Cinnamon-Apple Cake

I have been making this cake for years with a few modifications. The original recipe was published in 1997 and margarine was often called for back then instead of butter. Use butter! I up the chopped apples to 4 cups, use 1/3 fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), only 1 cup sugar in the cake itself, and keep the 1/4 cup in the topping. I'll often make a half cake in a 7" springform pan or 5x7 pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. It's delicious and plenty sweet.

After reading so many positive comments, I am planning to make this for the first time. I normally don’t use margarine or non-fat cream cheese. I would prefer to opt for buttter and full fat cream cheese. Is there any particular reason these ingredients weren’t used in this recipe? I am not interested in saving calories. After all it’s dessert.

Very moist and crumbly. Will absolutely make it again. There was a suggestion to add chopped nuts to the batter, but I forgot, so I added it to the topping with the cinnamon sugar sprinkle. It tasted great!

Has anyone ever substituted butter for the margarine?

this cake was so good! i did a couple of things slightly differently- i used unsalted butter instead of margarine (i added another 1/4 tsp of salt), and i doubled the vanilla.
i baked it in an 8×3 cake pan for about an hour and 10 minutes. delicious! oh- i used gala apples, as that's what i had.

I've been using this recipe for course to three years now and it has never disappointed. It's simple, has basic ingredients and it's such a delight!

This cake was flavorful, moist, and kept for several days. I had one “you’ve gotta use this now” greening apple in my fridge, and only 3 oz of fat-free cream cheese left. Time for pandemic baking! I cut the recipe in half, which worked well for the two of us, and reduced the baking time to 50 minutes. This recipe is a keeper.

This cake is so moist and delicious and has become a family favorite .I used butter instead of margarine.I also substitute Neufchatel cream cheese for the fat free cream cheese and only used 4oz. Being a Cooking Light recipe, I am surprised with the amount of sugar. I cut the sugar to 1 cup total, and the cake is very tender and plenty sweet.

Hi Sue,

You might want to try one or more of these calorie/fat saving substitutions: 1- Use Egg Beaters instead of whole eggs.

2- Use 1/2 cup of apple sauce (it's an apple cake after all) instead of margarine or butter.

3- Cut the sugar amount in the batter down to 1 cup or replace some or all of it with a sugar substitute. There are various sugar free/sugar blends packaged especially for cooking, some with brown sugar. There are even stevia blends. Look for store brands, just as good and can save you a nice bit of cash.

Good luck

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. But as a lifetime Weight Watcher, is there anyway for the CL staff to work to try and cut the calories? Would love to be able to have a healthier recipe!

omg this must make amazing pancakes! brilliant!

I really liked this as is for the many reasons people have already described and you will enjoy it too if you follow the recipe to a T. The only change I made on the first go was to use 1/3-reduced fat cream cheese and butter instead of margarine as many have done. I cut my apples into 1/2 inch chunks and used Pink Lady. They were not too sweet at all, but I agree Granny Smiths would also work, depending on your mood. However, I think with a few tweaks it would be truly outstanding. 

First off, I live at 5,500 feet in Superior, CO above Boulder, and I can report I had *no altitude problems as written*. The cake rose perfectly and did not fall. Every high altitude book I've read says try recipes as written before you assume they need adjustment. Many will surprise you. I think due to the fruit and the thickness of the batter and the density of the finished cake, it didn't have altitude problems. So yay!

Second, I have had several bad experiences with cakes containing fruit not cooking all the way through in the time indicated so I cooked a full 1h 10 min. in my 9-in. springform. Cake was done. However, as others have noted, the crust was very brown -- browner than I prefer. I'm going to try gradually reducing the cook time by 5 minute increments and see if I can improve on that problem without getting an underdone cake.

Finally, I thought the cake was very sweet too but before I reduce the sugar (which I still may), I am going to try doubling the salt to 1/2 t. I think this cake could use a little more and it helps things taste less cloying. Other suggested changes: Increase apples to 4 cups (agree with others on that). Add 1/2 t. cardamom (think this could be really good) or nutmeg to cinnamon sugar. Add 3 T. of spice mixture to apples instead of 2 (I think it would be nice to still have some on top but agree as written it is too much -- ends up as a pile of sand on top of the finished cake). And to improve nutrition, substitute half or all of AP flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Enjoy!

I have been making this recipe since it was first published in the magazine. It's one of my favorite things I've ever gotten from Cooking Light, and pretty much everyone who's ever tried it goes crazy for it.

I've always done it with butter instead of margarine, generally use Neufchatel cheese (aka "1/3 less fat cream cheese") and don't actually measure the apples--so I'm pretty sure I usually wind up with a bit more than specified. Otherwise just as written. I can't imagine what's happening with the handful of people who say theirs was dry, because this is so insanely moist it's difficult to cut even with a serrated knife.

One thing as I age is I'm starting to not like things quite as sweet as I used to. I'm glad to see others here have had success cutting back the sugar. I'll have to try that next time I make this, because it definitely is a very sweet cake.

This is a heavenly cake, but I was able to cut the sugar in half. I use 2/3 of a cup in the dough, 1 tbs for the apples and another tbs for the cake top. Also, used Cortland apples, vanilla yogurt instead of the cream cheese and half of the fat (I use real butter). Lastly, I made this as a cake as well as muffins. Both come out great! 

This is a really yummy cake. Minor changes  . . . I used Granny Smiths* and less of the sugar/cinnamon on top. 

* I always use the tartest apples I can find for pies and cakes. It's the contrast of tart apples and the sweetness of sugar & cinnamon that makes a great pie or cake. Too many bakers -- both home bakers and bakeries -- make these way too sweet. Ugh!!!

When baking with fat free ingredient the fat is replaced with either more  sugar and salt or both. Ideally its better to use reduce fat  instead of non- fat because it implements moisture to the batter. If you need to reduce the fat content of batter. THE oil; it can be substituted with a one to one ratio of oil and unsweetened applesauce. I  use this method for cake or bread batter to replace large amounts of oil. I hope this helps.

I make this cake in all shapes and sizes. Very adaptable to mini muffins, the full size cake, and every size in between. A great go to recipe for many occasions. Always take copies of the recipe - I promise someone will ask for It!

So what you're saying is, this cake desperately needed to be improved?

I love this recipe and have made it several times.  Like others here, I modified it because I felt it wasn't moist enough the first time I made it.  I replaced margarine (!) with real butter (also tried with 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil, came out great), used 8 ounces of cream cheese instead of 6 and cut the sugar down to 1 cup and cinnamon to just 1 tsp.  Americans add too much cinnamon in desserts and I find it overwhelming so 1 tsp worked great.  Delicious as a dessert and for brunch the next day morning.   Top it with some whipping cream or creme fraiche.  

Okay, so I read the ingredients and thought, 'This sounds awesome.'  I have to admit that the idea of voluntarily putting margarine into my children's dessert made me immediately think, 'I need to swap that out.'  If you have an allergy to coconut, I have to apologize now for telling you about this incredibly delicious swap.  I made an even swap of coconut oil which is a solid at room temperature.  I also made the recipe in muffin pans because it's just easier with toddlers.  The coconut oil made this awesome recipe even better.  I love my apple muffins.  I also swapped out the apples for granny smith and put almost twice as many in.  I always do granny smith for baking and I always put more of the fruit/veggie/nut.  I could never have enough.  Thank you for this delicious dessert. 

I made this cake this morning and it was a success with my family. the only thing i have changed in the recipe is the sugar...i think that 1 3/4 cup of sugar is too much so i just used 3/4 cup for the cake and 1/4 for the apples...and it come FANTASTIC!!!!!!!  thank you!!!

I had some apples that were getting too ripe so decided to try this. I made lots of changes due to other reviews and WOW. Delicious. I put 8 oz. cream cheese, 4 cups of apples, put all the sugar/cinnamon on apples. Changed the temp to 325. Cooked 1 hr. Removed from oven and sprinkled a topping of pecans, brown sugar a little cinnamon and 1/4 stick of butter. I let it bake for 10 or 15 more minutes. Very moist. will definitely make again.

Big disappointment. Average tasting coffee cake. Will not make again.

Delicious! I made some changes though. I don't buy margarine, I use real butter. I also couldn't find fat free cream cheese so I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese (neufchatel). This makes 12 servings, so I don't think that makes that much of a difference calorie wise. I use Granny Smith apples. I cook mine in a bundt pan. I spray with cooking oil, then sprinkle in some of the cinnamon sugar mix. Next I add half of the batter without the apples in it. It's thick, you need to spread it around. I put the apples in next, then the rest of the batter followed by the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Does not dry out, very moist and looks awesome!

Wow! I made this tonight and it was awesome. I actually kind of messed the recipe up a little as I put the whole mix of the cinnamon sugar on the apples instead of the two tablespoons (my mistake) and put it into the batter. Once that was done I could not take it out. So, I made an additional smaller batch of the cinnamon sugar to put on top of the batter once I poured it into the spring form pan. I thought it might be too sweet once it was done but it wasn't. It's delicious and a keeper.

This is an absolutely awesome cake! My family loves it. I make one a week.

Great combo of easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand and great taste. I rarely give five stars so this is a good rating for me.

I made this cake to bring to a dinner party. Everyone raved about it, and now the kids are arguing about who gets the very last slice! I big hit with all.

Followed the reciped exactly except used full fat cream cheese. It was delicious and a huge hit with friends. Would consider using less cinnamon/sugar mixture on top and mix more into the apples.

the batter was super thick and dry. i measured the ingredients exactly. what did i do wrong??

I made this once and found it to be very dry. I made it again using butter and regular cream cheese. That was a real winner!

Delicious! Made this twice, once for work and one for Thanksgiving dessert. Everyone who tried it thought it was delicious! It's tasty, light, and quite moist. Best of all, it's easy to make.

This was very good! Light, moist, and dense with apples. The cinnamon sugar crust is delightful! I will certainly make this again - it's a great way to use up apples about to turn.

This has been a no-fail recipe for the past few years. It is so delicious as a dessert or as a breakfast cake. I generally use low-fat cream cheese and I use the whole block (8oz). I use mainly Cortland apples because they are my favorite. Just awesome!

I have been making this delicious cake since the recipe was published in 1997. Every time I make it for guests they are amazed it's from Cooking Light since they think it's a high fat, unhealthy cake. I've even had people comment that they thought it was purchased from a bakery! This is one cake that is moist, delicious and looks amazing!

I made this cake for my household and it was awesome!! I made it for work and everyone loved it. I will now be baking it forever for everything I can. I baked mine in a 9" spring form pan for 50 mins. I also did not cover the top with as much cinnamon sugar as the recipe calls for because its just too much for my taste. I used the same amounts of full fat cream cheese and real butter. I also used granny smith apples because I prefer it. I think any apple like a granny smith, honey crisp or a pink lady works great. It came out perfectly moist and had a nice crust on top. This cake is a definite for any recipe box. I honestly do not understand people who give it anything less than 5 stars. It is easy to make and people love it!

no good

This was SO delicious. It will be my new go-to recipe! I used full fat cream cheese because that's what I had on hand and baked it in a 9-inch round cake pan (took 5 minutes of the cooking time as stated). It was perfect. Tastes like a delicious moist coffee cake.

I made this for a get together last night and oh my goodness, it was wonderful! This is the new apple cake recipe I will be using from now on! I couldn't find fat free cream cheese, so just used 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and like another reviewer, used all 8 oz. instead of keeping the 2 left over. My 2 apples were large and made about 4 cups, so I used all of them. I used butter instead of margarine and baked it in a 9 inch springform pan, cutting back 5 minutes of baking time. Everything worked wonderfully and everyone seemed to like it. I'll be making this again soon.

This is my first ever German Apple Cake and I love it! It's so moist and rich with cinnamon. The sweetness and the little sourness of the apple blend perfectly. I just have to put 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda and put ALL the cinnamon mix with the apples instead...other than that, it's superb. Thanks for this recipe, my family, friends and me love it! Sharing it now!

I can do it so can you. Easy repeat, highly recommended (see photos).

Pretty easy, made the house smell wonderful, and the family loves it. What could be better than that?

I fell asleep last night while this was in the oven. Baked at 350 for almost 2 hours and everyone still loved it. This is one infallible recipe!!

Everyone at work loved this. They devoured it in a couple hours.

Well, I'm about 3 years late, but Kathy19 if you're still reading, I tweaked this successfully for altitude (Boulder, CO) as follows: Subtract 1 tablespoon sugar, add 1 tablespoon flour, subtract 1/8 teaspoon baking powder, after all blended together but before adding the apples, add 2 teaspoons of water and blend well. Pour into an 8 inch spring form. Heat oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce to 350 and bake for another 55 - 65 minutes (check after 35 as I need to cover mine to be sure the top doesn't burn). Remove once cake has clearly shrunk from sides of pan & hope it doesn't fall! Mine hasn't yet with these tweaks but I still get anxious every time. Wonderful recipe.

This cake turned out so good! the cream cheese really helps make the cake moist ad deliciously full. LOVE it absolutely. It took me lesser baking time though....my cake was done in 20mins.

I love this cake! It's very tasty and moist... I made a few alternations... I subbed the cream cheese for vegan (dairy free) cream cheese and instead of butter I used coconut oil. Everything tasted wonderful! Next time I am going to try it will almond flour, to make it gluten free!!

I have made this many times and it is always a hit!

This is awesome! I have been making it since "97 as well. I use Earth Balance instead of stick margarine and have used non-fat or 1/3 less fat cream cheese (both are great) I do not peel my apples completely. Moist and delicious.

This cake is delicious! Try it for the holidays.

This is a wonderful cake! Was wary of the fat free cream cheese as I'm not a big fan, but it turned out perfectly. I found the cooking time to be less than the recipe called for also.

Delicious! I also didn't use all the cinnamon sugar the recipe called for and it still came out great. Next time I will use less. I will definitely keep this one on file!

I've made this before and it was fantastic. I did use 1/3 less fat cream cheese instead of fat free. I would like to use fat free but I've had issues using it for other baked goods in the past. Has anyone had a problem using fat free with taste or consistency?

I have been making this recipe since it came out in 1997. You do have to watch the cooking time, I have alway had to cook alittle bit longer but I don't always use the spring form pan. I have used cake pans, baked as muffins and even did a take on this with pancakes!! Huge Hit everytime I make it!!

Love this cake!!! if your thinking about making this, just do it!!! I have made it a few times and it comes out perfect every time! Taking it to a 4th of July party, didn't want to attempt apple pie :) Serving it with some vanilla ice cream, YUM!!! Just be sure to keep an eye on this cake while cooking. I have a HOT gas oven, used a 9 inch non stick springform and it was done in 55 minutes. I should have baked it at 325 because of the dark pan.

This cake is delicious. I made it for Easter brunch and everyone raved about it and wanted the recipe. I did not put all the cinnamon sugar on top and it was plenty sweet. I would use even less the next time.

Delish! Definitely a keeper and definitely a crowd pleaser.

This cake is wonderful! Very flavorful and moist!

Easy to make and tasty!

You have to make this cake! I use real butter instead of margarine and it cooks up a little faster. I add a little extra apple too! Your taste buds will thank you for it!

This cake turns out so moist and amazing! We've had it a couple of times and is always a HUGE hit for holiday parties or brunches!

This cake is so easy to make! So many friends and family have asked me for this recipe.

I thought this cake had little flavor. It was ordinary in my opinion. I wish I had not made it for one of my Thanksgivig desserts.

Made this cake today. So easy! Everyone liked it. We had it with some ice cream. It took about 55 mins for it to get ready. Smell is absolutely amaizing.

I followed this exactly and it is tasty. My only complaint is that the sides and bottom browned too much. It left a slightly burnt taste around the edges but the rest was wonderful. Not sure how I would fix that without undercooking the center. I used a 9" springform pan and did decrease the cooking time.

I have made at least fifteen of these cakes. They always turn out great and everyone always gives it rave reviews.

I decided to make this a little healthier, as I am in college, and my roommates are very health conscious (and because I wanted them to actually eat some, so I wouldn't have to eat the whole thing). I used half a cup of egg whites in place of the 2 eggs, vegetable oil in place of the butter, nonfat greek yogurt in place of the cream cheese, and unbleached all-purpose flour. I also used 4 medium sized apples, added a dash of nutmeg and replaced half of the white sugar with brown sugar. Our oven is a little wacky, so it only took 55 minutes for our cake to cook all the way through. It's delicious.The roomies and I love this cake!

Wow these reviews are no joke this cake is DELICIOUS! So moist and fluffy. I added more apples than what the recipe asked for and it's just so good! I'm definitely going to be making this for Thanksgiving as an alternate treat to apple pie. I served it with just a little vanilla ice cream and everyone ate it up.

Best cake EVER! I don't really even like cake but I LOVE this one! Just made 3 today for my son's teachers. Maybe I should have kept one for myself! Ridiculously moist... I used Macs and Corts because that's what I picked out of the orchard and like. Yummy!

i used butter and low fat cream cheese... to all of you out there... does the non fat cream cheese make it chalky in any way, or can you truly not tell? may give it a whirl next time!

Made this during our family vacation together. Even the kids liked it. I used Granny Smith apples and didn't change anything. A definite repeat.

One of my all-time favorites. I come back to this recipe again and again. Excellent for dessert or breakfast. Just the right balance of sweet, cinnamon and apple.

Great and easy!

I loved this recipe! I made it for my mom's 80th birthday, and she loved it!! She doesn't like chocolate. I will continue to make this for family and friends forever and ever!

I made this twice for different groups of people and everyone loved it. My sister asked me to make it again. It works equally well for brunch or dinner. I followed the recipe except for adding a little more cinnamon to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and I used Honey Crisp apples since I could not find Rome apples. It does not taste low fat. It's moist and very tasty.

This was very good. I made a few substitutions and it still turned out great. Instead of apples (I didn't have any on hand), I used 2 cups of blueberries. I also used 1/2 cup Splenda in place of a portion of the sugar. For the flour I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose. I think I will make a different kind of topping next time with a combination of brown sugar, flour and Brummel and Brown because the sugar/cinnamon topping didn't melt the way I would have liked during baking.

Very tasty. Baked only one hour in an 8x8 pyrex dish. Served with lowfat caramel ice cream to make it more dessert-like.Like some others I used most of the sugar-cinnamon on the apples and just a bit on the top.I think the cake was even better the next day.

It only took me about 30 minutes to prepare and start baking this cake. It was so easy! The cake itself was very moist and tasted wonderful. I brought it to a pot luck and it got rave reviews. I will definitely be making this again!

This is an awesome cake. Moist and delicous!! :) :) :)

will definetly make it again. it's approriate for everyday and or special occation. did not alter any ingredients. this is a delicious cake, moist and easy. will added to my collection.

Another thumbs up! Used honey crisps, and low fat cream cheese. Done in about an hour with a 9" springform. Light but moist. Almost tastes a tad like coffee cake.

This is one of my favorite recipes! In the fall/winter, I usually make it as written (sometimes I throw in a handful of Craisins). In the spring/summer, I substitute fresh blueberries for the apples and add freshly grated lemon peel (about 1 tbsp)everything less stays the same. Wonderful recipe.

I love this cake! Just made it once, and my husband loved it! I am making again tonight, and am going to increase the apples and try a brown sugar, oatmeal topping.

Does anyone know if this freezes well? Would love to make for the holidays in advance.

It's my favorite non-chocolate recipe from CL. I make it every fall when the Rome apples are available. Good to know you can sub with Fuji or Gala apples. It's hard not to eat the whole thing yourself! Can be a great breakfast/coffee treat or light dessert. Plan on taking to Thanksgiving dinner this year.

What is there left to say...INCREDIBLE! I used Honey Crisp apples an 9" springform pan. Because of the 9" pan it was more spread out and therefore done sooner - only 55 minutes, but my oven is usually 5 minutes fast. I'd check it around 55min - 1 hour. So good. I did decrease the suger by 1/4 cup as others recommended. Not missed. Next time I will try egg beaters and possibly a light butter? We shall see. It's so good as is, but if I can make it lighter without changing the taste, then I can justify making it more often. :)

I love, love, love this cake and have been making it for over ten years. Every Fall, this is the first recipe I reach for. Hooray for Apple Season!

not worth the hype! i followed it as written and it was nice and moist and yummy but lacking something really special to make it worth 5 stars.

Great cake..did not have 6 oz of cream cheese so I used an 1/4 cup sour cream to make up the 6 oz. It was very moist and a winner

I used the whole 8-oz of fat-free cream cheese because I didn't want the remainder to sit in the icebox. I used 3 jonogold apples and ended up with closer to 4c. of apples than 3. Everything else stayed as written, I cooked at 350 for 1 hour 10 minutes in the 8-inch springform pan. It turned out fantastically. This will be my apple cake standard from now on. It was really moist and so flavorful. Next time though I made add some pecans.

I have loved this cake since the first time I tried the recipe from Cookling Light. Over the years, it has become the most requested dessert I make. Delicious!! I do sometimes change the spices, adding a little nutmeg or allspice.

I think this is a very good cake. I used yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese and I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the flour required. The smell is incredible and it was wonderful with Braum's light vanilla ice cream!

I couldn,t wait to try this recipe, with all the great reviews it had. It was OK but not anything great. I have apple cake recipes much better than this one. I was really dissapointed in the fact that you couldn't even tell that there was cream cheese in it.

I have made this cake numerous times and it is yummy. It disappears quickly when I make it. Many people have asked for the recipe. I do increase the apples since we like more apples in the cake. In addition, I use 8oz of regular cream cheese. Definitely a keeper.

This is my favorite Cooking Light recipe. I make it at least once a month in the fall/winter months:)

This recipe is my second cinnamon apple cake in two days, the texture is moist and delicious, very easy, I would possibly up the apple content. My only dissapointment is that it has a very biscuit like crust, which is possibly from the moderate oven and long cook, I would consider dropping the temp for my oven and maybe keeping a close eye after an hour. Definitely will be a consistent bake in my house, and a proud bring along dessert for outings.

I made this into muffins. I halved the recipe to try it out and got 9 muffins. This cake is very moist and tasty and you can really taste the cheese, apples and cinnamon in it. Here are some great pictures on my blog: http://minameenah.blogspot.com/2010/07/awaited-cake-cinnamon-apple-cake.html

I can't wait to try this, but does anyone know how to convert it to high altitude?? Maybe add oil, cut down on baking powder? Anyone who has tried it in high altitude-I'd love to hear from you! Thanks!!

This was one of the best cakes I've ever had! I made it for my Bunco group and they raved, then I had one of the few pieces left for breakfast the next day and it's still amazing. I am going to make it again next week so I can try it when it's still hot from the oven. WOW!!!! I used Fuji apples too and they were wonderful. I also used a 9" springform pan and it was ready in an hour and 5 minutes and it's beautiful. The smell should be bottled!!