Apple olive oil cake is a moist single layer cake with fresh apples, warm spices and delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect easy but impressive recipe for any occasion!

Would you like to save this?
This moist olive oil cake with apples is soft, fluffy and full of warm fall flavors. It’s topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
This cake comes together quickly and is perfect for a small gathering! You can easily double the recipe for a larger crowd or decorate it if you’re feeling fancy!
I adapted this recipe from my reader favorite olive oil pumpkin cake! It’s made with applesauce and fresh apples instead of pumpkin!
For more delicious apple desserts, try my apple crumble cheesecake and apple and strawberry crumble!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich and moist– Olive oil adds to the delicious flavor, but it’s not overpowering. It also makes the cake extra moist and adds extra rich flavor like in my chocolate chip cookies with olive oil and cardamom and orange cake.
- Apple flavor- This cake is made with both applesauce and fresh apple!
- Cozy flavors- Apples and spices make the most delicious combination! Your house will smell amazing while baking this cake this apple season just like these apple and sour cream muffins and country apple fritter bread!
- Simple to make-This cake is easy enough to make on a weeknight.
- Perfect holiday recipe– This crowd pleasing cake is perfect for small gatherings. You can also double the recipe for bigger crowds!
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients for this olive oil apple cake.
- 1 cup chopped apples- You’ll need about 1 medium apple. Peel, core and dice the apple into small cubes. I prefer to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, but you can use any baking apple. Apples add both tart flavor and sweetness. For another delicious apple recipe, try my apple turnover recipe with phyllo dough.
- Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce.
- Olive oil- I recommending using a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil provides moisture and flavor like in my lemon olive oil rosemary cake. Your cake won’t taste like olive oil, but it’ll be moist and delicious.
- Spices- I use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.
- Eggs- 2 large room temperature eggs.
- Butter-Use unsalted, room temperature butter for the frosting.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, block style, room temperature cream cheese for the frosting.
Please see recipe card for a full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap in canola or vegetable oil in place of olive oil.
- Add some toasted, chopped nuts to the cake batter or sprinkle some on top of the frosting.
- In place of allspice or ginger, subsitute extra cinnamon.
- Dust a little cinnamon on top for a simple but pretty decoration.
- This cake is delicious without frosting too. Top it with a dusting of cinnamon and/or powdered sugar.
Instructions
Step 1: (Photo 1 above) Whisk to combine the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Whisk together the olive oil, unsweetened applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk or stir in the diced apple.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above) Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above) Pour into an 8 inch round cake pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above) Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar mixture.
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Once the cake has cooled completely, frost the cake.
Expert Tips
Tip # 1: Use unsweetened applesauce. Make sure not to grab sweetened applesauce by mistake.
Tip #2: Allow cake to cool completely. Cool cake completely before frosting. The frosting will melt if the cake is still warm.
Tip #3: Use room temperature cream cheese. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will give you lumpy frosting.
Tip #4: Use an offset spatula to frost the cake.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Double the recipe to make two 8-inch round cakes.
An offset spatula is the best tool for frosting cakes. It’s designed for spreading frosting.
Store the unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store the frosted cake covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze unfrosted cake for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Cream cheese frosting does not stand up well to freezing. It’s best to freeze the cake without frosting.
Did you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and 📝 comment below.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Apple Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Apple Olive Oil Cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup peeled chopped apples about 1 apple, Gala, honeycrisp, or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced into ¼ inch cubes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter toom temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese brick style, full fat, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Apple Olive Oil Cake
- Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line with a round of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Peel, core and diced the apple into ¼ inch cubes. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together til just combined the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in the chopped apples.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula or mixer to mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Place the cake pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife along the edge of the pan to make sure it is not sticking. Remove cake from pan. Make sure cake is completely cool before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until completely combined, creamy and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Turn mixer off and add the powdered sugar mixture. Beat on low until powdered sugar is no longer visible. Turn mixer to medium high and beat for one minute.
- Frost the cake right away or cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
sre
so good and so easy!!
Natalie
Thank you so much for making this cake and for your comment! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
Raven
Can this be gluten free if we substitute a gluten free flour for the regular flour?
Natalie
Hi Raven, I’ve heard from a lot of people who have made the pumpkin olive oil cake (a similar recipe) with a 1:1 gluten free flour, so it should work great in this recipe as well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love the cake!
Kellie
I made this last night and it was delicious!! Honestly, it would be good even without the frosting too! I brought it to work and it disappeared quick!! Will definitely make again!
Natalie
Hi Kellie! Your comment put such a big smile on my face! So happy you enjoyed this cake and you’re right it’s tasty even without the frosting 🙂 Glad it was a big hit at work and excited to hear you’re planning to make it again. Have a great week!! -Natalie
Melissa
This looks amazing!
What is a good substitution for applesauce? Can I use plain yogurt instead?
Also, what is the baking time for a 9″ pan instead?
Thank you!
Natalie
Thanks Melissa! I’m not sure about a subsitution for applesauce since unfortunately I haven’t tested anything in place of the applesauce here yet. I adapted this recipe from my pumpkin olive oil cake which calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree (rather than 3/4 cup of applesauce), so the pumpkin version is an option 🙂 For the baking time, I’d start checking for doneness at around 25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this cake!
Monica
You dont have the amount of powder sugar for the powder sugar listed in the recipe.
Natalie
Hi Monica, I’m sorry about that. I just updated the recipe with the amount of powdered sugar. It should be 2 cups. Thank you for pointing that out. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you enjoy this cake! 🙂
Alyssa
I’ve never had an olive oil cake before and this made me want to have it all the time! Such a delicious, moist cake recipe with the delicious bursts of apple flavour and tiny bit of crunch from the apples make this a recipe I will make over and over again. Top it with some icing and it’s even better!
Natalie
Thanks so much, Alyssa! I appreciate you trying this olive oil cake recipe and sharing your feedback. You described it perfectly and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!