Fall

Heavenly Apple Brandy Cake

by:
May  3, 2021
4.4
35 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 12 to 16
Author Notes

Though not even approaching being eligible for a beauty contest, this cake seems to be irresistible. It stays fresh and gooey for days (that is if there's any left) and it's really very simple. The recipe originated in a community cookbook that I used regularly for years. The cake was always delicious but, over the years I've changed things--NO nuts--raisins--raisins soaked in Rum--but now I've settled on adding dates soaked in Apple Brandy (or Calvados if you're feeling flush!) Sometimes I substitute brown sugar for half the white sugar. As I say, NOT pretty, but well worth it. —Veronica

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cups chopped dates
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cups apple brandy (or Calvados)
  • 2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups slightly tart apples: peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup melted sweet butter
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Icing sugar for decoration
Directions
  1. About one hour before starting to bake, place the dates in a small bowl and cover with the apple brandy. Stir from time to time and if they get too "tight", just add more brandy!
  2. Preheat oven to 325. Using butter, grease a baking pan (approximately 13 x 9 x 2)
  3. Into a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  4. Add the chopped apples, dates, melted butter and the eggs. This will be a very heavy, thick batter but don't worry -- just be sure to mix it well.
  5. Spread in the prepared pan, place on a rack in center of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Test with a skewer -- if it comes out still a bit gooey, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. You'll know when it's done. It will be a nice dark tan color and will spring back to a light touch.
  6. Remove from oven, let cool a bit. This is delicious hot, warm or cold. As I mentioned, this cake isn't a beauty queen so should be plated in the kitchen! I sprinkle each serving with icing sugar.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Mntbreeze
    Mntbreeze
  • Meryl Kramer
    Meryl Kramer
  • Shang Chin
    Shang Chin
  • Tracy Benaman
    Tracy Benaman
  • boyka
    boyka

92 Reviews

Mntbreeze November 2, 2022
EXACTLY what I was looking for! MOIST, DENSE, HUGE apple and spice flavor. I cut my apples in half and laid them face down in a bath (at least 1 cup) of brandy, cinnamon, ginger, and maple sugar. I also added about a cup of raisins to the soak. They soaked for 3 days. I used 5 cups of largely chopped apples. I followed the rest of the recipe except I used brown coconut sugar and no white sugar. I put in a 13x9 inch pan. Small oven at 325 and it was ready in 50 min. I am so thrilled and cannot wait to keep playing with this recipe!
 
Meryl K. October 8, 2022
I have made this many times and it always is delicious and moist. I add some crystallized ginger which adds some more warmth. I use a Bundt pan and it’s beautiful. Served with some dulce de leche ice cream or creme fraiche, it’s the perfect autumn or winter dessert!
 
Olivia January 9, 2022
Gooey and tasty. I used 1/2 white and 1/2 light brown sugar as some other suggested. I think I may cut the total sugar just a bit. It's good but a little on too sweet side.
 
Liz November 3, 2021
Superb! made as is the first time; used white rum the second time as no more brandy in the house. Lots of compliments. Thank you for the recipe. A keeper for sure.
 
Shang C. April 17, 2021
Made it twice and made some adjustments. Used 1/2 of Turbinado sugar instead of 2 cups of sugar (the sweetness is more than enough for me), 1 cup of all-purpose and 3/4 rye flour, 3/4 rum, tossed in some chopped pecan. Personally I like how adaptable and easy this recipe is and how the cake look: direct and rustic (it's a beauty for me). The taste is also good, I like the combination of turbinado sugar and rum and dates. It gives the cake this very nice dark brown feeling.
 
Tracy B. November 22, 2020
I’ve made this cake twice and it does not disappoint. The second time I cooked it for an hour at 400* rather than 325* and it was cooked perfectly, even in the center. Both times I used an 8 inch springform which I why in needed a hotter oven. It really is a forgiving cake and flexible to whatever ingredients you have handy. I used a combination of wheat, white and almond flour which turned our great! Pears, apples, nuts, any dried fruit work well!
 
Tracy B. November 22, 2020
I’ve made this cake twice and it does not disappoint. The second time I cooked it for an hour at 400 rather than 325 and it was cooked perfectly, even in the center. Both times I used an 8 inch springform which I why in needed a hotter oven. It really is a forgiving cake and flexible to whatever ingredients you have handy. I used a combination of wheat, white and almond flour which turned our great! Pears, apples, nuts, any dried fruit work well!
 
Tracy B. November 22, 2020
I’ve made this cake twice and it does not disappoint. The second time I cooked it for an hour at 400 rather than 325 and it was cooked perfectly, even in the center. It really is a forgiving cake and flexible to whatever ingredients you have handy. I used a combination of wheat, white and almond flour which turned our great! Pears, apples, nuts, any dried fruit work well!
 
Anna H. November 10, 2020
I made this today with a few adjustments based on what I had and didn’t have on hand. I used 1/4 cup brown rum and 1/4 cup water in place of the calvados. Then I used 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar as I ran out of the granulated. I also had 4 different apples to use up so I didn’t measure them, I just peeled and chopped them and added it in. Then I baked the cake in a Bundt pan and it came out absolutely amazing. It’s moist and tastes delicious. This is a very thick batter so don’t let that throw you off. It’s also such an easy recipe to throw together if you don’t have a lot of time. I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe!
 
boyka November 2, 2020
I fall in love with this recepie. Easy to follow all the instruction, the result is a very delicious cake. I substituted half of the white sugar with petmez. This this gave the cake an incredible aroma and taste. Next time I will halve the white sugar.

 
Amy C. November 1, 2020
This is my second time making it in two weeks. The first time I took it out at 50 minutes and didn’t have brandy so omitted it. The second time I did the full 60 and added brandy. I prefer it slightly under baked but it is still so good this time around. I expect to make this many more times.
 
Lainie G. October 16, 2020
I substituted half brown and half white sugar and it was delicious as a lunch dessert with coconut yoghurt on the side.
 
Gardener May 29, 2020
You're too harsh: Not a pretty cake? I see beauty.
 
ifjuly February 10, 2020
Love how easy this is--I dig a good cake that doesn't require an electric mixer!--and the description is spot on; it's rustic and nubby and comforting. The soaked dates really (!) contribute a deep dark flavor, almost as if the cake has molasses or brown sugar in it. The nubby, shaggy-wet crumb and deep dark flavor combined means it feels vaguely evocative of '90s-healthy-style bran muffins somehow (?), but tastier than that might sound. The kind of snacking cake ideal for a rainy dreary afternoon. I recommend making sure not to overbake.
 
Milicent B. November 9, 2019
This was fantastic! This cake isn't just moist it stays moist. I love this and I don't usually like apple cake. Stellar!
 
FlyingChef October 17, 2019
So sorry Luisa's Ricotta Apple, this is my new fave. Although I will still keep making it because it's most requested. This cake is worth all the calvados poured in it. Only different thing I did was sub 2 T of butter with cream cheese. I was scared since this was the first time I was trying the recipe. Otherwise baked everything as is, so yummy and easy. A good and easy recipe to bring to a party. I am going to try to veganize it for my daughter, I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Michele W. October 16, 2019
YUM! Made this tonight! Super moist & very easy recipe for a quick desert (if in need)
I used 1 cup of white sugar & 1 cup of dark brown sugar. It was not too sweet in my opinion. I added 1/8 tsp of ginger & 1/4 tsp of cloves. I had just brandy on hand seemed to work just fine; didn’t add the liquid once dates had soaked in it; wasn’t certain if that would be too much liquid or not. I’m good with how it turned out. Will make this cake again 👍🏻👍🏻
 
Maggie September 29, 2019
This cake was devoured when I made it! Everyone raves about the flavor and how moist it was. I used calvados and chopped dates. I am making it again today, will cut sugar a bit and try it with golden raisins.
 
Brian M. February 8, 2019
Making this again for the 10th time or so. Used apple brandy and went heavy on the cinnamon. Love this recipe!!
 
Susan L. January 17, 2019
I just made this cake and was able to successfully reduce the sugar and sub some whole wheat flour with great success. I also used walnuts as I had no dates or raisins. I used a bit of lemon on the apples to prevent browning and loved the tartness it added. This is the easiest most adaptable recipe I've found and uses much less fat than most while staying dense and moist. My husband loves it.
 
Cindy F. November 14, 2018
Wonderful!! Very moist, everyone loves it. I made apple liquor, and instead of throwing out the apples, tried them in this recipe. So, I left out the booze, but it came out great. Thank you.
 
Sonja R. October 30, 2018
Just luscious! And incredibly moist still after four days in the fridge. A keeper
 
pvanhagenlcsw August 31, 2018
Delicious cake. Bursting with flavor. Next, I will have to buy a large bottle of Calvados as I will make this often as winter approaches such as it is in SF.

 
carole H. November 13, 2017
Can you freeze this cake ?
 
Nancy September 18, 2017
I just made this. It's wonderful. I'll share my experience because it may help others. I live in a place where I can get very, very fresh dates right off the tree. I have some huge, super soft ones right now, so I did not add them to any liquid. They were so soft, in fact, that after I chopped them they were almost like paste, so I added them to the dry ingredients and fluffed them around and separated the pieces with my hands. I added less sugar ( 1/2 cup plus a few shakes) and could have added even less as it's quite sweet. I did toss in about a tablespoon of peach juice just in case the lack of liquid would be a problem. The other thing I did differently was to bake it in a sheet pan with edges. That way it cooked faster and made very manageable pieces when cutting. It is SO good. Thank you!
 
galsmu October 24, 2016
Made this tonight with a couple small changes. Reduced the sugar slightly as recommended and used half white and half light brown sugar. Diced the apples smaller than recommended. Baked it in a bundt pan at 350 for 55 minutes. Turned out great! Moist and just the right amount of sweetness.
 
JJ A. September 23, 2016
Forgot to say that I used my own Apple Liqueur that I make every year from my trees!
 
JJ A. September 23, 2016
Made and brought this to a Jewish dinner party, where I was the only non-Jew....got RAVE reviews...."this is better than my Mom's apple cake!" Nary a crumb left for me to take home....LOL
 
Janet January 27, 2016
This cake turned out great! I made the following adjustments: half whole wheat flour/half white flour, I cut the sugar to one cup and used half brown/half white sugar, I used 1/4 c. butter and 3T butter infused olive oil, I added lots of fresh, grated ginger. Also, I soaked my dates in Stone's Ginger Wine. This cake was very easy to make and it is very adaptable. I'm going to make it again tomorrow!
 
Steven W. December 26, 2016
So you didn't Really make this cake?
 
anne December 31, 2016
Ya, no kidding. Ridiculous.
 
cholula December 24, 2018
seems like there are rude people everywhere.....Janet thank for posting
 
Steven W. December 26, 2018
Not really rude, just a comment that is appropriate in so many recipe threads...at least Janet added that she found the cake to be very adaptable...and that is just what she did. But technically she didn't make this cake.
 
Susan L. January 16, 2019
Thanks for your comments. I just made this cake and was able to successfully reduce the sugar and sub some whole wheat flour because of your success. I also used walnuts. This is the easiest most adaptable recipe I've found.
 
Marina A. November 15, 2015
I have to say this cake is AMAZING!! It's has a sophisticated flavor and perfect moist texture. It's not ugly either. Pretty cakes iced to the nine might give you a sugar kick but leave your mouth empty and unsatisfied. This is not such a cake.
 
Tammy S. November 15, 2015
I guess after reading all of the rave reviews for this cake I was a bit disappointed. Not a BAD cake, just an OK cake. However, I must say that it was super easy to make.
 
inuglaf November 4, 2015
i want to make this cake in a round pan! what size should i stick to? planning to make it for someone's birthday so early feedback would be HIGHLY appreciated. thanks!
 
nancy E. October 10, 2015
I have made this twice now. Sublimely delicious. First time with Calvados and the second with brandy. Both wonderful. It is so very satisfying. Thank you for this recipe.
 
nancy E. October 10, 2015
I had to reduce the sugar as well and would recommend it.
 
Kerry G. September 20, 2015
Delicious and worth the trip to liquor store. I reduced sugar by one half cup and used raisins instead of dates. Near end of baking (mine took only 45-50 minutes in 9x13 pan), I sprinkled chopped pecans and turbinado (sp.?!) sugar on top and returned to oven. Btw, soaked raisins over night ... About 3/4 cup with half cup booze. Yum!
 
ChuckT April 18, 2015
Hi Ana, I added the dates and the brandy remaining in the bowl that the dates had been soaked in , without any problems.
 
Ana April 18, 2015
Hi! Anybody that made the cake can tell me if I'm supposed to put the brandy as well or just the dates? Thanks a lot!
 
T.w. F. March 21, 2015
Hi, is there anyway to get the measurements in imperial or metric, either weight measurement would be a help.

Measuring by "cup" is very imprecise when it comes to the likes of fruit and butter.

Thanks.
 
Elizabeth March 5, 2015
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for this recipe. I've made the cake 5 or 6 times, and once made cupcakes so others could sample it. It is a huge hit on our mountain. The sugar was cut back by 1/2 cup and tasted better. We used a variety of apples,
and found that tart heirlooms had the most flavor. This is our favorite cake!!
 
MzTeaze February 4, 2015
This was definitely a hit for me. I used raisins instead of dates soaked in Apple Jack. Absolutely amazing!! Thanks for sharing.
 
ChuckT November 23, 2014
Tried this recipe today (23/11) using a combination of Cortland and Honey Crisp apples. I opted for the full quantity (¾ cup) of both chopped dates and Calvados and the end result is truly AMAZING. It is moist, light in texture and the flavour is incredible. It really lives up to its name. Thanks for sharing Veronica!
 
Kitspy October 28, 2014
This cake is amazing. I used who even knows what kind of apples (had just picked a variety and they were all jumbled together) and soaked the dates in apple cider. I also baked it in a 9" round pan - this was not a smart thing to do, but it was all I had available (baking in boyfriend's kitchen!). I had some overflow and the baking time was longer, maybe 1.5 hours. But all was well in the end. Thinking about adding some walnuts or pecans next time. I like a little crunch in my homestyle desserts.
 
claireaboo October 28, 2014
Fantastic cake! Moist at the center and so very delicious. Used granny smiths, 3/4 the amount of sugar, and soaked the dates in regular brandy since we couldn't find Calvados. Made a glaze using confectioner's sugar, more brandy, and dates. Turned out surprisingly great!

Will definitely be baking this again. Thanks for the recipe :)
 
jularcher October 26, 2014
Yum, baked this today and LOVED it - very moist. Used a round baking tin, 1/2 cup less sugar, and soaked the dates in the only booze on hand, which was Absolut citron vodka! It took a super long time to bake - a good hour and a half - which may be my oven or the fact I used 7 good-sized apples, which made for a very fruity cake. A great afternoon snack while hot and I'm sure a great dessert later on when fully cooled. Next time I'll try some of the below suggestions, including dried cranberries and almond meal. Thanks for the recipe!
 
whmcdevitt October 21, 2014
I use cider sometimes and it's fine.
 
daisybrain October 21, 2014
Is this cake too boozy to serve to tweens? What if I substitute cider for the brandy? Of course I'd prefer the brandy.
 
Alexis V. May 25, 2015
the alcohol will disappear during cooking/baking and simply leave the taste behind to enjoy.
 
Angie October 18, 2014
This cake is delicious! I made it the first time with the original ingredients and this time I added some diced bananas and a handful of mini chocolate chips to the original recipe. The only thing I'd change is... I'll make my kids peel and dice the apples!
 
Nancy M. October 2, 2014
I just made this cake and ate two pieces the minute it came out of the oven. Omigosh it is soooo good.
 
jenniebgood September 30, 2014
This was a delicious recipe -thank you! Is there a reason the recipe calls for baking soda vs. baking powder? I've always read that you use baking soda in recipes that have an acidic ingredient, while baking powder is for recipes with more neutral ingredients. When I made this I thought I could detect that slightly metallic taste you sometimes get with baking soda, and so I'm wondering if switching it out for baking powder next time might work?
 
ChefGam October 5, 2014
I got the same slightly metallic taste. If using baking powder, what is the recommended amount to subtitute?
 
Maciej N. September 24, 2014
This cake is a real treat,yummy and gooey with a crunchy top.I was not sure what temperature to bake it in.325F makes around 160C but wasn't sure if the recipe is for a normal or a fan oven.
 
Karrog September 16, 2014
Just made this cake and it is delish!! A keeper for sure! I used a bundt pan and it worked great. I also used straight-up brandy with a bit of cherry brandy added (didn't have apple brandy) and it was fine. Thanks for this recipe.
 
Donna C. March 4, 2014
This is a wonderful cake I like to tuck half (or more) of it away in the freezer and pull it out when company comes. Only used about a 1/4 cup of apricot brandy to soak the dates in, and chunked the apples. Love this cake, have made it many times. Served with a dollop of whipped cream that had had a splash of maple syrup or Frangelico, everyone loves it.
Food 52 is my favourite website!
 
bebe L. December 29, 2013
second time i made it with variations:
1 cup of turbinado w 1 cup white sugar
raisins instead of figs, soaked in rum
about 1/4 cup ground almonds
 
bebe L. December 23, 2013
this was posted on my birthday. i'm making it now, for the second time. it is moist, fragrant, and complex. one of my favorite cakes!
 
karmaya December 6, 2013
Variation on a theme: made this today, but instead of dates in calvados, used dried cherries soaked in cointreau; used one and a half cups of sugar; baked in a 12-inch cast iron pan lined with parchment paper; the result was fabulous, especially while it was still warm. Thanks for a great recipe!
 
MzTeaze February 4, 2015
Yum! That sounds awesome. I think I will definitely try it with dried cherries.
 
Frances P. November 27, 2013
Timpiano - I used a Bundt pan and it worked out fabulous.
 
Timpiano November 29, 2013
Thanks!
 
ChefGam October 5, 2014
How long did you bake this cake in a bundt pan? Thanks!
 
Timpiano October 5, 2014
I can't remember for sure, but I started checking on it after 45 minutes...
 
Timpiano November 27, 2013
Yet another pan query...to try to overcome the aesthetics, could I perhaps use a Bundt pan?
 
Bluejade November 11, 2013
As I cross-posted in the recipe for Grandma's Last Apple Cake, I combined these two recipes. What I particularly liked in this one is the date/liquid mix. Since I didn't have apple brandy, I chopped up the dates and put in bowl with half cup each of coffee and water. Then I microwaved that and mixed in at the end. Good recipe!
 
dymnyno October 16, 2013
I have a very similar apple cake which I make that was my mother's recipe from many years ago when the nearby community of Sebastopol was an apple paradise, specifically, Gravenstein apples. I have found that baking the cake in a cast iron skillet that has been lined with parchment will produce an evenly baked cake that pops out easily. (I love dates and will try them next time)
 
Veronica S. October 20, 2013
Thank you! And thanks for the skillet trick -- will definitely try that next time (maybe next week!)
 
cookiemo September 20, 2013
What a delicious cake! Perfect combination of apples and dates. Followed the recipe exactly but next time I'm going to cut back on the sugar by 1/2 cup.
 
Hiromi M. September 20, 2013
I felt the same way about the sugar amount...
 
whmcdevitt September 16, 2013
so delicious, the dates give it a real debt of flavor.......great recipe!!
 
Frances P. September 15, 2013
What a fabulous cake! Just made it with a few changes...no alcohol - used boiled water instead to soften dates and only 1.5 cups of sugar. Thank you for the recipe.
 
Waverly September 14, 2013
We loved your cake, Veronica. The apple brandy soaked dates adds a really nice touch. We served it with vanilla ice cream while watching college football. Delicious!
 
Arbour September 8, 2013
13x9x2 rectangle pan = 15 cups
12"x2" round pan = 15.5 cups
10"x4" TUBE pan = 16 cups
 
Hiromi M. September 8, 2013
Has anybody tried this recipe with gluten free flour?
 
Hiromi M. September 16, 2013
I made gluten free version today. It is very doughy and gooey. Not sure that's how it is supposed to be, but we loved it. Well, my husband loved it as is, but I would like it to be much less sweet.
 
Bonny September 8, 2013
I made it in a 9 inch spring form pan and cooked it for 1 and 1/4 hours. Also substituted 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour for one cup of the white flour.
 
Jazzball September 8, 2013
has anyone tried subbing in some whole-wheat flour and/or brown sugar? what else are folks trying instead of the calvados? what about apple cider (hard or soft)?
 
Kathryn H. September 11, 2013
I used apple schnapps. It was delicious!
 
JRG September 8, 2013
Same question re the round pan, which is more attractive to serve. A 13 by 9 by 2 would come out to be a 12 inch diameter 2 inches deep round pan for the same volume. I sure don't own one of those but maybe you could use a 10 inch springform and adjust the baking time for the extra depth? Help!
 
lmichaelj September 8, 2013
You can find a 12 inch springform pan. They are out there.
 
Kathryn H. September 11, 2013
I used a 9 inch springform pan. i cooked it for about 10 minutes longer than called for. The center was still a little moist by most cake standards but it worked well for this - I let it cook until a toothpick in the center still had some moisture to the dough but not much, not dry. We only let it cool a short time so ate it very warm - thought it might be too gooey but it was perfect - it is a naturally moist cake so it worked well. Would do it again this way
 
cookiemo September 8, 2013
What size round pan did you use?
 
Jeannie September 8, 2013
Why does the picture show a round cake but the recipe calls for a 13 x 9 pan?
 
Veronica S. September 9, 2013
Picture was taken by Food52 when they tested. But I see that others have already added alternate sizes for pans. A 12 inch springform pan would work nicely and produce a better looking cake! I just like the rectangular for practical purposes--easier to refrigerate leftovers, which there will be if you're making for a smaller group.
 
Bonny September 8, 2013
I just made this substituting crasins and soaking them in OJ
 
Zenqi September 8, 2013
Thanks for the recipe, it looks delish. If I wanted to add nuts, what would the quantity be?
 
cookbooksareforeveryone September 5, 2013
Thank you Veronica,
I made this cake for a Rosh Hashonah dinner last night with one teeny change.
I subbed St. Germain for Calvados. It was fabulous. I also made lavender honey ice cream to serve with it. Get it? Apples & Honey. It 's going on the forever holiday menu!
 
Kitchen B. September 2, 2013
Congratulations Veronica on the feature in Jenny's column - I love apple cakes. And I totally have calvados!