If you’re looking for a healthier way to enjoy homemade cake, this no-sugar apple cake is the perfect recipe. Naturally sweetened by juicy apples, it has a wonderfully moist texture and warm, comforting flavour without any refined sugar. Whether you’re serving it with a cup of tea, packing it into lunchboxes, or enjoying it as a wholesome dessert, this easy apple cake is proof that simple ingredients can create something truly delicious.

This is a very easy, quick, and healthy apple cake, made without any added sugar, relying only on the fruit’s natural sugars to sweeten it. For this reason, it is much easier to digest, and you can taste the real cake flavours.

It’s a great, healthy recipe that children will love helping make and eat! Perfect for the autumn apple season and all year round, you only need 2 or 3 apples.

Why is fruit the best substitute for sugar?:

Fruit is one of the best ways to naturally sweeten baked goods because it brings much more than sweetness to a recipe. Apples, bananas, dates, pears, and other fruits contain natural sugars that develop rich, caramel-like flavors when cooked, creating a gentle sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the palate. Unlike refined sugar, fruit also adds moisture, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, helping cakes and desserts stay tender and satisfying.

When fruit is baked, its natural sugars concentrate, and its flavours deepen, resulting in a delicious sweetness that feels wholesome and balanced. This makes fruit-sweetened treats an excellent choice for those looking to reduce refined sugar while still enjoying comforting homemade baked goods. The natural moisture in fruit also helps create soft, moist cakes with a wonderful texture, often reducing the need for additional fats or sweeteners.

A slice of Apple Cake on a plate with apple slices and raisins.

Ingredients:

4 Apples
2 handfuls of raisins
1 tsp Cinnamon, and some extra to sprinkle.
1 tsp Vanilla extract
200 grams of wholemeal spelt flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
60 grams of oil (any oil you like, I use organic rapeseed oil)
2 eggs

How to make the Apple Cake recipe:

Start by preheating the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease A 23 cm (9″) cake tin with oil or butter, or use baking paper.

Pieces of apples in a saucepan with water, cinnamon, and raisins.

Cut 3 of the apples ( the last apple goes on later) into small pieces and put them in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover them.

Add a pinch of salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and raisins.

Cook for about 20-25 minutes at very low heat, or otherwise the apples might burn. Checking occasionally.

Cookes apples and raisins in a bowl, and with spelt wholemeal flour.

Once cooked, transfer the apple mixture to a large bowl and mash it with a whisk or masher. You can also use a food processor to mash them.

Then add the whole-wheat spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, egg, and mix.

Transfer the mix to a cake tin.

Apple Cake in a tin with apple slices on it.

Use the last apple to cover the entire cake with apple slices, sprinkle some cinnamon and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool down for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or plate.

Apple Cake with slice almond and honey on top.

You can sprinkle grated toasted almonds and honey on top of the apples when you take it out of the oven.

Enjoy with honey, plain yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, whipped cream or date syrup.

Notes:

You can expiriment with any warm spices.

You can use butter instead of oil, but put the same amount you use for flour.

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.