My apple cake cobbler has a thick layer of cinnamon-spiced Granny Smith apples under a buttery cake topping finished with coarse sugar. I like it messy and served warm with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Apple Cake Cobbler with a Soft Butter Cake Topping
My dad had a November birthday, so apple cake was always part of fall in our house. My mom made one he seriously loved, and it showed up around his birthday so many times that apple cake, apple picking and that time of year are still tangled together in my head.
Her apple cake was completely different from this one. It was more of a snack cake, something we sliced and ate at room temperature, while somewhere along the way I decided I wanted my apples hot, saucy and underneath cake with vanilla ice cream melting into everything. That’s how I like them.
Even though it’s different, this apple cake cobbler still reminds me of him, especially when I’m picking apples off my own trees and remembering him telling me not to climb so high on the orchard ladders. He’d use my full name, “Catherine,” when he was pleading with me to come down. That’s how I knew he was serious. I never listened.
Every fall I end up thinking about some variety of apple cake again. This one happens to have a lot more apples, a thick butter cake topping and no interest in being eaten in a neat square you can pick up with your hand.
The Decisions Behind This Recipe
- I really wanted a good amount of apples sitting on the bottom of this cake, which is why I use about 3½ pounds of Granny Smiths. I know it sounds like a lot for a 9×13-inch dessert, but once they’re peeled, cored and cooked, it gives me the amount of fruit I need for the saucy apple underbelly with buttery cake on top.
- I partially cook the apples before adding the cake batter because this much fruit needs a head start. I use the microwave to soften them enough to release some of their juice before they get to the oven. After I add the butter, brown sugar, spices, lemon juice and cornstarch, they go back in long enough for the liquid to begin thickening.
- I don’t want the apple filling fully cooked at this point. It still has close to an hour in the oven, so I’m looking for apples that have started softening but can make it through the second cook without turning to mush.
- The topping is a true butter cake batter, with no milk, cream or other added liquid. It’s much thicker than conventional cake batter, which is what I needed so I could spoon it over the apples and spread it across the surface without pouring batter down through the filling.
- I also let the apple filling cool somewhat before adding the cake batter. It doesn’t need to be cold, but I don’t want hot apples melting the softened butter in the batter before the cobbler gets to the oven.
- The turbinado sugar goes on last because the larger crystals stay visible after baking. The cake stays soft on the bottom, with a lightly crisp, golden surface.
Ingredients
- Granny Smith apples – I use 3½ pounds measured before peeling and coring. The 8–10 medium apples is only a shopping estimate because apple size varies so much. Granny Smiths can handle the microwave precook and the long bake without falling apart in the filling. Pippin apples are also a good substitute if you have them.
- Butter – The filling gets a small amount for richness, while softened butter forms the base of the cake topping.
- Light brown sugar – Sweetens the apples without overwhelming their tartness and adds a clear caramel flavor. If you’re out, make a batch of my homemade brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon + allspice – Cinnamon leads the way, while the smaller amount of allspice stays in the background.
- Fresh lemon juice – The acidity keeps the brown sugar and apples from tasting overly sweet once they’ve cooked down together.
- Cornstarch – Thickens the juice the apples release during the first cook, then continues thickening the filling in the oven.
- Granulated sugar – Creamed with the softened butter as the base of the cake topping.
- Eggs – Add richness to the cake topping and help give it its soft texture.
- Vanilla extract – Necessary.
- All-purpose flour + baking powder – These give me a true cake batter instead of a biscuit, crumble or streusel topping.
- Turbinado sugar – Sprinkled over the batter before baking, the larger crystals stay obvious on the surface and give the cake a lightly crisp top as it browns. Demerara sugar is fine here too.
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream – Optional in the technical sense. Warm cobbler with melting vanilla ice cream is how I want it, forever and always.
How to Make Apple Cake Cobbler
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (get the apples going)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Put the sliced apples in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave for 3–4 minutes. They should be starting to soften and giving off some juice, but don’t wait for them to get fully tender. They still have a long bake ahead of them. - Step Two (finish the filling)
Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, lemon juice and cornstarch to the apples and give everything a good stir. Cover and microwave for another 2–3 minutes, until the juices begin to thicken. Pour the apples and all of their juices into the prepared baking dish, spread them out and let them cool somewhat while you make the cake batter. - Step Three (make the cake batter)
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Mix in the vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick. It’s supposed to be, so if you’re looking at it wondering where the milk is, you didn’t forget anything. - Step Four (cover the apples)
Spoon the cake batter in several spots across the apple filling, then spread it out with a spatula. Starting with smaller spoonfuls makes this much easier than trying to drag one big mound of batter across the pan and taking the apples with it. You don’t need to hide every apple. Once the batter is spread, sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top. - Step Five (bake the cobbler)
Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the cake topping is golden and baked through. When you check it with a toothpick, pick one of the thicker areas of cake and only test through the topping. If you push the toothpick down into the apples, you’re going to pull up apple filling and convince yourself the cake isn’t done. - Step Six (give it a few minutes)
Let the apple cake cobbler sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. It’s going to be softer and saucier while it’s warm, and that’s how I like it. If it sits longer, the apple filling will thicken more. I serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and let the melting part take care of itself.
Recipe Tips
- Try to keep the apple slices thin and close in thickness. They don’t need to be perfect, but if some are paper-thin and others are chunky, they’re going to finish cooking at different times.
- The cake batter is thick enough that you have to spoon and spread it, and I use a large cookie scoop to portion it over the apples. Don’t add milk because it looks too thick. That changes the topping.
- If you serve it after about 10 minutes, it will be warm, messy and saucy like the photos. Let it sit longer and the apple filling will keep thickening. Both are right. I like the messy version of this cake. And most things.
- If you purchased turbinado sugar for this cake and want to keep sprinkling it on dessert, I also use it on my blueberry coffee cake for a crisp sugar crust. It gives a sparkly finish to my pumpkin brown sugar crunch ice cream and the lattice crust of my fresh cherry pie too.
Storage and Reheating
- Let the cobbler cool completely, then cover the baking dish tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- The apple filling gets much thicker once it’s cold, then loosens again as it warms. For individual servings, I usually use the microwave until warm. If I’m reheating a larger portion and want the cake topping to keep more of its texture, I use a 325°F oven until heated through.
- You can freeze the baked cobbler, but it isn’t my first choice if you know you’ll eat it within a few days. The apples soften more after freezing and thawing, and the cake topping loses some of the texture it has on baking day. If you do freeze it, cool it completely, wrap it well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 325°F oven until warm.
FAQs
- Can I make apple cake cobbler without a microwave?
Yes. Put the sliced apples in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat with a small splash of water, cover and cook until they’re beginning to soften and release some juice. Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, lemon juice and cornstarch, then cook for another minute or two until the liquid starts to thicken. You still don’t want the apples fully tender before they go into the oven. - Can I use a different kind of apple?
You can. If you substitute, use a firm baking apple that can handle the microwave cook plus another 50 minutes or so in the oven without turning to mush. Pippin would be my second choice. - Can I make the apple filling ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the filling earlier in the day, let it cool and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble the cobbler. I’d let it sit out briefly before topping so it isn’t refrigerator-cold going into the oven. I haven’t tested assembling the entire unbaked cobbler hours ahead, so I like making the filling ahead and adding the cake batter closer to baking. - Why is there still liquid around the apples when the cobbler is warm?
Because this filling is supposed to be saucy when it’s hot. The juices continue thickening as the cobbler cools. What you don’t want is thin, watery liquid that never thickened during the apple cook. Warm and spoonable is different from watery. - Do I need to peel the apples for apple cake cobbler?
Yes. With 3½ pounds of apples making up such a large part of the cobbler, I peel them so the filling stays soft and saucy without apple skins throughout it. I wouldn’t skip this step.
From My Kitchen Notes
Small observations from the margins.
- I like things that know what they are, even if they’re two things at once.
- Two things staying themselves while becoming something together is an attractive combination.
- Confusion and complexity aren’t the same thing.
- I can handle messy if there’s still something solid underneath.
- There’s such a difference between unfinished and unwilling.
- Wanting two things at once isn’t always indecision. Sometimes both are true.
- I have more patience for a complicated recipe than a complicated pattern.
- Ambiguity is acceptable in dessert. I have less patience for it everywhere else.
When Dessert Can’t Decide Between Cobbler and Cake
- Cranberry Apple Cobbler – Sweet apples, tart cranberries, buttery golden topping.
- Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler – Apple pie filling, toffee, cinnamon sugar, snickerdoodle crust.
- German Apple Cake – Thinly sliced apples, soft cake, apples baked throughout.
- Butterscotch Apple Cake – Fresh apples, butterscotch morsels, caramel, whipped cream.
- Pecan Pie Cobbler – Pecans, brown sugar, buttery cobbler topping, no eggs.
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Apple Cake Cobbler
Apple Cake Cobbler has a thick cinnamon-spiced Granny Smith apple filling covered with soft butter cake and coarse turbinado sugar, then baked until golden and served warm.
Servings: 10
Calories: 460kcal
Equipment
- baking dish 9x13 (23 x 33 cm) – Holds the apple filling while leaving enough surface area for the cake topping to bake through evenly.
- Large microwave-safe bowl with cover Large enough to partially cook 3½ pounds of apples and contain the juices they release.
- mixing bowls (large and medium). For preparing the cake batter and whisking together the flour and baking powder.
- hand mixer or stand mixer. Makes it easier to beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy and incorporate the eggs evenly.
- rubber spatula Useful for spreading the thick cake batter over the apple filling without moving the apples around too much.
- whisk For evenly distributing the baking powder through the flour.
- Toothpick For checking the thicker portions of cake topping for doneness without testing down into the wet apple filling.
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- 3½ lbs (1.6 kg) Granny Smith apples whole weight before peeling and coring, about 8–10 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
- 2 tbsps (28 g) salted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground allspice
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsps (5 g) cornstarch
Cake Batter:
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder
- 2 tbsps (25 g) turbinado sugar
Serving:
- vanilla ice cream (optional)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish preferably with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the sliced apples in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3–4 minutes, until the apples have begun to soften and release some of their juices but aren't fully tender.3½ lbs (1.6 kg) Granny Smith apples
- Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, lemon juice and cornstarch to the apples. Stir until the apples are evenly coated, then cover and microwave for another 2–3 minutes, until the juices have begun to thicken. Transfer the apple filling and its juices to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Allow the filling to cool slightly while preparing the cake batter.2 tbsps (28 g) salted butter, ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar, 1 tsp (2.5 g) ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground allspice, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 2 tsps (5 g) cornstarch
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing only until no dry flour remains. The cake batter will be thick and spreadable.1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, 1½ tsps (6 g) baking powder
- Spoon the cake batter in portions over the slightly cooled apple filling, then use a spatula to carefully spread it across the surface. The batter does not need to completely cover the apples. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the cake batter.2 tbsps (25 g) turbinado sugar
- Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the cake topping is golden brown and baked through. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a thicker area of the cake topping without pushing it down into the apple filling; it should come out clean or with a few moist cake crumbs.
- Allow the apple cake cobbler to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The apple filling will be saucier while the cobbler is very warm and will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.vanilla ice cream, whipped cream
Notes
- The 3½-pound (1.6 kg) apple measurement is the whole weight before peeling and coring.
- The apples should only begin to soften during the first microwave cook. They will continue cooking for another 2–3 minutes after the filling ingredients are added and again for 50–55 minutes in the oven.
- The cake batter is intentionally thick and contains no milk or cream. Do not add liquid to thin it before spreading it over the apples.
- When checking the cake topping with a toothpick, insert it only through a thicker section of cake. Pushing the toothpick into the apple filling can make a fully baked topping appear underdone.
- The cobbler will be quite saucy after a 10-minute rest. The apple juices continue to thicken as the dessert cools.
- Optional vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are not included in the nutrition information.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cake Cobbler
Amount Per Serving (260 g)
Calories 460
Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 85mg28%
Sodium 250mg11%
Potassium 200mg6%
Carbohydrates 67g22%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 46g51%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 800IU16%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you made this Apple Cake Cobbler? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.
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