I Tried Reddit's Beloved Apple Cake from the 1950s, and Now I Understand Why It’s Been a Staple for 70 Years

Apple pie might get more glory, but I’ve been on a serious apple cake kick lately. Spurred on by the easy and comforting recipes our Test Kitchen keeps tempting me with (I’m looking at you, Slow Cooker Apple Dump Cake, 3-Ingredient Apple Spice Cake, and Apple Snack Cake!), ever since summer shifted into fall, it has been rare for a week to go by with at least one apple cake remix on my menu. I agree with BHG fans who declare these Test Kitchen creations “absolutely delicious” and “so tasty,” but I’m never opposed to adding more variety to the dessert line-up. 

Apparently, the internet gods must have been privy to my apple cake custom, because while looking for something totally different on Reddit, I fell down a rabbit hole and landed on a r/Old_Recipes subreddit thread about a retro “Fresh Apple Cake.” Luckily, my fridge is constantly stocked with my favorite fruit.

How to Make Reddit’s Retro Apple Cake

“Theknittedgnome” (aka Tera) found a typewriter-chronicled family heirloom recipe in her collection, and shared it on Reddit about 5 years ago. She estimates that the Fresh Apple Cake was added to her family’s repertoire in the 1950s. Thanks to Tera, to this day, home bakers like me are recreating it in their own kitchens to carry on the 70-year tradition. Here’s how to make Fresh Apple Cake:

1. Mix the batter. In a large bowl, sift all-purpose flour with sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in finely diced apples, chopped walnuts, softened butter, and eggs. Stir until just combined, keeping in mind that the cake batter will (and should!) be thick.
2. Bake the cake. Grease a 9- x 13-inch pan. Pour in the apple cake batter and bake at 325°F for 1 hour, or until the top of the cake springs back when you press it with a clean finger.
3. Cool and serve. Allow the cake to cool a bit on a wire rack or counter, then slice into squares and serve warm; dusted with powdered sugar and topped with ice cream or whipped cream if you like.

Tips for Making Apple Cake

True to its era, the instructions for this cake recipe are streamlined; expecting a base level of ingredient and baking intel. Although I didn’t find it difficult or confusing to follow, a few more specifics might be helpful—even for fairly experienced bakers. 

• Don’t overmix. Stirring cake batter for an extended period of time can cause extra elastic gluten strands to form. This is ideal for recipes like sourdough bread, where the elasticity lends structure and allows the bread to rise to the occasion. No wonder many yeast and sourdough-based recipes call for kneading! But with cakes (as well as pancakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads), this can come across as gummy, tough, or dense. As soon as the flour is incorporated, stop stirring.
• Opt for baking apples. The best apples for pie are the same kinds that work well in cakes. Skip Fuji, Red Delicious, and Gala apples, which tend to break down when exposed to heat. Instead, try crisp, sweet-tart varieties like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady—or a mix of two or three of those types.
• Try the toothpick test. Pressing the top of the center of a cake is a quick and easy trick to estimate if the batter is cooked through—and is the best way to test for doneness in lighter cakes like sponge or chiffon cake. But with more traditional cakes or pound cakes, I’ve found that even when it seems to bounce back, the base of the cake might still be a little underdone. To ensure a cake like this is baked, I generally rely on the toothpick test. Take a toothpick, skewer, or knife, and insert it into the center of the cake. If the surface appears clean when you remove it, remove the pan from the oven. Notice any wet batter along for the ride? Give it a few more minutes.
• Consider another fat. We’re big fans of butter here at BHG, and that type of fat results in richly-flavored cakes. Although you’ll sacrifice a bit in the flavor department, swapping in a neutral oil leads to a longer-lasting, tender, and moister cake. Feel free to trade in an equal amount of something like avocado oil or vegetable oil if you plan to enjoy this cake over the course of a few days.
• Frost it. The directions for this 1950s apple cake recipe suggest keeping things simple, with a dusting of powdered sugar and an optional dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. For breakfast, I might serve this unadorned. However, if this is hitting the table as dessert, I’d recommend topping it with Powdered Sugar Icing, Caramel Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting for a little extra decadence.

The Verdict on This Apple Cake Recipe

In less than 15 minutes, I had this easy cake recipe ready for the oven. Over the course of the next hour, I was tempted with the best air freshener: the aroma of warm baking spices and apples, which had me counting down until I could savor a square. The wait was worth it, as the finished product was extremely moist and tender, with a texture that fell somewhere between a pound cake and typical birthday cake.

The pockets of moist, sweet apples and chewy, salty walnuts made each bite a surprise—and infused enough nutrition that I didn’t feel bad about trying to pass this off as part of a balanced breakfast. 

I can taste why this Fresh Apple Cake has been a staple in families for decades, especially as a way to use up surplus fruit after a visit to the orchard. Still, I can envision this working equally as well with other nuts, like pecans, and alternative fruits, such as pears. In the future, I might try apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon alone to layer in even more cozy flavors. No matter what you fold in, if you’re enjoying this apple cake for dessert, I highly recommend serving it a la mode and with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Because apple pie shouldn’t be the only one to get that star treatment!