Cinnamon Apple Cake

And to continue with this week's theme of "I make this every fall" in comes Cinnamon Apple Cake.  Now in the interest of full disclosure, this was published in Cooking Light about 13 years ago as a Hanukkah cake.  But the apples in it make me think of fall, so it is my go-to for the leaf-peeping time of year.   

It is light, it is moist and it is amazing.  I try something new with it almost every year and this  year I decided to use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese and it turned out perfectly!

The other thing I did this year was to use gala apples instead of my usual granny smith.  That will not happen again as I missed the slight tart note playing with the sweetness.  This is easy to make and I highly recommend it!


Cinnamon-Apple Cake (Adapted from Cooking Light)


1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup) (I used Greek yogurt)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large) (I prefer Granny Smith and I have never peeled them!)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.