Apple Cinnamon Tea Cake

Buttery, tender tea cake studded with juicy real apple chunks and kissed with warm cinnamon—perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 medium apples (about 350g / 12 oz whole), peeled, cored, cut into 1 cm / 1/2" chunks
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (for apples)
• 170g / 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
• 150g / 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 210g / 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 120ml / 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp white sugar (for cinnamon topping)

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Prep pan & oven

  Preheat oven to **170°C / 340°F (160°C fan)**. Grease and line a **20cm / 8" round cake pan** (or loaf pan) with baking paper, leaving a little overhang for easy lifting.

• 2

  Step 2: Cinnamon apples (no soggy cake!)

  Toss apple chunks with **2 tbsp brown sugar** and **1 tsp cinnamon**. Spread on a plate and set aside while you make the batter. (This draws out a little juice—good flavor, less sogginess.)

• 3

  Step 3: Cream butter and sugar

  In a large bowl, beat **softened butter** and **150g brown sugar** for **2–3 minutes** until lighter in color and fluffy (scrape the bowl once or twice).

• 4

  Step 4: Add eggs & vanilla

  Beat in eggs **one at a time**, mixing well after each. Mix in **vanilla**. If it looks a bit curdled, don’t worry—it will come together once the flour is added.

• 5

  Step 5: Dry ingredients

  In a separate bowl, whisk together **flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon**.

• 6

  Step 6: Combine batter

  Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in **2 additions**, alternating with the **milk**. Mix just until the last streak of flour disappears—overmixing makes cake dense.

• 7

  Step 7: Fold in apple chunks

  Tip the apples into a sieve (or use your hands to leave obvious juices behind), then **fold apples through** the batter gently so they stay chunky and evenly distributed.

• 8

  Step 8: Bake

  Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Mix **2 tbsp white sugar** with a pinch of cinnamon (optional extra) and sprinkle over the surface. Bake **40–50 minutes**, or until a skewer comes out **clean or with a few moist crumbs** (avoid wet batter).

• 9

  Step 9: Cool & serve

  Cool in the pan **15 minutes**, then lift out and cool at least **30 minutes** before slicing (it sets and slices more cleanly). Serve plain, or warm slightly for extra “apple pie” vibes.

Tips

• **Apple choice:** Crisp apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp) hold their shape and give nice chunks; softer apples will melt into the crumb (still delicious).
• **Loaf pan option:** Use a **9x5" loaf pan** and bake **50–60 minutes**; tent loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
• **Extra indulgent finish:** Dust with icing sugar, or serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (pantry staple optional).
• **Storage:** Keeps **3 days** airtight at room temp, or **5 days** in the fridge. Rewarm slices **10–15 seconds** in the microwave.
• **Freezing:** Wrap slices well and freeze up to **2 months**; thaw overnight, then warm gently.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)