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Deliciously Soft Apple and Cinnamon Traybake
If you are looking for a comforting, absolutely savage bake that is as easy to make as it is to eat, this Apple and Cinnamon Traybake from Irish Baker Abroad is a proper winner. Light, fluffy and generously packed with apples, it finishes with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping that makes it hard to stop at one slice.
Chris’s approach keeps things simple and unfussy, while still delivering a cake that feels homely, nostalgic, and perfect for sharing with family or friends.
Check out the full process in the video below:
Choosing the Right Apples
The secret to this traybake is balance. You want apples with a little bite to them so they cut through the sweetness of the sponge. In the video, Chris uses German Holstein or Cox apples, but you can easily swap these for Bramley, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady apples.
The key rule is simple: avoid apples that are overly sweet. A touch of sharpness makes the finished cake far more interesting and gives that classic apple-and-cinnamon contrast everyone loves.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Apples
- Peeled and cubed, enough to generously cover the top of the cake
Dry Base
- 200g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
The Creamy Mix
- 200g caster sugar (super-fine works best)
- 100g salted butter
Wet Ingredients
- 3 medium to large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100ml milk
Cinnamon Topping
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Optional pinch of nutmeg
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the apples
Peel, core, and cube your apples. Set them aside while you make the batter. - Sift the dry ingredients
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl to keep the sponge light. - Cream the base
In a separate bowl, cream together the caster sugar and salted butter until pale and fluffy. - Incorporate the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. - Fold and mix
Gently fold in the flour mixture and the milk, alternating a little of each, until you have a smooth batter. - Assemble the traybake
Pour the batter into a lined tin (approximately 20 × 30 cm or 27.5 × 22.5 cm). Spread evenly and scatter the apples generously over the top. - Add the finishing touch
Mix the sugar and cinnamon (and nutmeg, if using) and sprinkle evenly over the apples. - Bake
Bake in a conventional oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes. If using a fan-assisted oven, reduce the temperature to 160°C.
How to Serve
Once slightly cooled, lift the traybake from the tin and slice generously. This cake is absolutely beautiful served warm with a blob of freshly whipped cream or a proper helping of custard.
Soft, moist, and full of flavour, it’s the kind of bake that works just as well for a weekend treat as it does for feeding a crowd. Give it a go, and if you try it, let the Irish Baker Abroad know how you get on.
(Discover all the secrets of Irish cooking and more)
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