Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake

Perfect for any occasion, this apple cinnamon cake is the ultimate fall comfort food. The addition of buttermilk creates a cake that is so moist and tender it almost melts in your mouth.

Sep 17, 2024

I absolutely love this sweet little cake! It’s unbelievably moist and the texture of the crumb is “melt in your mouth” tender. Those desirable cake characteristics are due to a key ingredient – buttermilk.

Beyond adding a subtle tang to balance the sweetness of baked goods, buttermilk does a couple of amazing things. First, the acidity of the buttermilk activates the baking soda which produces a gas that causes the batter to rise. That acidity also breaks down protein strands in the batter which gives a more delicate texture.

The buttermilk our grandparents enjoyed was the liquid that remained after butter was churned from cream. Today, buttermilk is typically made by adding cultures (beneficial bacteria) to 1% milk. The result is a slightly thickened milk with a tart, tangy flavor. Buttermilk tends to separate while sitting in the refrigerator, so shake it well before using.

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a substitute by stirring 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar into one cup of milk. Most instructions for making this pseudo buttermilk recommend letting the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing it to thicken and curdle slightly, before adding it to the batter. While this soured milk substitution is helpful in a pinch, in my opinion, using real, low-fat cultured buttermilk yields the best results.

To your health,

Darlene

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APPLE CINNAMON BUTTERMILK CAKE

Yield: 9 servings

Serving Size: 1 slice

Prep: 15 minutes

Ready: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick baking spray with flour (such as Baker’s Joy)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 cup chopped apple, unpeeled (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp work well)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cultured low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup white whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until well combined. Place chopped apple in a small bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, reserving remaining brown sugar and cinnamon mixture for later use. Toss to coat chopped apple in cinnamon sugar mix and set aside while preparing remaining ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
Pour batter into prepared pan and evenly distribute chopped apple and accumulated juices over batter. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over top of chopped apple and batter.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool cake on a wire rack. When ready to serve, dust top of cake with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Information per Serving

218 Calories, 5.5 g Total fat, 0.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 21 mg Cholesterol, 214 mg Sodium, 40 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 25 g Total sugars, 23 g Added sugars, 3 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 46 mg (4%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 26 mg (0%) Potassium