By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 1, 2026
Serves 12
280 cal · 75 min
Apple Cake
Recipe GLPR29bb2ba3dfe22a
A tender, buttery cake topped with fresh apple slices and a glossy apricot jam finish. The bright lemon zest enhances the fruit flavor while the eggs and butter create a moist, delicate crumb. Perfect for afternoon tea or a simple dessert.
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Ingredients
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 teaspoons sugar for topping
1/2 cup apricot jam
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing the interior.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter and 3/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated and smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted flour and baking powder. Add this dry mixture to the butter mixture along with the grated lemon zest. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, spreading it evenly.
Arrange the peeled and sliced apples on top of the batter in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over the apple slices.
Place the pan in the preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 1 hour, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly in the pan. Once cool enough to handle, carefully release the springform and transfer the cake to a serving plate. While the apples are still slightly warm, brush them generously with the apricot jam to create a glossy finish. Cool completely before serving.
Comments
Every ingredient is standard grocery stock at any Charlotte chain—butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, lemon, apples, and apricot jam pose no sourcing problem. At roughly 70 cents per serving, the cost is reasonable for a cake, though the per-serving math improves only if you actually cut it into 12 pieces rather than treating it as a 4-person dessert. The stated 75 minutes honestly accounts for mixing and baking, though cooling to serve is not included; realistically add 30 minutes if you want to eat it the same day. This is a sturdy, no-fuss cake that reheats well and feeds a crowd, making it strong for a weeknight dessert or potluck, though it's neither fast enough for a weeknight surprise nor particularly seasonal to North Carolina.
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