This Southern Orchard Apple Cake Recipe Is Perfect For Fall Baking

by Esme Addison

My mother collects old cookbooks and recipes from family and friends. She’s done it for as long as I can remember. And today, I’m sharing one of the oldest.

We’ve had this apple cake recipe in our family for over 40 years, given to her by a co-worker name Frances Mallard. It’s the traditional southern-style apple cake baked in a square pan and topped with decadent cream cheese frosting. We make this at least once during the fall.

I think this is the perfect way to make use of all those apples picked at the orchard this fall. And if you canned apples for future use, this is a great time to open up one of those sweet smelling jars.

When I make this cake, I use this recipe as a base but employ a few tweaks. This recipe doesn’t specify how to chop the apples, but I like to keep my apples chunky, I use refined coconut oil or salted butter. Butter just makes everything taste better, doesn’t it? And the salt brightens the flavors of the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Unsalted butter is fine too. Some people don’t like salted butter in recipe which is fin! If this is you, unsalted butter works just add a pinch of salt to the batter. Nuts (the type is not specified in the recipe) are in this recipe. Pecans are in season in the fall in North Carolina, and are a perfect complement to the apples so pecans are my choice for this cake. Although, walnuts would also work.

I lightly toast my pecans to add a little complexity to the flavor profile before adding them to the batter. You can also spice or find pre-spiced pecans with cinnamon, nutmeg, etc which can take this cake to another level. It’s your choice.

Lastly, I always use all natural organic ingredients for the best result. You can also make this cake in round layers if you desire. But the look of the flat sheet cake provides a nice rustic, down-home esthetic to this autumn-licious cake.