A delicious toffee apple cake with chunks of apple in a sour cream cake and with toffee bits stirred in and on the top!
It’s apple season and if you’re in the mood for an apple cake, this toffee apple cake will hit all the right notes! With chunks of apple in a lovely sour cream cake and with toffee bits stirred into the batter and scattered on top. All the flavours of toffee apples, in cake form!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Apples – A tart apple is a great pairing with the sweet toffee bits in this cake. You could use Granny Smith, Macintosh, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Empire, Cortland or similar. Any apple good for an apple pie is perfect for this cake.
Toffee Bits – Here in Canada, toffee bits are sold in the baking aisle as Chipits Skor Bits. Currently the package is 200g (7 oz). Anywhere around that size is fine. I know Heath Toffee Bits are available elsewhere, though the bag is slightly bigger I believe. That’s fine. You’ll need one bag for this cake.
Sour Cream – Sour cream is recommended and specifically full-fat (14%) sour cream. I haven’t tested this recipe with reduced-fat sour cream. In a pinch, a higher fat (5%-ish) Greek yogurt could be used, though the lower fat will affect the cake texture and shelf-life to some degree.
How to make toffee apple cake
- Mix up the cake batter until lovely and creamy.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
- Add half the toffee bits and the apple chunks to the cake batter.
- Stir the apple and toffee into the batter well.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared 10-inch springform pan and smooth to level.
- Make the topping by stirring together the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter to form a crumb, then add the remaining toffee bits.
- Stir the topping together well.
- Sprinkle the topping on top of the cake. Bake and enjoy!
Recipe tips!
- A 10-inch round springform pan is recommended for the best results. I have baked this cake in a 9-inch round springform pan with success. The 9-inch pan will result in a taller cake and will require a longer baking time. Finally, if you are feeding a crowd, you could bake this cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. The cake will be shorter as will the baking time. I’ve included baking time adjustments in the Recipe Card below.
- Have your butter and eggs at room temperature before starting the cake. This will result in the nicest finished cake. Remember that “room temperature” butter means around 67F, so it shouldn’t be super soft.
- This cake is lovely enjoyed slightly warm. Enjoy on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Creme Fraiche.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This cake is best enjoyed on the day it is baked, but will keep well for a day or two more. Wrap well and store at room temperature.
This cake will freeze well for up to 3 months well-wrapped.
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Get the Recipe: Toffee Apple Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, increase to 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250 ml) full-fat sour cream (14% b.f.), or full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 cups (250 ml) apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces *see Note 1 below for apple variety suggestions
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) toffee bits, such as Skor or Heath, half of a 7 oz package *see Note 2 below
For the topping:
- 1/3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (67 g) butter, cold and cut into 4 pieces
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) toffee bits, such as Skor or Heath, remaining half of a 7 oz package
Equipment
- 10-inch springform pan or see Note 3 below for pan options
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection setting) with a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease or spray a 10-inch springform baking pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside. *see Note 2 below for alternate baking pan size options.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, mix in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. (Do 3 additions of flour, adding 1/2 of the sour cream between the flour additions). Mix until the flour mixture is well combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down well. Add the apples and 1/2 of the package of toffee bits to the batter. Use a spatula to stir together well.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and level the top.
- Make the topping by stirring together the flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add the butter pieces and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until you have an even mixture of pea-sized pieces. Add the remaining 1/2 package of toffee bits and stir in.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly overtop of the batter in the cake pan.
- Bake the cake until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes for a 10-inch springform pan, 55-60 minutes for a 9-inch springform pan or 35-40 minutes for a 9×13-inch pan. Do note that baking time will vary from oven-to-oven and depending on the colour of your baking pans. Always check the baking progress early and test as needed.
- Remove cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cake and remove the outer ring from the cake. Allow the cake to cool further before removing from the base to a serving plate.
- This cake is best enjoyed on the day it is baked, but will keep for 2-3 days well-wrapped. This cake will also freeze well. Enjoy as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Creme Fraiche.
Notes
More apple cakes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
What a delicious cake! My family is enjoying it so much. We tasted it when still slightly warm and wow! It was the best afternoon snack. The crunchy toffee bits in the batter and the topping take this cake to great heights. I love your recipes!
So glad you are all enjoyed it, Kathleen! Thanks :)
Excellent. Everyone loved it. Both times I made it.
So pleased to hear, Joan :) Thanks!
Very good cake; I replaced the toffee with caramel chips.
So pleased you enjoyed it, Estelle :) Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer, this cake looks so delicious with the apple and toffee bit combo! Quick question…since you can bake in a 9 inch springform pan, I’m assuming it would be OK to use a 9 inch square pan lined with a parchment paper sling? Thanks so much!
HI Lola and it should work, though a 9″ square pan with 2″ high sides would be best. Enjoy!
Another winning recipe .
So glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn :) Thanks!
Is it possible to make half this recipe? If yes, what size pan would I bake it in? Thank you.
Hi Elsie and you could do a half recipe in an 8×8-inch pan.