A classic Swedish Apple Cake (Äppelkaka) is a cozy, rustic dessert that’s somewhere between a cake and a crumble—soft, buttery, and filled with warm spiced apples. It’s simple to make and absolutely delightful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of custard.
🇸🇪 Traditional Swedish Apple Cake (Äppelkaka)
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 3–4 medium apples (firm and tart like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional, but very Swedish!)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar (for the apples)
Cake Batter:
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
Optional Topping:
- Pearl sugar or sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan or deep cake pan.
- Prepare the apples:
Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly. Toss them with lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar. Set aside. - Make the batter:
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Mix in vanilla. - Dry ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. - Assemble the cake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange apple slices in a spiral or scattered pattern on top, slightly pressing them into the batter. Sprinkle with pearl sugar or almonds if using. - Bake:
Bake for 45–55 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if apples start to brown too quickly. - Cool & serve:
Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve warm with vanilla sauce (vaniljsås), whipped cream, or ice cream.
- This cake keeps well at room temp for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4.
Would you like the vanilla sauce recipe to go with it?