tips for making them more evenly distributed? Many thanks!

    Reply
    • VJ

      24 May 2020 at 5:45 am

      I’m pleased you enjoyed the cake, but sorry the apples didn’t distribute properly. There could be a number of reasons for this. The main one I can think of is the the batter may have been a little thick, the batter for this cake is supposed to be quite thin. Try reducing the flour by 1 tablespoon, or using extra large eggs or an extra tablespoon of milk. I find when I pour the batter over the cake the apples tend to rise up immediately.
      You don’t say where in the world you are living, but my baking is tested at sea level, and altitude does play a big part in baking. I have a post on high altitude baking that may be of interest if you live quite high above sea-level.
      I hope this helps.
      VJ x

      Reply
  5. Janice Pattie

    1 March 2020 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    That looks fantastic. just my kind of cake, quick, easy and tasty.

    Reply
    • VJ

      1 March 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Haha – yes – 5 minute mix tops – you can’t get quicker than that!

      Reply
  6. Corina Blum

    28 February 2020 at 6:42 am

    5 stars
    I love the fact that this cake has got cinnamon and sultanas in as well as the apples! It would make a very popular dessert in our house!

    Reply
    • VJ

      28 February 2020 at 9:15 am

      I’ve got to admit, it doesn’t last very long in our house either 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jenny Walters

    27 February 2020 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    I love apple cake and this one looks and sounds fabulous!!!

    Reply
    • VJ

      28 February 2020 at 9:14 am

      Thanks Jenny -the thin batter gives it a lovely creamy taste too, almost custardy!!

      Reply
  8. donna

    25 February 2020 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely my kind of treat. Perfect with lashings of custard. It looks fab.

    Reply
    • VJ

      25 February 2020 at 2:34 pm

      Thanks Donna, it is delicious with custard and so quick to make too.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to the Foodle Club

Hi, I'm VJ. Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years. More →

Lets Connect

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


See my Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

By subscribing you consent to receiving the Foodle Club newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest updates

Close up of a pan of Thai red curry sprinkled with coriander.

Thai red curry with chicken and prawns

A dish of sage and onion sausage stuffing balls with one cut in half.

Sage and onion stuffing with sausage meat

Close up of a lancashire hotpot showing the lamb under the potatoes.

Traditional Lancashire Hotpot (lamb hotpot)

5 vol-au-vents on a wooden plank.

How to make vol-au-vents

Easy steak and kidney pie with puff pastry

A roasted leg of lamb being carved into slices.

Minted Roast leg of lamb – with homemade gravy

Footer


See my Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

By subscribing you consent to receiving the Foodle Club newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time but the books will still be yours to keep.

In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

Copyright © 2023 Foodleclub.com