Apple Traybake

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This Apple Traybake is sharp, tender and packed with flavours you’ll want to keep tasting. It’s a wonderfully simple recipe for a tasty fall treat that’s ideal for anyone who loves apples.

I’m a summer person. I’m definitely not one of those folks who adores autumn.

Although I can see why people love the attractive colours, the build-up to Christmas, and the children heading back to school, I can’t stand the cold. I always end up with an awful September cold, and day-to-day life feels tougher.

Still, I really enjoy apples and desserts made with apple flavour, and those are perfect for autumn. A spiced apple traybake, in particular, feels comforting, brings warmth, and tastes amazing.

You can even enjoy it hot for proper comfort food.

What Makes This Apple Traybake Cake So Great?

This apple tray bake is one of my go-to cake recipes. It’s so good because:

• It’s incredibly tasty.
• The method is straightforward.
• Fresh apples bring delightful tangy bursts.
• They also help keep the crumb wonderfully moist.
• If you’d rather, you can leave out the cinnamon.
• You could throw in other spices too, such as nutmeg.
• Apple puddings are the ideal summer comfort food.

What Exactly Is a Dorset Apple Cake?

A Dorset apple cake is simply a regional apple cake recipe. This could be a Dorset Apple Traybake, yet I’m not a true traditional cook. I usually just toss things in, so I’m sorry if this isn’t a genuine Spiced Dorset Apple Cake!

Ingredients for This Apple Traybake Recipe

You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post, but whenever I make apple traybake, I use:

Cooking Apples

Lemon Juice– This helps prevent the apples from browning while you mix the cake batter. You can use freshly squeezed or bottled.

Margarine– Unsalted butter also works perfectly. Just be sure it’s at room temperature.

Light Brown Soft Sugar– Golden caster sugar is fine as well. Muscovado sugar is another possibility, but I haven’t tested it myself.

Eggs

Vanilla Extract

Milk– Use semi-skimmed or whole milk, whichever you normally have.

Self Raising Flour

Baking Powder– I don’t usually include baking powder with self-raising flour, but apple slices are quite weighty, so I think the batter benefits from a little extra lift.

Cinnamon

Demerara Sugar

You’ll Also Need

You’ll need a large bowl, a whisk (hand or otherwise) and a brownie tin lined with baking paper that you can reuse.

My brownie tin is about 10 inches by 8 inches, and this recipe creates a fairly tall cake. You can use any deep baking tin, but if your cake turns out thinner, you’ll want to shorten the bake time to make up for it.

Is This an Apple and Cinnamon Traybake?

Yes—mine is an apple and cinnamon traybake. However, you can skip the cinnamon if you prefer an unspiced apple sponge tray bake.

What Type of Apples

Should You Use?

I opt for Bramley apples in my simple apple traybake, since they’re large and deliver a bolder flavour. They’re ideal for baking.

Any apples with a slightly sharp taste will also work nicely. Granny Smiths are a good choice, though I wouldn’t pick something very sweet, because it will fade in flavour while they bake.

How to Make Apple Traybake – Step-by-Step Instructions

Apple traybake cake is incredibly straightforward to put together. You can find the complete instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the end of this article.

Step One – Prepare the Apples

Peel, remove the core, and cut the apples into thin slices. I split them into eighths first, then slice each section carefully into about 4/5 thin pieces.

Transfer the slices to a bowl and coat thoroughly with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Step Two – Prepare the Tin

I line my tin with reusable baking paper. If you’d rather, you can grease it with butter or margarine.

Step Three

Heat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted, or 180 if not).

Step Four

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the margarine or butter with the brown sugar until the mixture turns smooth.

You can use a hand whisk or an electric one—it only takes roughly a minute.

Step Five

Add the eggs, vanilla and milk, then whisk thoroughly.

The mixture may look like it’s split a little, but that’s fine. It will come back together once you add the flour.

Step Six

Mix in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, whisking just until smooth. Don’t overdo it—stop as soon as there are no lumps left.

Step Seven

Tip in half of the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

Step Eight

Add a thin layer of apples.

Step Nine

Add the remaining batter and spread it out evenly.

Step Ten

Layer the rest of the apples on top in another thin set, then sprinkle over the demerara sugar.

Step Eleven

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top turns a lovely golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step Twelve

Let it cool completely in the tin, then tip it out and slice.

Will the Apples Sink?

Yes, they will sink slightly. That happens with most bakes. That’s why you add the apples in two layers. However, if you cut them quite finely, avoid overlapping, and include baking powder in the batter, you shouldn’t get a layer of apples at the base with none elsewhere.

And if, for any reason, they don’t stay put, turn it over and simply call it an apple upside-down cake.

Decorating Apple Traybake

I don’t decorate my apple cake in any special way. The apple slices on the surface already look fantastic, so I don’t see any reason to add more.

If you’re craving a toffee apple traybake, you could drizzle over some toffee sauce.

What to Serve with Apple Cake

You can serve squares of apple traybake as they are. It’s especially tasty when served warm with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Enjoying warm apple traybake with ice cream is such a treat.

My daughter enjoys it with custard.

Other Apple Recipes

If you like this recipe, you may also want to try:

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